Indholdsfortegnelse for Awards 2025 i What Hi-Fi?

View offers Music streamer | £899 | bit.ly/Node_Icon Bluesound has had a run of very competent, well featured and wellpriced compact music streamers, but it has been a while since one really stood out as a class leader when it comes to outright sound quality. That all changes with the Node Icon. Where the mid-range Node (2024) model conceded to the greater musicality of the Cambridge Audio MXN10, and the budget Node Nano couldn’t topple the wallet-friendly WiiM Pro Plus from its throne, the Bluesound Node Icon stands head and shoulders above its siblings in design, features and, most importantly, performance. At £899, this is the priciest of the current Node range of streamers. Its main competition is the five-star Cambridge Audio CXN100 – which retails for the same price.…

View offers Bookshelf speakers | £299 | bit.ly/Dali_Kupid With their bold colour palette, eyecatching design and space-friendly compact form, the Dali Kupids are made to appeal to a wide audience of music fans. They are designed to fit into people’s spaces easily and be used with modern compact hi-fi, micro systems or as TV speakers. Indeed, part of our testing period was spent hooking the Kupid speakers up to the WiiM Amp Ultra streaming amplifier we also have in for testing; and the pair showed just how simple, compact and streamlined a modern hi-fi system can be. The Dali Kupid are small speakers, standing 23.7cm tall and 14cm wide – a little bigger than desktop speakers, but still a fair bit more compact than standard bookshelf speakers. This means they…

View offers Soundbar package | £249 | bit.ly/AX5125H We have to admit, few things put smiles on our faces like unearthing a brilliant budget gem. And that’s what we have here. The Hisense AX5125H is a complete Dolby Atmos (and DTS:X) system in a box that costs less than most solo soundbars. And it sounds so much better than it has any right to at its price. It costs £249, which is frankly ridiculous value for what it is. For reference – and a bit of perspective – the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is occasionally available for around £349 and is just a soundbar. The Hisense package includes a soundbar, a wireless subwoofer and two wireless surrounds. All of the components in the Hisense system have a slightly dull, functional…

PRINT AND DIGITAL PLUS Digital library ** £21.41 every six months DIGITAL ONLY £17.83 every six months 3 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE www.magazinesdirect.com/WHI/DJ58Z or call 0330 333 1113 and Quote DJ58Z SCAN ME FOR GREAT SAVINGS! SAVE UP TO 45% * WHY WHAT HI★FI? • Comprehensive reviews to help you buy the very best tech products for your money • Expert advice on how to make the most of your purchases • Features that offer music and movie tips, opinions, interviews and more • Targeted news and info to help you find the best deals *Terms and conditions: Offer closes 19th December 2025. Price is guaranteed for the first six months. Please allow up to six weeks for the delivery of your first subscription issue (up to eight weeks overseas). The…

View offers: bit.ly/BestRadios2025 Ruark Audio R1S £299 Elegant, stylish, gorgeous – just some of the many superlatives we could use to describe this lovely Ruark radio. It’s compact enough to perch on kitchen counters, work desks or bedside tables, and the front panel boasts a sleek fascia that hides the driver and looks classy in any environment. The full-colour display is large and crisp, with a strong contrast that makes the text legible from a distance. Whether you view the R1S as a radio with streaming powers, or a wireless speaker with radio functions, this is a versatile unit that gives you options to play music in a variety of ways. Love radio? FM, DAB/DAB+ tuners are built in, and there is a telescopic aerial. The R1S also has internet…

View offers: bit.ly/BestWiredHeadphones2025 Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X £189 Whether you’re huddled in a sweaty studio trying to get all of the pieces of a tricky mix to come together, or you’re happy just to sit at home enjoying your favourite tunes, the DT 990 Pro X are superbly comfortable and well-made cans. Despite weighing in at around 292g, their overall weight distribution and clever ergonomic design mean that we never really feel them hanging heavy on our head. Their weight is evenly distributed, with a well-judged clamping force adding comfort and security. Their soft velour earcups are furry and soft, yet rather remarkably, they don’t seem to cause too much on-ear heat during extended listening stints. Their open-backed design means they will leak sound in and out. If you…

