Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2024 i What Hi-Fi?

Integrated amplifier | £549 | View offers whf.cm/Mission778X Today, Mission is known as a specialist speaker manufacturer, but that wasn’t always the case. Back in the early ’80s, it was a far more diverse brand that made all parts of the audio chain from turntables, tonearms and cartridges to CD players, right through to speakers. The company’s first amplifiers were hugely ambitious premium designs such as the 776/777 pre/power combination, but it wasn’t long before it produced a more affordable, though hardly less distinctive, integrated design called the 778. The 778 lasted only a few years before its design was evolved into the first products of Mission’s then-new sub-brand, Cyrus. While that original 778 was well received, it is fair to say that the visually similar Cyrus One and Cyrus…

Standmount speakers | £349 | View offers whf.cm/ElipsonHorus6B While we love being treated to a big, booming and bank-busting pair of high-end speakers here at What Hi-Fi?, we are often equally enamoured of those models that can provide as much entertainment as possible on a budget. Hi-fi should be for the many, not just the few, as the likes of the Elac Debut B5.2 and Dali Oberon 1 both amply demonstrate. The Elipson Horus 6B are the latest standmounts looking to add their names to the pantheon of budget bargains that can punch well above their weight. The French speakers retail in the UK for £349, though given that you could pick up a pair of the five-star Q Acoustics 3020i for £100 less, the Elipsons are going to have…

View offers Projector | £499 |whf.cm/EpsonCO_FH01 The Epson CO-FH01 feels like a blast from the past in some ways. For starters, as with many projectors in days gone by, before companies started to ‘specialise’, it is positioned as a crossover model capable of handling both office and home-entertainment environments. It also has no truck with the 4K and HDR features that projector buyers are starting to expect these days, and it places a premium on portability and affordability rather than uncompromising home cinema ‘goodness’. While this doesn’t make the CO-FH01 sound like a recipe for home cinema heaven, experience suggests that some of its limitations could actually be strengths. And we also happen to know first-hand plenty of people who are happy to bring office projectors home for gaming, a…

1 LG G4 OLED TV £TBC LG unveiled a full suite of new OLED TVs at CES 2024, but one in particular stood out to us as the one to watch out for. The G4, the successor to last year’s five-star G3, offers a host of upgrades over its predecessor when it comes to picture, sound and gaming specification. While LG suggests the panel tech hasn’t changed much, it has confirmed that picture performance is “measurably better” than the G3, with a brightness figure of 3000 nits being hinted at. Elsewhere, the G4 features a powerful AI-enhanced chipset that allows for various picture-enhancing modes, as well as virtual 11.1.2 channel sound processing. See p60 for our initial impressions. whf.cm/LG2024_OLED 2 Sharp HT-SB700 £189 Could this be the most affordable Dolby…

When Ruark Audio unveiled its premium all-in-one R410 music system, our thoughts immediately went to another similarly shaped, priced and featured system: the Naim Mu-so 2. Both models from well-regarded British audio brands are exemplary examples of what a modern, lifestyle-leaning all-in-one music system can look like, especially as an alternative to a separates hi-fi system. Not to mention packing in all the latest streaming features and using the brands’ strong hi-fi heritage to deliver five-star performance across the board. We are surprised there aren’t more one-box wireless set-ups like these: when done right, these systems are lovely pieces of hi-fi (not to mention lovely pieces of artful furniture) that are so versatile, user-friendly and have wide appeal. And, if done really right, they can sound good too. We dusted…

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES to its friends) is a very big deal. Having begun life in New York in the 1960s, the trade show now takes place each January in Las Vegas and this year hosted over 4300 exhibitors and 135,000 attendees, including members of the What Hi-Fi? team. Why did we and so many others fly to Sin City at precisely the time that we should probably have been starting Dry January? Because CES is where most of the world’s biggest consumer electronics brands announce their new products for the year ahead. While hi-fi and home cinema products certainly do feature at CES (as well as watches, phones, drones and plenty more besides), it is generally the TVs that take centre stage, and that was certainly the case…

