What Hi-Fi? | Tech news and reviews

The best speakers, from budget to premium A great system's not a great system without a great pair of speakers

Fyne Audio F302 AV review: mighty fine surround sound for under a grand A fine floorstanding package for under a grand

How to choose and set up a stereo amplifier Get your two-channel system up and running in no time

Now TV Smart Box review: 4K Netflix and voice control in a video streamer 4K Netflix and voice control come to Now TV's streaming box

6 video streaming service alternatives to Netflix and Amazon Several services fight for your monthly fiver

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102 class-leading products win What Hi-Fi? Awards 2018 25 of them will also take home Product of the Year gongs next month

Awards

Latest Reviews

Hi-Fi Racks Omnium8 review

By What Hi-Fi?

The Omnium8 is a wonderfully flexible hi-fi rack that can be configured to taste

iFi Pro iDSD review

By What Hi-Fi?

iFi’s Pro iDSD is about as configurable and feature packed as digital-to-analogue convertors come. And it sounds decent too.

SoundMagic E11C review

By What Hi-Fi?

SoundMagic knows a thing or two about affordable headphones, as these E11Cs demonstrate in entertaining style.

Now TV Smart Stick review

By What Hi-Fi?

Updated If you want subscription-free access to Sky TV content at a budget price, the Smart Stick makes a lot of sense.

Updated

Klipsch R5 review

By What Hi-Fi?

These are good wireless in-ear headphones, but the market has moved on and you can do better.

Sonos One review

By What Hi-Fi?

A Sonos Play:1 with Amazon Alexa built-in? Sounds like a winning combination.

Samsung HW-N950 review

By What Hi-Fi?

Samsung’s hybrid soundbar and surround-package delivers a big, bold and beautiful Dolby Atmos experience.

Wharfedale D320 review

By What Hi-Fi?

Wharfedale’s D320 speakers may not be part of the company’s Diamond range, but they share much of the same DNA.

Hands on: Google Pixel 3 review

By What Hi-Fi?

Not yet rated

A bigger, better screen in a phone the same size as the Pixel 2 – this looks like a winning combination.

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Latest News

December 2018 issue on sale now!

By What Hi-Fi?

Creating a hi-fi system takes more than just putting five-star products together. We’ll help you build one that’s right for you

Sky TV deal: Save £360 on a Sky Q subscription

By Becky Roberts

Sky has severely slashed its Sky Q Entertainment and Sports HD package from £60/month to just £40/month.

Make Some Noise for Sonos' Play:5 Beastie Boys Edition speaker

By Becky Roberts

The Sonos Play:5 Beastie Boys Edition will debut during 'Beastie Boys Book: Live & Direct' tour and go on sale in December.

Elipson’s new MC Mini: a £380 Bluetooth stereo amplifier

By Becky Roberts

A budget 160-watt amplifier with Bluetooth streaming and digital connectivity.

The death of DVD: John Lewis ditches DVD players

RIP DVD: John Lewis ditches DVD players with sales down 40%

By Joe Cox

Streaming services are of course being given credit for the demise of DVD players - but Blu-ray players will stay on the shelves.

Qualcomm wants to help create more Alexa-powered wireless headphones

By Becky Roberts

The chipset manufacturer has announced a reference design to help manufacturers build Bluetooth headphones with Alexa voice control.

Netflix plans to raise $2 billion in debt for new original content

By Becky Roberts

The sum will fuel further investment in its original programming and acquired content.

Sony AV receivers and soundbars get HDMI eARC update

By Becky Roberts

Sony joins Onkyo and Pioneer in their early support of the new tech.

Polk’s new Signature E Series speakers offer surround sound packages from £670

By Becky Roberts

The new, revised range comprises a wide collection of floorstanding, centre and standmount speakers.

Moon launches £399 110LP v2 phono preamplifier

By Becky Roberts

Need an external phono stage or fancy an upgrade? This new Moon could be what you need...

Audiolab's M-DAC Nano is a matchbox-sized Bluetooth DAC

By Becky Roberts

This £150 portable DAC connects to your source device wirelessly over Bluetooth.

Optoma launches £1500 portable 4K projector with Alexa voice control

By Becky Roberts

The UHL55 utilises LED technology, which Optoma says is capable of a perceived brightness twice that of an ‘equivalent’ lamp-based projector.

McIntosh launches the MC312, a £10K stereo power amplifier

By Andy Madden

The MC312 replaces the MC302 and comes with a number of audio-boosting technology, design and performance upgrades.

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Latest Advice

How to choose and set up a stereo amplifier

By Becky Roberts

Whether you’ve already chosen an amplifier for your system or are thinking about buying something new, this guide will ultimately help you unlock a stereo amp's full potential.

33 Spotify tips, tricks and features

By What Hi-Fi?

Whether you're an insatiable listener or only pop in for Throwback Thursday, we've got an earful of tips and tricks to help you get the most from Spotify.

Apple AirPlay 2 – everything you need to know

By Adam Smith, Kashfia Kabir

AirPlay 2 - Apple's big move into multi-room - is now live. But how does it work? Which devices support it? These questions and more are answered...

Which Sonos speaker is best for you?

By Becky Roberts, Kashfia Kabir

Got your heart set on Sonos? Unsure which of the brand's product(s) to make space for in your home? Here's everything you need to make your decision...

How to watch the Premier League in Ultra HD 4K - on TV, online, mobile

By Kob Monney

Updated Whether you want to watch football on your phone, tablet or computer, are looking for a 4K football fix or just want to find Premier League highlights online, we round up all your options.