View offers: bit.ly/BestCDplayers2025 Arcam CD5 £699 This is a tremendously talented player that deserves an audition if you want to give your beloved CDs a new lease of life. Similar to the other separates in Arcam’s Radia range, the CD5 sports a sleek, minimal design and is made to a high standard. The black aluminium body with yellow accents looks modern in an understated way, and the whole unit feels robust. The front display, with its simple text showing track information, is easy to read from afar. The disc-loading tray operates smoothly and quickly, with a gentle but reassuring mechanical whirr. We find the CD5 easy and responsive to use, whether pressing the unit’s large buttons for playback or using the small remote. Connections are minimal, with just a single…

View offers: bit.ly/BestDACs2025 Chord Mojo 2 £395 Few real-world (read: not ludicrously expensive) products can be considered real game changers in hi-fi. But in 2015 the Chord Mojo burst onto the thenfledgling portable DAC/headphone amplifier scene as one of them, flag in hand and ready to claim territory. The palm-sized device justified its elongated name (‘Mobile Joy’), pushing the parameters of what was possible for compact, on-the-go sound quality in the three-figure price domain. The fittingly named Mojo 2 is the long-anticipated, re-engineered replacement. And while the aesthetic hasn’t exactly been overhauled for the sequel, significant progress has been made elsewhere to protect the Mojo’s position at the pinnacle of the portable DAC world. The headline development lies inside the aluminium casework and is what Chord calls the ‘UHD DSP’,…

View offers: bit.ly/BestStandmountSpeakers2025 Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2 £649 If you are looking for unfussy but hugely talented standmounters below a grand, Acoustic Energy’s AE300 MkII are a great place to start. Each neatly made compact cabinet stands 32cm tall and is a relatively slim design at just 17cm wide. Visually, this pair of standmounters is about as unobtrusive as speakers come at this level. This isn’t a design that dazzles with its technology or appearance; it exudes a quiet aura of solid functionality that appeals to us. Build quality is impressive. The cabinet uses a constrained-layer construction that combines 18mm MDF with bitumen to give a rigid and well-controlled foundation for the drive units to work from. The attention to detail is pleasing, with neat, crisp cabinet edges and understated…

View offers: bit.ly/BestTelevisions2025 Sony Bravia 8 II £1899 The Sony Bravia 8 II is a truly exceptional TV. Its combination of sizzling brightness, vibrant colours through all degrees of light, terrific shadow detail and razor-like sharpness combine to produce an image with regularly astonishing dynamism, depth and realism. The latest QD-OLED panel combines with Sony’s processing and custom heatsink to push the set 25 per cent brighter than its A95L QD-OLED predecessor. With this increased brightness comes increased colour volume, and Sony claims to have also engineered big improvements to dark gradation (essentially very dark shading). Sony’s XR Processor powers an ‘AI scene recognition system’ which apparently “detects and analyses data with flawless accuracy, then optimises the picture for ultimate realism”. The TV supports Dolby Vision and Atmos, and is…

View offers: bit.ly/BestBlurayPlayers2025 Panasonic DP-UB820EB £349 Streaming movies is all well and good (often very good), but many of us still like to own our own copy of certain films. Not least for those times when the one you were planning to watch has made an untimely exit from the streaming service you were planning to watch it on. That is when a Blu-ray player comes into its own. So, if 4K Blu-ray is one of your preferred formats within your home movie set-up, you need a dedicated player that can deliver on multiple fronts. The DP-UB820 supports all major HDR formats, delivering a hugely immersive and impactful picture, backed up by a strong audio performance. It borrows much of its picture-processing tech from Panasonic’s flagship 4K machine, the DP-UB9000,…

View offers: bit.ly/BestHomeCinemaAmplifiers2025 Sony TA-AN1000 £899 This superb AV amplifier retains its Product Of The Year crown again this year with some ease, thanks to its top sound quality and generous equipment levels. Sony has really packed in the features here. Seven channels of amplification can be configured to either a 7.1 set-up or a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos. The Sony outputs a claimed 85W of power per channel with all channels driven. There are two HDMI outputs with eARC and six HDMI inputs, all claimed to be HDMI 2.1 ports. HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision HDR formats are on board, with further support for IMAX Enhanced. Audio format support is also excellent, with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Sony 360 Audio, with the amp’s phantom-speaker system creating simulated height channels and…

View offers: bit.ly/BestStreamingServices2025 Tidal £11/month Once again, Tidal bags the top spot here (that’s 10 years in a row, stats fans). Somehow, this hi-res streaming service always manages to up its game and stay one step ahead of the competition. The key change came with a simplification of the service’s pricing structure. While access to 24-bit hi-res streams, Dolby Atmos Music and Sony 360 Audio tracks used to be locked within a £19.99 ‘HiFi Plus’ tier, with CD-quality streaming offered in a £9.99 ‘HiFi’ option, there is now just one individual subscription plan costing £11 per month, matching Apple Music and Amazon Music. Tidal’s Family plan, for up to six family members, now costs £17 a month, while the Student Plan costs just £5. In addition to offering a competitive…