This year’s LG G4 OLED TV is a much bigger deal than it first seems. Within the familiar chassis and specification sheet are several subtle upgrades that together seem more meaningful than one might expect, and now the gap between this premium model and the mid-tier C4 is larger than that of any G-series and C-series TVs before. During CES 2024, but at a private event away from the main Las Vegas Convention Center, LG briefly demonstrated several of its new OLED TVs. We were instantly impressed by the G4, particularly the 83in model… Price No pricing for any of LG’s new TVs has been announced at this stage and probably won’t be for a little while. Our instinct is that things won’t be markedly different to that of last…

View offers whf.cm/BBStereoAmps Stereo amps up to £500 Rega io £379 Best stereo amplifier under £400, Awards 2021 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Those who are happy with a no-fuss, purely analogue amp and who prioritise entertainment should arguably consider the io their number one choice. Power 30W Inputs Line-in x2, MM Outputs Headphone NAD D 3020 V2 £399 September 2018 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A likeable effort that features a full-bodied sonic performance with fine timing and dynamics and lots of useful features. Power 30W Inputs Line-in, MM, optical, coaxial, BT Outputs Headphone Marantz PM6007 £499 Best stereo amplifier under £500, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Clearer and punchier than its Award-winning predecessor, Marantz’s latest entry-level amplifier never puts the formidable 6000 Series dynasty in doubt.…

 View offers whf.cm/BBMusicStreamers Up to £500 WiiM Pro Plus £219 Best music streamer under £300, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ As a first, affordable introduction to the many and various charms of music streaming, the WiiM Pro Plus is hard to lay a glove on at the price. Outputs RCA line-level, coaxial, optical Audiolab 6000N Play £449 Best music streamer under £500, Awards 2020 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A great, affordable way to implement streaming into your system without compromising sonic quality. The best budget solution we’ve seen… Outputs Line-in, coaxial, optical, subwoofer Cambridge Audio MXN10 £449 Best music streamer £300-£750, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Cambridge Audio has crashed the entry-level music streamer party. Is the MXN10 the finest affordable music streamer on the…

 View offers whf.cm/BBHifiSystems Up to £500 Pro-Ject Juke Box E £369 Best turntable system, Awards 2019 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ An impressive all-in-one system with a level of functionality that’s difficult to replicate in individual separates for a similar price. Speed 33⅓, 45rpm Inputs Line-in, BT Outputs Line-out Denon D-M41DAB £329 Best hi-fi system under £500, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Denon hasn’t rested on its laurels. It’s managed to better the M40, delivering improved sound and functionality. The best just got better. Inputs CD, line-in, optical x2, BT, DAB/FM Outputs Subwoofer Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 £499 Best powered speakers, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ We are big fans of systems such as this. They are neat, well-featured and the best of the breed represent…

 View offers whf.cm/BBSetTopBoxes PVRs Humax Aura from £249 Best PVR, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ As a Freeview PVR, the Humax Aura is solid, but its useability foibles and lack of Netflix give pause for thought. Tuners 3 Storage 1TB/2TB Ultra HD Yes Subscription boxes Sky Q 2TB from £199 Best subscription box, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Sky has overhauled its TV package with Q and made it more enticing and versatile thanks to 4K support, but it comes with a high price tag. Tuners 4 Storage 2TB Ultra HD Yes…

 View offers whf.cm/BBVideoStreamers Up to £100 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K £50 Best video streamer under £100, Awards 2020 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Despite some caveats, this 4K device supports all HDR formats and delivers excellent picture quality for a very affordable price. Resolution 2160p, 1080p, 720p Storage 8GB 4K Yes Google Chromecast with Google TV £60 Best video streamer under £100, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ With a new remote and super-smart UI, Google’s latest Chromecast video streamer is the complete package. Resolution Up to 4K HDR, 60fps Storage n/a 4K Yes £100 and above Apple TV 4K £169 Best video streamer over £100, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It has a fantastic UI and design, a huge library of 4K HDR content, and…

View offers whf.cm/BBCartridges Cartridges Goldring E3 £90 Best cartridge under £100, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This is a wonderfully balanced and entertaining moving magnet cartridge that will work well with a wide range of record players. Type MM Tracking weight 2.0g “The sound it delivers is clear, informative and fun. We can’t ask much more than that” Sumiko Rainier £160 Best cartridge £100-£250, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This Sumiko is a little gem. Set it up with care and have a little patience, and you’ll find this to be one of the best performers anywhere near this price. Type MM Tracking weight 1.8-2.2g (2.0g recommended) “Get in some hours of use and the presentation blooms into something that’s surprisingly musical and engaging” Ortofon Quintet…