Updated

How to watch the 2018 Formula 1 season in Ultra HD 4K – on TV, online, mobile

By Kob Monney

Updated With only four races to go, here's how to watch the climax of the 2018 F1 season in 4K and more.

Updated

How to set up your TV and get the best picture

By Verity Burns, Kashfia Kabir

From the position in your room to the optimum viewing distance, here's how to get the best out of your TV.

7 of the best Sonos accessories to buy right now

By Adam Smith

Whether boosting the Beam, improving the Play:1 or making your multi-room even more impressive, you'll want to consider these gadgets.

Sonos: everything you need to know

By Kashfia Kabir, Joe Cox

In-depth Want to listen to music anywhere in the house? A wireless Sonos system may be the answer. But what is Sonos? What can it do? And what are the alternatives? We're here to help.

In-depth

How to set up your AV receiver and get the best sound

By Kashfia Kabir

Bought a new AV receiver? We're here to guide you through the whole set-up process to get your home cinema up and running.

HDMI ARC and HDMI eARC: everything you need to know

By Andy Madden

Ever wondered what the HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) input on your TV means? And where does the new HDMI eARC protocol fit in?

Ultra HD Blu-ray: everything you need to know

By Joe Cox

Ultra HD Blu-ray is the ultimate in AV performance. But what's so great about it? What equipment do you need? And what films can you watch? Read on...

TV Buying Guide: How to choose the right TV for you

By Becky Roberts, Kashfia Kabir

From deciding on size to choosing between TV tech, we've got all the tips you need to pick the right television for you.

Latest Features

13 debut decks from iconic turntable brands

By Becky Roberts

Feature We take a trip down memory lane to explore the humble beginnings of seminal turntable brands, from Linn and Pro-Ject to Technics and Rega.

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Listen to the What Hi-Fi? playlist

By Simon Lucas, Kashfia Kabir

Updated Every time a new issue of What Hi-Fi? is published, we update our playlist (on Deezer, Qobuz, Spotify and Tidal) with a new selection of the music we've been listening to in the last month. Join us.

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19 of the best tracks for testing dynamics, rhythm and timing

By Joe Cox

Feature From Pixies to Radiohead, The Dead Weather to Soulwax, this selection of test tracks will challenge your system to sound its best.

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The best 4K films and TV shows to watch on your new OLED TV

13 best 4K films and TV shows to watch on your new OLED TV

By Kashfia Kabir

Feature If you find yourself the proud owner of a brand new 4K OLED TV, the next question is: what do you watch on it?

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21 of the best vocal tracks to test your system

By Becky Roberts

Feature Vocals aren’t just useful for singing along to in the shower - they can be good tests for everything from treble, midrange and bass to dynamics, attack and scale.

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Best new films 2018/19: trailers and release dates

By Kob Monney, Kashfia Kabir

Updated We've rounded up all the best trailers for upcoming films and TV shows that should be on your radar.

Updated

Cassette Store Day: A look back to 1985 and the blank tape's heyday

By Kashfia Kabir

Feature This October 13th is Cassette Store Day, so we look back to when blank tapes were all the rage, including in What Hi-Fi?...

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10 of the 2018's best albums to test your speakers on National Album Day

National Album Day: 10 of 2018's best albums to test your speakers

By Andrew Murphy

Feature Test every facet of your speakers' performance with these incredible albums from the year so far.

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25 of the best tracks for testing bass

By Joe Cox

Check your system sounds as it should with this genre-spanning selection of brilliant basslines.

The best TV shows to watch on Netflix UK

22 of the best TV shows to watch on Netflix

By Kashfia Kabir

Not only does Netflix have a hefty library of new, old and exclusive TV shows, many of them are now in glorious 4K HDR.

10 of the best songs to test your speakers

By Simon Lucas

Feature Everyone has their favourite tracks they can rely on to test their hi-fi system. Here's our selection of songs that we think are great for testing stereo speakers...

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A look back at the first What Hi-Fi? Awards, 1983

By What Hi-Fi?

We're about to start Phase One of the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2018 and announce Best Buy Award-winners across 25 product categories. But first, a moment of reflection.

Latest Best Buys

Best soundbars 2018

By Andy Clough

Best Buys If you don't have the room or the funds for a full-on surround-sound speaker system, a soundbar could be the perfect solution...

Best Buys

Best budget hi-fi speakers 2018

By Andy Clough

Best Buys Excellent sound quality doesn't have to cost a fortune. All these speakers could add the finishing touches to a fledgling hi-fi system.

Best Buys

Best DACs 2018: USB, portable and desktop DACs

By What Hi-Fi?

Best Buys The digital-to-analogue conversion process is absolutely critical, so make sure you enlist the help of a decent DAC.

Best Buys

Best turntables 2018: the best decks for every budget

By What Hi-Fi?

Best Buys Whether you want a high-end audiophile record player or a cheap Bluetooth deck, we have a recommendation

Best Buys

Best AV receivers 2018

By Andy Clough

Best Buys An AV receiver is the pounding heart of any home cinema system. To make sure you get the 5.1 set-up your money deserves, we've rounded up a list of our favourites.

Best Buys

Best 4K TVs 2018: 4K, HDR, OLED, QLED

By Joe Cox

Best Buys 4K Ultra HD TV is more accessible and more affordable than ever, and these are our favourite ways to get involved.

Best Buys

Best stereo amplifiers 2018: budget and premium musical maestros

By What Hi-Fi?

Best Buys Whether it's amplifying a digital system, driving demanding speakers or giving your turntable the necessary boost, we've got the right stereo amp for you.

Best Buys