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 Terrific clarity, fine precision and excellent build quality distinguish Monitor Audio’s new Bronze 50 7G standmounters, while the huge TCL 98C7K wins a place for its uncommonly alluring picture quality and very affordable price. Finally, the super-comfy Beyerdynamic 990 Prox X headphones join the party, courtesy of their insightful, detailed sound. Monitor Audio Bronze 50 7G, p119 Monitor Audio takes its new generation of Bronze standmounters up a notch in price, aiming at the Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3. And they do more than enough to compete TCL 98C7K, p135 This is an awful lot of TV for,…

 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 Go Blu £199 February 2022 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ When portability is paramount, the iFi Go Blu is every millimetre the convenient sonic…

View offers whf.cm/BBInternetRadios  View offers whf.cm/BBDABRadios Up to £200 Roberts Revival Petite 2 £100 Best radio under £100, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Packed with features and emitting a clearer, richer, more dynamic sound than you might expect, this delightful little portable is a must-have sonic accessory. Battery 20hrs (rechargeable) Size (hwd) 73 x 124 x 85mm Finishes 7 “It’s a lively, rhythmically engaging sound that has a surprising amount of weight and punch to it, given the unit’s size” £200 and above Ruark Audio R1S £299 Best radio £100-£400, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Appealing aesthetics and sophisticated, nuanced and precise sound – it’s a level of quality we are surprised to hear from a product of this size and price. Battery Optional Size (hwd)…

 View offers whf.cm/BBHifiSystems Up to £500 Denon D-M41DAB £399 Best hi-fi system under £500, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ We are big fans of systems such as this. They are neat, well-featured and the best of the breed represent excellent value. This is one of them. Inputs USB, line-in/phono, opt, Bluetooth, HDMI (ARC) Outputs Subwoofer £500 to £1500 Triangle AIO Twin £699 Best speaker system under £750, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ If you’re looking for a fun music system…

 View offers whf.cm/BBSetTopBoxes PVRs Humax Aura from £249 Best PVR, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 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 Sky Q 2TB from £199 Best subscription box, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It has a fantastic UI and design, a huge library of 4K HDR content, and the best…

Whether you’re a Prime professional or just thinking of signing up, you’ll want to get the most out of the service. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to do exactly that. Setting up a ‘Household’ account Amazon Prime Video will recommend content based on your viewing history - but what if you’re really into crime thrillers, your other half loves romantic comedies and the kids love cartoons? The answer is by linking together two Amazon accounts that will both have access to Prime Video. Go to Your Account > Shopping Programmes > Amazon Household. There you can add another adult or profiles for children, and then click ‘Create Household’. Parental Controls You can set up a four-digit PIN on the web by going into the ‘Settings’ of…

EXPERIENCE. HERITAGE. We have been helping the world discover the best in hi-fi and home entertainment for almost 50 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 any 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 the magazine or…

View offers Standmount speakers | £2875 | bit.ly/PMC_Prophecy1 PMC has certainly chosen grandiose names for its recent product ranges. First, we had an entry-level series called Prodigy, and now we have a step-up range named Prophecy. It will be interesting to see what grand-sounding name starting with P the company comes up with next. Fortunately, each model we have reviewed from both these new ranges has knocked it out of the park. And we’re pleased to report that the baby of the Prophecy speaker range maintains that high standard. The PMC Prophecy 1 is a small standmount speaker for the money. It stands at a fairly conventional 40cm high, but it is the slim proportions that draw the eye; it is just 16.5cm wide. The need to provide decent internal…

View offers Home cinema projector | £2999 | bit.ly/EH-LS9000 While Epson’s greatest push of late has been behind its new EF-72 coffee-table projector, any concerns about the brand forgetting its serious home cinema roots should be put to rest by the EH-LS9000. Described by the Japanese company as an “affordable high-end 4K projector”, the LS9000 sits below the LS12000 and shares much in common with it and the even more premium QB1000. For context, the EH-LS12000 costs £3999, and the even more premium EH-QB1000 is £4999. Those are both five-star projectors, so the LS9000 is in excellent company. We are not exactly spoiled for choice at the LS9000’s price. For years, we recommended the EH-TW9400 at this level, but that is the model that this new projector is (belatedly) replacing.…