 View offers whf.cm/BBSpeakerStands Speaker stands Atacama Moseco 6 £150 Best speaker stand, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A speaker stand that impresses with how weighty and dynamic it allows systems to sound. Considering the price, it’s something of a steal. Height 60cm Fillable Yes Finishes 4 (pole), 3 (base panel) “The Mosecos may just be our new favourite affordable speaker stands” Q Acoustics 20 speaker stands £200 September 2014 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Designed with QAs’ Concept 20 speakers in mind, the clever construction and elegant design ensures other speakers give their best too. Height 66.5cm Fillable No Finishes 2 “£200 for a pair of speaker stands? When they’re this good, we don’t mind” FOR A FULL LIST OF SPECIFICATIONS AND IN-DEPTH REVIEWS VISIT WHATHIFI.COM…

■ EXPERIENCE. HERITAGE. We have been helping the world discover the best in hi-fi and home entertainment for more than 45 years, and have more than 100 years of reviewing experience under our collective belts – so you can count on our expert opinion. ■ DEDICATED TEST FACILITIES We test every product against its peers in our extensive, bespoke reviewing facilities in London and Reading. We conduct all our tests as a team – our opinions and conclusions are always the result of collaboration. HOW WE SCORE All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole – not an individual reviewer. Each product will be listened to and/or viewed by several members of the test team, who will then discuss the final verdict before it appears in…

Speaker cable | £27/m | View offers whf.cm/QED_GoldenXT QED was founded in 1973. Within a few years, it launched the legendary 79 Strand, arguably the first specialist speaker cable to hit the market. That’s some legacy, and in the years since then, the company has continued to develop its understanding of cable design, even going as far as to publish technical papers on the subject. The new QED Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable not only marks the brand’s significant birthday but also embodies the culmination of the engineering ideas it has developed over the past five decades. This is a smart and well-made product that feels expensive. Look under the skin and you will find that QED’s engineers have put at least as much thought into the construction and geometry…

4K TV | £229 | View offer whf.cm/Hisense_43A6KTUK There’s nothing deep about the 43A6KTUK’s star attraction; at just £229 for a 43in TV, it represents potentially ridiculously good value for money. Especially when you consider that despite its low price it delivers a native 4K resolution, high dynamic range support including Dolby Vision, AI-powered picture processing and Hisense’s increasingly handy VIDAA smart system. You don’t need us to tell you that £229 is a puny sum to pay for a 43in 4K HDR TV. Even the recently reviewed Samsung UE43CU8000, a set we also thought was crazily cheap for what it offered, costs £150 more than the 43A6KTUK at the time of writing. The 43A6KTUK looks perfectly respectable for such a cheap TV. Its frame is impressively thin around its…

TO SUBSCRIBE GO TO: www.magazinesdirect.com/WHI/C75J or call 0330 333 1113 and Quote C75J SAVE UP TO 45% SUBSCRIBE TO WHAT HI ★ FI? • Our subscription offers deliver 13 issues of What Hi-Fi? a year to you, giving you big savings on the cover price! • Get our digital-only offer and save up to 45 per cent on the normal price. • Our simple six-month best offer breaks up the annual subscription into two easily manageable payments over the course of the year. ANNUAL PRINT EDITION SAVE UP TO 45% 13 issues of What Hi Fi? in print over 12 months, and save 45% £21.41 every 6 months DIGITAL EDITION SAVE UP TO 42% 13 issues of What Hi Fi? in digital over the course of the year, and save 42% £17.83…

Last year, 2023, proved to be an eventful year for home cinema speaker packages thanks to stellar efforts from all the usual stars of the audio arena. Starting with Bowers & Wilkins, the company delivered a formidable offering in the form of the 606 & 607 S3 speaker package, which combined two sets of five-star stereo speakers with an equally impressive centre channel and subwoofer to create an Award-winning package. Its dynamic, rich and detailed sound bowled over our reviewers, resulting in a well-earned five-star review and a Product of the Year commendation. B&W wasn’t the only one to achieve five stars for its home cinema speaker package. Q Acoustics once again combined a pair of highly decorated stereo speakers (the 5040s) with talented partners – in this case the…

