Latest articles by Jez Ford
Samsung Music Studio 7
Samsung’s sonic abilities underwent a revolution in 2014 with the building of its California Audio Lab. For its first decade this Lab focused on soundbars and subwoofers. Now it has made a streaming speaker. Is this Year Dot for Samsung hi-fi?
Leica launches projector no.3
Leica is launching a third projector leveraging the camera-maker’s special abilities with glass and lens manufacture – and the Cine Compact 1 marks a new affordable entry point to the luxury line.
Special Awards Issue of Sound+Image with 40+ audio & AV winners plus full Buying Guide
Sound+Image #362
How Apple’s new AirPods Max 2 finally converted me to Atmos music on headphones
I have long been preaching that Atmos music is really for loudspeakers only. But Apple's latest overears are persuading me otherwise.
SHOW REPORT Australian Hi-Fi Show 2026 Sydney
The boutique Sydney Central Hotel opened up four floors of suites and rooms to the Show’s sensational systems and sounds over three days...
Richter shakes market with radical Series 7 Special Editions
Three new floorstanders include new Dragons and Wizards plus a premium standmount design, all notable for a new dome midrange and increasingly home-friendly design
Headphones, carts and a floating turntable at Audio-Technica ‘Gallery’ launch
A new 'gallery' presentation was launched with drinks, sushi and a wall of hi-fi at Audio Connection in Leichhardt, Sydney
Samsung HW-QS700F Australia
It’s now a decade since Samsung revolutionised its soundbar designs with a new ‘lab’ in California. Its all-dancing range-toppers regularly win awards, but how do its lower soundbars perform?
Is Spotify Lossless truly lossless?
We test the streaming files to establish whether Spotify’s long-awaited lossless delivery actually serves the bit-perfect quality it promises. Results were good, but there is a catch.
JBL Bar 1300Mk2
With its Mk2 flagship soundbar, JBL fights back to fully compete on sound quality, genuine immersion, bass (a lot of that) and especially musicality, a potential trump card for a hi-fi brand.
Meet Kyron's A$10k desktop Palleon system!
Kyron makes huge A$300k audio systems – but now the South Australian company has gone desktop
Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa
Forget the buttons, apps and Bluetooth signal throttling. Here’s a range-topping open-back headphone where you just plug in the cable and enjoy the magic.
Yamaha True X Surround 90A system
Yamaha’s got a new beamer, bringing back its 'Sound Projector' technology to upgrade Atmos height channels on this premium package of soundbar, wireless sub and independent wireless rear speakers.
TCL 65C8K Australia
Every year TVs get better, HDR performance gets brighter. Here comes TCL with an EISA award-winner in sizes up to 98 inches; we got to know the 65-inch C8K, which can hit peaks of 4500 nits.
Hey, whatever happened to AVHub?
It's still out there, in a way. So let's dig down into a decade of lost Australian reviews from Australian Hi-Fi and Sound+Image magazines
Marantz Horizon
The Horizon is the smaller of two pricey streaming stereo systems which epitomise Marantz's recent drive towards ‘luxury’ products and beautiful objects. But how's the sound?
A short history of Yamaha hi-fi
From pianos and organs to wind-up gramophones and then the first 'Hi-Fi Player' in 1954, we trace the Japanese company's path through to today's production of wireless speakers, soundbars and high-end hi-fi
Sennheiser HD 550
Expanding Sennheiser’s collection of cabled open-backed over-ear models, the HD 550 maintains the company’s balanced sound, so that their strongest competition may be from their own similar siblings.
WINNERS REVEALED! Meet the winners of the Sound+Image Awards 2025
'Well done everyone', writes our Editor.
Krix LX-7 Linear LCR
It’s bar-shaped, but not your average soundbar. Instead this is a passive LCR speaker set designed to take its place within a full surround system – where it kicks some serious sonic arse.
Anthem MRX SLM
AV surround receivers are huge high boxes with knobs and displays and rear panels that are loaded with endless inputs and speaker outputs, right? This Canadian five-channel streaming receiver begs to differ.
I learned a hi-fi lesson testing Marantz's pricey wireless speaker: always look for a 'magic' button
System not sounding quite right? Check you're not stuck in some crazy EQ mode.
Leica Cine Play 1
The German camera-maker’s second upgrade of a Hisense-derived projector proves technically brilliant at delivering big-screen images wherever you choose to put it.
I watched a Brian Eno documentary edited in real-time, so every version is unique – is this the future of movies?
I went to the Sydney Opera House to see a Brian Eno documentary edited in real-time by a computer, so every version is unique. Could other movies be made this way?