View offers Integrated amplifier | £1199 | bit.ly/A15_Plus Arcam’s Radia range of stereo products was introduced only back in 2023. In these two short years, it has become something of a cornerstone of our affordable hi-fi recommendations. We have a particularly soft spot for the A5 and A15 integrated amplifiers, which both combine a comprehensive featureset with class-leading sound quality. So, when we hear that the company is introducing upgraded versions of these amplifiers, we can’t wait to have a listen. We shouldn’t get too carried away here as regards the scale of the upgrades. There have been no massive revisions or significant specification changes. Think of it as a gentle bit of fettling of an already accomplished product. How gentle? Without the badging, it would be hard to notice…

View offers: bitl.y/BestWirelessHeadphones2025 Sony WH-1000XM6 £399 Design, features, sound quality, noise cancelling, call quality. You name it, Sony has revisited it for the WH-1000XM6. Powering the XM6 is Sony’s new HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3, which Sony claims is a whopping seven times faster than the XM5’s QN1. Inside each earcup is a newly developed 30mm ‘soft edge’ dome driver which, along with the QN3 processor, is claimed to up not only audio quality, but also ANC performance. Sony has borrowed some of the tech found in its premium Walkman range, including its low phase noise crystal oscillator, to help improve timing, and it uses gold-infused solder in parts of the circuit. The new 360 Reality Audio Upmix for Cinema feature adds Sony’s spatialaudio processing to any content you’re watching…

View offers: bit.ly/BestTablets2025 Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3) £799 Apple’s long-running tablet range is yet to put a foot wrong when it comes to picture performance, and the latest Air continues that trend. The main benefit of the 13in Air is the option of a larger screen without having to cough up for a pricey iPad Pro. The bigger display is an ideal canvas for movie watching. There’s no escaping that this is a sizeable handheld device, and yet the slender frame (just 6.1mm thick), ensures it doesn’t become unwieldy. The 13in Liquid Retina display features a resolution of 2732 x 2048, a pixel density of 264ppi, and support for all the main HDR formats. Dolby Atmos is supported via the built-in stereo speakers, as well as over wired and…

View offers: bit.ly/BestMusicStreamers2025 Bluesound Node Icon £899 Bluesound has had a run of very competent, well-featured and well-priced compact music streamers. But it has been a while since one really stood out as a class leader when it comes to outright sound quality. That changes with the Node Icon. The anodised-aluminium metal casing and shiny glass top feel substantial. This is the first Bluesound streamer to sport a screen, and this 5in full-colour display, showing album art, track and source info, is sharp, clear and appealing. A sloped glass section on top of the unit houses a strip of touch controls. You can appoint five presets so you can play your favourite playlist or radio station with a single tap, without having to fire up your phone. Pitched as the…

View offers: bit.ly/BestTurntables2025 Rega Planar 3 RS Edition £999 Iconic by name and reputation, Rega’s Planar 3 has been the recipient of more What Hi-Fi? Award wins than we can count over the decades. This RS Edition is an elevated Planar 3, further refining an already excellent build and performance to deliver even more from your vinyl records and bring you closer to the music. There are ways to upgrade the Planar 3’s performance – add an outboard power supply, upgrade to a step-up cartridge – but this package also features an upgraded plinth that elevates the performance of the Planar 3 while keeping the overall price competitive. Rega’s turntable design principles can be summed up in four words: low mass, high rigidity. The brand believes that adding mass to…

View offers: bit.ly/BestAmplifiers2025 Arcam A15+ £1199 The original A15 was a superb all-rounder, delivering a combination of detail, dynamics and overall balance that we felt was class-leading. This new + version retains that character and remains a well-equipped amplifier that should easily slot into pretty much any price-compatible stereo system. It also takes small but significant steps forward across the board. As far as the basics of the digital module go, nothing significant has changed. A 24-bit/192kHz compatible ESS ES9018 DAC chip sits at the heart of the A15+. The new model does, however, add HDMI eARC alongside optical and a pair of coaxial inputs, moving-magnet phono input and trio of line-level analogue connections. There’s also a preamplifier output and a 3.5mm headphone socket. Two-way Bluetooth is now version 5.4…