What do you do if you’ve got an image problem? Many would say “reinvent yourself”. And that is what the once-humble projector has done. Early examples were basic, grainy-imaged affairs that usually required lots of space. But, aided by the viewing public’s fondness for ever-larger TV screen sizes and the growth in home cinema, the projector has evolved into a cutting-edge domestic AV device. And the pinnacle of that evolutionary progress is the ultra-short throw (UST) projector. What’s so great about USTs? Flexibility, for one thing. Unlike ‘regular’ projectors, USTs can be placed a matter of inches, rather than feet, from your screen or wall and – thanks to a process of enlargement via a series of internal lenses – are still able to project an image far bigger…

While some brands (LG and Samsung, for example) announce complete new TV ranges at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, Panasonic tends to announce just one flagship model, saving the rest for a separate event later in the year. For 2024 though, the company announced two new models, the Z95A and Z93A, though the latter is just a larger and slightly downgraded version of the former. Despite the new name format, the Z95A and Z93A are very similar to the MZ2000 they replace, but with some neat upgrades, including a second-gen MLA OLED panel that, together with upgraded processing and a new heat-management system, results in brighter picture performance. Naturally, we will need to get a final production sample into our test rooms for comprehensive and comparative testing before being able…

TCL QM891G AV editor Tom Parsons really wants this set I realise that some people feel the TV industry’s recent obsession with super-sized TVs is misguided, but I’m not one of them. That’s probably because I’ve got plans to one day turn my garage into a home cinema, and a super-sized TV is more appealing to me than a projector. It’s not that I don’t love projectors, but unless you spend huge amounts of money you’re not going to get one that can do seriously deep blacks or make the most of bright HDR movies. There’s the issue of movies in different aspect ratios looking odd against a projector screen, too, which can be overcome but not without quite a lot of faff. I would also like to game in…

 View offers whf.cm/BBCDPlayers Up to £1000 Marantz CD6007 £339 Best CD player under £500, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No one can accuse Marantz of pushing the boundaries on the CD6007, but it has taken an already excellent CD player and made it a bit better. Type CD transport Outputs Coaxial, optical Arcam CD5 £699 Best CD player £500-£1000, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A tremendously talented player that deserves an audition if you’re still holding on to your beloved CDs and want to give them a new lease of life. Type CD player Outputs Coaxial, optical, line-level Musical Fidelity M2sCD £699 June 2020 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Musical Fidelity’s CD player sounds expansive, detailed and delicately layered - a resoundingly listenable proposition. Type CD…

View offers whf.cm/BBInternetRadios  View offers whf.cm/BBDABRadios Up to £200 Roberts Stream 94L £199 Best radio under £250, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The updated Stream 94L radio remains a firm favourite, with its extensive playback options, unfussy nature and hugely enjoyable sound. Battery Optional Size (hwd) 25 x 17 x 13cm Inputs 3.5mm, USB, BT, wi-fi “This radio is such an enjoyable performer. We have it playing throughout the day and never tire of it.” £200 and above Tivoli Model One Digital Generation 2 £299 Best radio over £200, Awards 2022 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ We really enjoy Tivoli’s winning little box of tricks. Old-school radio feels and modern AirPlay 2 and Chromecast; it scores consistently high marks. Battery No Size (hwd) 11.5 x 22.2 x 14cm…

View offers whf.cm/BBTurntables £150 to £300 Pro-Ject Primary E £159 Best turntable under £200, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Pro-Ject has revised a budget deck to nail the under £150 market – and has succeeded on every front. Speed 33⅓, 45rpm Size (hwd) 11 x 42 x 33cm £150 to £300 Audio Technica AT-LP3 £199 Best turntable under £200, Awards 2017 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A fully automatic turntable that doesn’t scrimp on performance, this is the ideal entry-level deck for those looking to dip their ‘vinyl toes’ in. Speed 33⅓, 45rpm Size (hwd) 13 x 44 x 35cm Rega Planar 1 £275 Best turntable £200-£500, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This revamped entry-level deck from Rega doesn’t sound anything like an entry-level deck. Pleasingly…