View offers: bit.ly/BestMusicSystems2025 NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) £1699 The attractive retro appearance may be the thing that draws people to the C 3050, but it’s the product’s all-round abilities as a streaming package that makes it such a strong buy. There is real engineering substance behind those rather appealing mechanical power meters. The main differentiator between the C 3050 and its talented stereo amplifier rivals is the option to add a streaming module – the MDC2 BluOS-D. Adding this raises the price from the standard amplifier’s £1349, but it turns the C 3050 into an extremely neat and characterful just-add-speakers streaming system. The NAD C 3050 is a high achiever across the board, from the better-than-average Bluetooth performance to the capable DAC module and talented streaming section.…

View offers: bit.ly/BestSoundbars2025 Samsung HW-Q990F £1699 This new wireless surround-sound Dolby Atmos set-up is the successor to last year’s Product of the Year, the Samsung HW-Q990D, and introduces an adorable new subwoofer. Don’t be fooled by its cute cuboid chassis though, as it packs an almighty punch that takes this already superb soundbar system into a whole new league. The official price of the HW-Q990F is £1699 – but there are a number of great deals doing the rounds these days. The bar itself is an angular hexagonal shape measuring 7 x 123 x 14cm (hwd). You will find a selection of buttons on top to change source, mute the onboard microphones and adjust the volume, with a simplistic dot-matrix display on the front displaying corresponding information. The surround speakers…

Ruark Audio R610 The special Awards categories are some of the most interesting each year, and this is especially true of the Readers’ Award. This is because, unlike our other categories, which are decided by our review team, it is judged by you, our wonderful readers. Your choices usually surprise and delight us – last year, for example, we were pleased to see you opt for the amazing-value Q Acoustics 5050 floorstanders, which also happened to be our Product of the Year in their category, over something flashier. This good taste continues into 2025 with your decision to crown the Ruark R610 streaming amplifier as this year’s Readers’ Award winner. The five-star just-add-speakers system stormed the category, edging out 11 big-name rivals to secure the lion’s share of this year’s…

View offers: bit.ly/BestSpeakerPackages2025 Bowers & Wilkins 606 and 607 S3 speaker package £1999 Since this speaker package comprises two pairs of five-star speakers, you probably won’t be surprised to find out that it sounds good. Really good. Starting with the main players in this system we have the B&W 606 S3 stereo speakers. At 34 x 19 x 30cm, the 606 S3 are much more compact and less likely to dominate your room than some rivals, although you will have to factor in space for stands. Inside the 606 S3 you will find a two-way vented design with a 25mm dome tweeter and 16.5cm cone driver. There’s a titanium-dome tweeter accompanying the mid/bass driver made from B&W’s Continuum cone material. B&W has switched to titanium from aluminium to “improve resolution…

Cyrus CDi £999 The Cyrus CDi has now won an astonishing 12 consecutive What Hi-Fi? Award trophies in a row. That is undoubtedly impressive, but this feat alone isn’t enough to guarantee itself a place in our Hall of Fame of significant hi-fi and home cinema products. It’s the CDi’s superb sonic performance, coupled with the proven reliability of a terrifically built design, that has worked without a hitch for the 12 years we have been using our review sample, that cements its induction. We couldn’t have predicted back in 2014 just how much of an enduring product this would be. In the past dozen years, CD’s popularity has waned and only recently has had a small but vocal resurgence alongside vinyl. Cyrus has brought out two new CD players,…

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 x3, MM, optical, coaxial, BT Outputs Headphone Rotel A8 £399 Best stereo amplifier under £500, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A fuss-free, well-built product that sets an enviable standard for sound quality at this level. The A8’s understated charms…

Read more at… www.whathifi.com/features Turntables might not be cutting-edge tech, but for their look and feel – not to mention thrillingly articulate analogue sound – you can’t beat them. The only thing your record collection lacks is portability, but there is a way to take those LPs with you What do you need? The basic building blocks are: a turntable, a phono stage, an analogue-to-digital converter with USB output, and a computer with suitable recording software. There are turntables that come with a phono stage, analogue-to-digital converter and USB output built in. But most are at the budget end and focus on getting the job done rather than doing it particularly well. Your recordings won’t necessarily reflect the quality of sound possible from your records, though Audio Technica’s AT-LP5 and…

 View offers whf.cm/BBTurntables £150 to £300 Pro-Ject Primary E £199 Best turntable under £200, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 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 £150 to £300 Rega Planar 1 £299 Best turntable £200-£500, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 Sony TA-AN1000 £999 Best home cinema amplifier under £1500, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 updated feature spec and new and improved sound make it an excellent buy. Power 9 x 105W Dolby Atmos Yes HDMI in/out 6/3 Yamaha RX-A6A £2299 October 2022 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ With its exhaustive feature set, this is the ‘choose-your-own adventure’ of AVRs, with a…

 View offers whf.cm/BBSoundbars Up to £500 Sony HT-S2000 £349 May 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ If you want clearer, more dynamic and direct sound from your TV at a price that won’t put you off, then this Sony really is an easy sell. Size (hwd) 6.4 x 80 x 12cm Inputs Optical, HDMI eARC Sub No Sonos Beam (Gen 2) £449 Best soundbar under £500, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A compact soundbar that pumps out an exceptional sound for its size and price. Now with Dolby Atmos capabilities. Impressive. Size (hwd) 7 x 65 x 10cm Inputs Optical, HDMI ARC, AirPlay Sub No £500 to £1000 Sonos Arc Ultra £999 January 2025 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It’s been a long time in the making but…

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 Rega Fono Mini A2D Mk2 £110 April 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It is the quality of the sound that continues to impress. Quite simply, we haven’t come across a better-sounding alternative at this entry level. Type MM Dimensions (hwd) 3 x 10 x 10.5cm 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…

View offers Speaker package | £3146 | bit.ly/Concerto_Meta_5_1 British audio brand KEF is hardly a stranger to our hi-fi testing room. The brand is a rarer sight in our AV room, though, with the XIO soundbar the only KEF-branded product to have graced this space recently. Excellent though the XIO is, a soundbar won’t always cut it, especially for those who want cinema-style, all-encompassing surround sound. That’s where a 5.1 speaker system comes in, and KEF has been a key player in this sector of the home cinema market for some time. Its latest offering, the Q Concerto Meta 5.1 Speaker System, is headlined by a five-star pair of standmounts, backed up by more members of the entry-level Q-series. It aims to deliver proper cinematic sound in a stylish package.…

View offers Home cinema projector | £2699 | bit.ly/BenQ_W4100i With its relatively serious price point, 3200 lumens of claimed brightness, LED lighting and coverage of 100 per cent of the Rec 709 and HDR DCI-P3 colour ranges, this BenQ has the on-paper potential to be a proper home-theatre performer. Yet it also boasts a built-in audio system, Android TV smarts, and advanced auto setup – things we usually expect to find with a relatively casual living room projector. This is a 4K projector, courtesy of DLP XPR technology, which uses pixel shifting to deliver a 4K effect from a sub-4K count of DLP’s digital mirror devices (DMDs). The W4100i is lit by LEDs rather than lasers or the usual UHP lamps. This should yield between 20,000 and 30,000 hours of…

View offers Wireless headphones | £629 | bit.ly/Px8_S2 Bowers & Wilkins’ outgoing Px8 set the standard for flagship wireless headphones, offering a potent combination of luxury, performance and wireless convenience that elevated the brand’s wireless headphone offering to a new level. So, how do you improve on the original? Bowers & Wilkins hasn’t gone back to the drawing board, but it has made changes in a couple of key areas that should have a significant effect on sound quality. If it’s classy looks and luxurious feel you’re after, the Px8 S2 will not disappoint. They carry over the premium materials and design flourishes of the original, which means they look every ounce a premium headphone – and they feel it in-hand too. The nappa leather that adorns the headband, earcups…

View offers: bit.ly/BestWirelessSpeakers2025 JBL Charge 6 £169 JBL’s run of sonically talented, affordable portable Bluetooth speakers has left the competition in the dust in the past few years. So the brand could quite easily have rested on its laurels. But it has sought even more performance and introduced clever, useful design improvements that have breathed new life into the Charge. The Charge 6 remains as portable and rugged as ever, with a reassuringly durable design that is now even more waterproof, dustproof and drop-proof than before, with an IP68 rating and beefier bumper guards at either end. Battery life is up to 24 hours, but enabling the Playtime Boost feature will give you an extra four hours. Toggling on Playtime Boost does affect the sound’s balance somewhat, as it cuts…

View offers: bit.ly/BestPortableMusicPlayers2025 Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 £799 The A&norma SR35 might test the definition of ‘entry level’, but there’s no uncertainty over whether it performs to its price point. The SR35 has evolved both the features-offering and performance of its 2022 Award-winning predecessor, the SR25 Mk II, with a bunch of technologies designed to reduce noise and maximise performance. Dual Band Wi-Fi (2.4/5GHz) is now supported to deliver bolstered network stability whether streaming or making use of its Roon Ready support. Two-way Bluetooth now supports the 5.0 standard, alongside the aptX HD and LDAC codecs. The 20-hour battery life remains, and all in all, the SR35 is a very well-specified player – and not too well-specified either. We have seen portable music players adopt a full Android operating…