 View offers whf.cm/BBHomeCinemaAmps £500 to £2000 Denon AVR-X2800H £869 Best home cinema amplifier £1000-£2000, Awards 2022 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The AVR-X2800H ups the ante with more HDMI 2.1 inputs, a new user-friendly interface and a more responsive, coherent and spacious sound. Power 7 x 95W Dolby Atmos Yes HDMI in/out 6/2 Sony TA-AN1000 £999 Best home cinema amplifier under £1500, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Sony has delivered an AV amp that has reignited the same excitement that we felt with its last model, here with additional dynamics, scale and accuracy. Power 7 x 85W Dolby Atmos Yes HDMI in/out 6/2 Denon AVC-X3800H £1499 Best home cinema amplifier over £2000, Awards 2022 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Despite being more expensive than its predecessor, the AVC-X3800H’s…

View offers whf.cm/BBTelevisions Up to 43in LG OLED42C3 £1199 Best 40-43in TV and Best gaming TV, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It’s only marginally better than the C2 it replaces – but that is still good enough for the OLED42C3 to be the best 42-inch TV we have tested. Type OLED HDMI 4 Resolution 4K Operating system webOS23 “It is much easier to get the C3 looking its best than it is most other TVs” 48in to 50in Philips 48OLED807 £1249 Best 48-50in TV, Awards 2022 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ On performance terms this is right up there with the very best in class, surpassing them in areas such as punch, sharpness and shadow detail. Type OLED HDMI 4 Resolution 4K ARC/eARC eARC “Make those changes and…

 View offers whf.cm/BBMobilePhones iOS Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max £1199 Best smartphone over £500, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ AA punchier picture and smoother sound make the iPhone 15 Pro Max an unparalleled portable movie and music machine. OS iOS 17 Size (hwd) 160 x 77 x 8.3mm Storage 256GB-1TB “Subtle tweaks to picture and sound quality have added dynamism and refinement to a delivery that was already superb” Android Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra June 2022 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ If you can deal with the average battery life, this is the new flagship Android phone to rule them all – and that’s before taking into account the new S Pen. OS Android Size (hwd) 163 x 78 x 9mm Storage 128GB-1TB “This flagship Samsung boasts so…

View offers whf.cm/BBAudioCables Up to £150 Chord Company C-Line £63/m Best analogue interconnect under £100, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Few entry-level interconnects at the price come close to offering the sonic enjoyment that Chord has produced with this cable. Balanced/Single-ended Single QED Performance Audio 40 £40/m Best analogue interconnect under £50, Awards 2017 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Few rival interconnects are as good as this QED when it comes to detail resolution and precision. It’s nicely made too. Balanced/Single-ended Single Chord Co ClearwayX ARAY Analogue RCA £130/m Best analogue interconnect over £100, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Evolution of a well-regarded interconnect that reveals greater texture, control and dynamics from your system’s performance than before. Balanced/Single-ended Single…

TV | £1399 | View offers whf.cm/PhilipsOLED808 Over the past few years, Philips has produced some of the very best OLED TVs to grace our test rooms. It was with great sadness, therefore, that we learned back in August that the brand’s first 2023 model, the OLED808, would not only miss our annual Awards deadline but indeed wouldn’t make it into the UK until at least October. The problem? Some sort of licensing issue between Google TV and Freeview Play was the reason given, with Philips apparently not wanting to launch the TVs in the UK without the full suite of terrestrial channel catch-up services. Unfortunately, that issue hasn’t been resolved and the OLED808 has to do without the BBC iPlayer, ITV X and Channel 4 apps. Fortunately, though, the…

Projector | £1749 | View offers whf.cm/XgimiHorizonUltra In Xgimi’s Horizon Ultra we have a near cubic projector clad in leather (seriously) and equipped with a brand new so-called ‘Dual Light’ optical system. The design is intended to make the Horizon Ultra less of an imposition on your living room, while the innovative light system combines lasers and LEDs to deliver what Xgimi claims will be a brighter, more colourful but also more relaxing viewing experience. We have never before seen a projector that looks quite like the Xgimi Horizon Ultra. Not everyone who saw it in our test rooms found Xgimi’s attempts to make a projector feel more like furniture a total success. But even its harshest detractors have to admit that it is certainly a softer, gentler addition to…