View offers: bit.ly/BestSmartphones2025 Apple iPhone 17 £799 It may look like its predecessor, but the latest iPhone is more than just an iterative update, with a picture and sound performance that seriously impresses. The iPhone 17’s new 6.3in Super Retina XDR OLED display steals the show with its improved brightness and support for up to 120Hz variable refresh rates. It features a 2622 x 1206 resolution and a pixel density of 460ppi, slightly higher than the iPhone 16. The display can now reach 3000 nits of peak brightness, and a minimum brightness of just 1 nit. The combination of 1 nit and 1Hz allows the iPhone 17 to access the Always On Display feature previously available only on Pro-level phones. Picture performance is paramount for us, and Apple delivers an…

View offers: bit.ly/BestVideoStreamers2025 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max £70 Amazon’s streaming stick is a solid option for anyone whose TV’s built-in streaming apps just aren’t cutting it, thanks to its sharp and colourful picture and easy plug-and-play usability. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max’s only mission is to bring 4K streaming smarts to your TV, and it does so with a decent list of appreciated features. HDR, for example, is supported in all of the major formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG. It supports Dolby Atmos audio, as well as up to 7.1 surround sound. Inside the Fire TV Stick is a 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, with 16GB storage and 2GB RAM. Wi-Fi 6E is also supported with a compatible router. At the heart of the Fire…

View offers: bit.ly/BestFloorstandingSpeakers2025 Fyne Audio F501E £999 Fyne’s F501E are talented all-rounders with a range of sonic abilities that is hard to better at this price. Fyne’s trademark Isoflare driver array, where the tweeter sits in the throat of the mid/bass unit, has trickled down to its entry range for the first time. A 25mm titanium compression-dome tweeter is partnered with a 15cm multi-fibre mid/bass unit, with the crossover point set at a relatively low 1.7kHz. The rubber surround of the mid/bass exhibits the same fluting as Fyne’s more upmarket products; a shape claimed to terminate the cone more effectively, reducing distortion and improving clarity. The F501E is a 2½-way design where the lower 15cm multi-fibre driver, a dedicated bass unit that rolls in below 250Hz, is tuned by a…

View offers: bit.ly/BestAccessories2025 Ortofon MC X30 £599 The introduction of a completely new cartridge range is a pretty rare event. Given the maturity of the technology, it often takes years, sometimes decades, for manufacturers to develop new products that suitably advance the cause. So, when an industry major such as Ortofon replaces its Quintet series of affordable moving coils with the all-new MC X range, we are keen to have a listen. This is a four-strong lineup, with the MC X30 sitting one down from the rangetopping MC X40 (£875). The main difference between models comes down to stylus profile, which gets increasingly more ambitious as the price increases. The heart of the MC X design is a Metal Injection Moulded hexagonal-structured core onto which the moving-coil generator assembly and…

KEF Velocity Control Technology (VECO) In our coverage of the What Hi-Fi? Awards this year, we have encountered a whole host of cutting-edge technology that is leading the charge in the world of hi-fi and home cinema. That has made it hard to whittle down a winner for our Innovation Award; but one piece of tech really caught our notice – and ultimately took the crown. The showcase for the wizardry is KEF’s first soundbar, the XIO, which also took home gold in our Best Soundbar Over £1000 category. For those who are yet to read the full review, let us fill you in. The 5.1.2 premium ’bar blew us away during testing with its ability to create an immersive surroundsound experience and its agile bass performance. There’s plenty of…

View offers: bit.ly/BestProjectors2025 Sony VPL-XW5000ES £4999 This is the cheapest truly native 4K laser projector the home cinema world has yet seen. There are similarly priced DLP laser projectors that use ‘double flashing’ tech to achieve a 4K image, or pixel-shifting technology that achieves a 4K effect, but none carries a native 3840x2160 pixel count as this Sony does. What’s particularly surprising and impressive is that this is still the case a full three years since its launch in the summer of 2022. Despite its price, it still benefits from Sony’s X1 Ultimate processing, previously available only on its flagship projector. The X1 Ultimate platform powers digital contrast optimisation, object-based HDR remastering, object-based resolution enhancement, enhanced upscaling, clarityboosting Reality Creation and, perhaps the most important element of the projector’s processing…

Gryphon Audio Diablo 333 £24,500 The Gryphon Diablo 333 is one of those products where the numbers tell most of the story. It starts with the base price, which, at £24,500, sits near the top end of the scale as far as single-box amplifiers go. This integrated is chunky but not oversized by class standards, though the all-in weight of around 50kg makes us pause for thought as we take the unit out of its smart wooden crate. Lastly, and perhaps most impressively, is its claimed power output of 333W per channel into an 8-ohm load. Can we just stop and think about that absurd figure for a second? That amount of power probably makes the Diablo the most powerful domestic amplifier What Hi-Fi? has tested in its almost 50-year history.…

View offers whf.cm/BBCDPlayers Up to £1000 £5000 to £30,000 Marantz CD6007 £379 Best CD player under £500, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 £1000 to £6000 Musical Fidelity M2sCD £699 June 2020 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Musical Fidelity’s CD player sounds expansive, detailed and delicately layered -…

 View offers whf.cm/BBMusicStreamers Up to £500 WiiM Pro Plus £219 Best music streamer under £300, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 WiiM Ultra £349 April 2025 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This streamer puts in a mature, engaging performance; its combination of features, connectivity and terrific user experience for the price is unparalleled. Outputs RCA line-level, coaxial, optical, subwoofer Cambridge Audio MXN10 £449 Best music streamer £300-£750, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Cambridge Audio has crashed the entry-level music streamer party. Is the MXN10 the finest affordable music streamer on the market? It could…

 View offers whf.cm/BBProjectors Up to £2000 BenQ W1800 £999 Best projector under £1250, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 2 £1599 July 2025 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A competitive price and advanced features help the PL2 punch well above its weight. An easy recommendation for any movie…

 View offers whf.cm/BBHeadphones In-ears up to £250 SoundMagic E11C £50 Best wired in-ear headphones under £100, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 Shure Aonic 3 £179 Best wired in-ear headphones over £100, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Breathtakingly musical and comfy to wear, the Shure Aonic 3s set a new benchmark for in-ear headphones at this level. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.2m On-ears up to £150 Austrian Audio Hi-X15 £99 Best wired on-ear headphones under £100, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ An analytical pair of headphones, but they still manage to make music entertaining – they extract bags of detail but…

 View offers whf.cm/BBMobilePhones iOS Apple iPhone 16 Pro £999 Best smartphone over £500, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Apple’s attention to detail is almost unrivalled. It’s a formidable smartphone for watching movies, and it’s equally impressive when it comes to music too. OS iOS 18 Size (hwd) 150 x 72 x 8.3mm Storage 128GB-1TB “The bottom line is that this iPhone delivers a balanced, sharp and bright image that looks stunning” Android Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 £1799 November 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Best described as an OLED TV that will fit into your pocket, this would be an ideal AV companion for a long-haul flight or road trip. OS Android 14 Finishes six Storage 256GB-1TB “The sharp outlines result in a picture oozing three-dimensional depth;…

 View offers whf.cm/BBPortableMusicPlayers Up to £500 Amazon Fire HD10 £349 Best budget tablet, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★★ The Fire HD10 offers a really solid picture performance that successfully balances authenticity with a surprising amount of punch and sharpness. OS Android Size (hwd) 247 x 166 x 9.2mm Storage 32 or 64GB £500 and above Apple iPad Air 13in £799 February 2025 ★ ★ ★ ★★ While not as glorious as the OLED iPad Pro, the much more affordable 13-inch iPad Air is a fabulously cinematic tablet in its own rights. OS iPadOS 18 Size (hwd) 280 x 210 x 6mm Storage 128GB-1TB Apple iPad Pro 13-inch M £1299 Best premium tablet, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It’s hugely over-powered for content consumption, of course, but there…

View offers whf.cm/BBPhonoAmps Headphone amplifiers Austrian Audio Full Score One £1299 February 2025 ★ ★ ★ ★★ If you are obsessive about getting the most from your hi-fi headphones and have sources of sufficient quality, this amplifier is warmly recommended. Inputs Stereo RCA in parallel with balanced XLR Outputs XLR, 6.3mm x2 “The Full Score covers itself in glory by delivering the title track’s explosive punch and instrumental complexity so well”…

View offers whf.cm/BBCartridges Cartridges Goldring E3 £90 Best cartridge under £100, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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…