Wireless in-ear headphones | £230 | View offers whf.cm/JabraElite10 There’s been something rather likeable about Jabra’s recent run of wireless earbuds. Rarely have the Danish brand’s buds quite managed to attain the full five stars, but thanks to their usual combination of pleasing designs coupled with well performing features at competitive prices, this feels like a brand moving in the right direction. Retailing at £230, the Jabra Elite 10 are certainly competitively priced. Jabra’s ploy seems to be to offer a slightly more affordable alternative to its major competitors, with the Elite 10 sitting below titans such as Bose’s Quiet Comfort Ultra Earbuds (tested at £300) and the Award-winning Sony WF-1000XM5 (tested at £259), and alongside Apple’s flagship AirPods Pro 2 (£229). Yes, the plastic case is unremarkable, but the…

As we write these words, our Christmas celebrations are rapidly receding into the distance and the chills of January are well and truly with us. As you read them, however, that mirthless first month of the year is a thing of the past and it is only a matter of days until our next celebration: The Bristol Hi-Fi Show, which opens its doors once again on the 23rd of February. Long-time readers of What Hi-Fi? will know just why the Bristol Show is a calendar highlight for anyone interested in consumer electronics, but novices to our world may not be aware that it is the UK’s largest and longest-running hi-fi show. Some 160-odd exhibitors – including leading industry names such as Naim, JBL, Audioquest, Cyrus and Sennheiser – will all…

Sony and Panasonic both released genuinely envelope-pushing TVs in 2023: Sony’s A95L boasts a second-generation QD-OLED screen, while Panasonic’s MZ2000 is only the second TV to feature Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology, boosting its brightness no end. Both TVs earned five stars from us. But which is right for you? Neither is cheap, so you want to make the right decision. We have compared the two, category by category, so you can make an informed choice. Sony A95L vs Panasonic MZ2000: price At launch, there wasn’t much difference between the two TVs’ prices. The Sony A95L cost £3699, and the Panasonic MZ2000 £3599. These prices are for the 65in models. Both TVs launched in 2023, and while their prices have dropped, it’s not by much. You can currently pick up…

Just how smart can a TV get? Well, if you believe what several major brands were saying at CES 2024, flatscreen IQs are set to go up a level this year thanks to – yep, you guessed it – AI processinṄg. Nobody has made this message clearer than Samsung, which unveiled the QN900D, its new flagship 8K Neo QLED, as part of its 2024 TV lineup at CES. The top-tier TV uses a new processing chip designed to deliver a wide range of AI enhancements to take “picture and sound quality to a whole new level”. We headed over to the company’s Las Vegas exhibition space to see all this new processing in action for ourselves. Read on for our first impressions (not powered by AI). Design While the emphasis…

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is always a great start-of-the-year treat for home cinema fans, and the 2024 event was no different. Our team of experts at the show saw everything from cutting-edge transparent micro LED concept TVs to super-affordable wireless Dolby Atmos systems make their debut on the tradeshow floor. And while the volume of cool new kit appearing at the show is awesome, it can also make it difficult to know which specific announcements you should care about. This is why we have created this list detailing the seven most exciting home cinema products to appear at CES 2024. LG OLED T LG has a track record when comes to showing off whacky TVs at CES and this year it proudly continued this tradition, unveiling its OLED T.…

From 75in 4K TVs to turntables, and from portable Bluetooth speakers to Dolby Atmos surround sound packages, here’s where you will find the perfect hi-fi and AV product, fast. NEW ENTRIES THIS MONTH Two treats for your ears, and one for your eyes this month. On the audio front, the vibrant Q Acoustics 5040 speaker package wowed us with its detailed and exciting sound, while the well-named Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds offer class-leading ANC and a punchy, musical delivery. The excellent Panasonic TX-65MZ2000B, meanwhile, is simply the best Panasonic TV you can buy. HOW TO POSITION YOUR SPEAKERS It’s not just a case of ‘plonk ’em down and plug ’em in’; getting your speakers set up properly can make all the difference to how they sound. We show you how…

 View offers whf.cm/BBDACs Up to £300 iFi Go Link £59 October 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The iFi Go Link feels like the perfect device for enhancing your headphones on the move and on a budget, living up to its brief. Size 13.5cm long Resolution PCM 32-bit/384kHz, DSD 256, MQA iFi Zen DAC V2 £159 Best DAC under £200, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A good jump in quality over the Award-winning original, to keep features and performance best in class – and for not much extra money. Inputs USB 3.0 Size 35 x 160 x 117mm Res PCM 384kHz, DSD256, MQA iFi hip-dac 2 £179 April 2022 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ At this level, you’re unlikely to find a portable DAC as clear, zealous, fully…

 View offers whf.cm/BBHifiSpeakers Standmounts up to £200 Dali Spektor 2 £199 Best standmount speaker under £200, Awards 2020 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The 2s combine Dali’s traditional strengths with a generous dose of entertainment that even Mission and Q Acoustics struggle to match. Size (hwd) 17 x 28 x 28cm Bi-wire No Finishes 2 “The way these speakers handle dynamics is impressive” Standmounters from £200 to £500 Elac Debut B5.2 £250 Best standmount speaker under £300, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ELAC’s latest budget standmounter is talented enough to worry the established competition. Size (hwd) 34 x 18 x 23cm Bi-wire No Finishes 1 “These new Debuts should be considered one of the company’s finest efforts” Dali Oberon 1 £349 February 2019 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★…

 View offers whf.cm/BBProjectors Up to £2000 BenQ W1800 £1099 Best projector under £1250, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ BenQ’s decision to focus with the W1800 on what we guess could be considered good old-fashioned home cinema values pays off handsomely. Throw ratio 1.13-1.46:1 Inputs HDMI x2, USB 2.0 Speakers Yes Epson EH-TW7100 £1599 Best projector £1250-£2000, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Epson EH-TW7100 stretches the limit of what can be considered a budget big screen device, but it more than justifies its price. Throw ratio 1.32-2.15:1 Inputs HDMI x2, USB 2.0 x2 Speakers Yes Hisense PL £1999 Best ultra-short-throw projector, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ With its clean, punchy and solid image, the Hisense PL1 is a gem at this price. It’s a…

View offers whf.cm/BBHeadphones In-ears up to £250 SoundMagic E11C £50 Best wired in-ear headphones under £100, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The latest version of Soundmagic’s budget in-ears continues to impress with a full-bodied, energetic and informative sound. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.2m Beyerdynamic Soul Byrd £69 April 2019 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ You’ll struggle to find a better pair of in-ear headphones costing less than £70 than these Beyerdynamics. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.2m Klipsch T5M Wired £70 Best wired in-ear headphones £50-£100, Awards 2021 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Not only do they have some of the most comfortable tips around, but these T5M Wireds also show a maturity that’s rare at this price. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.3m Sennheiser Momentum M2…

View offers whf.cm/BBPhonoAmps Up to £200 Edwards Audio Apprentice MM £90 Awards 2017 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A fine entry-level phono stage that will deliver a crisp and exciting sound from any good price-compatible moving magnet cartridge. Type MM Dimensions (hwd) 5 x 16 x 11cm Up to £200 Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Communicator £180 July 2018 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A gem of a phono amplifier that has stood the test of time. It offers class-leading levels of detail, brilliant timing and a sweet sound. Type MM Dimensions (hwd) 5 x 12 x 19cm Musical Fidelity LX2-LPS £199 April 2018 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Though it’s not as versatile as the Rega Mk3, the LX2 delivers a more engaging performance thanks to its open, full-bodied…

View offers whf.cm/BBSpeakerCables Up to £10/m Chord Company C-Screen £5/m June 2018 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The C-Screen possesses the fantastic ability to mirror a system’s punch and drive. What it does, it does better than anything else at the price. Single or Bi-wire Single QED XT25 £6/m May 2018 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Features the same characteristics as the more expensive XT40, displaying the kind of transparency that’s difficult for its rivals to match. Single or Bi-wire Single Atlas Equator 2.0 (2018) £7.25/m Reviewed online, 2018 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A nicely built speaker cable that promotes a wonderfully clean and detailed delivery – it’s an affordable and easy way to spruce up your system. Single or Bi-wire Single £10/m and above QED Reference XT40i £11/m May…