There is always a sense of familiarity at the annual Bristol Hi-Fi Show, with brands and industry faces we have seen for years, sometimes decades, in a landscape where – even as new products and technologies usher in – some things never change.

It's no secret that the popularity of traditional separates hi-fi – while still going strong in our circles – has diminished in recent times. New players (Sonos, Apple and the like) have come onto the scene to challenge what a modern music system should look like. Especially for those looking at the affordable end of the market.

WiiM is one such new player. Its products have disrupted the hi-fi industry in the past handful of years with their compact, modern-looking, Apple-like designs. They are packed with features and cost considerably less than any of their rivals.

And these products sound good, too. The Pro Plus music streamer is a multiple What Hi-Fi? Award winner; the WiiM Ultra is a solid five-star product that holds a firm place in our best music streamers guide; and the Amp Pro and Amp Ultra streaming amplifiers are highly recommended for those trying to create a do-it-all music system in small spaces for sensible money.

Many hi-fi brands have taken notice of WiiM's meteoric rise in popularity and its game-changing offerings, with some even proposing that their new products – the budget Dali Kupid bookshelf speakers, for example – be used with WiiM's compact products.

No one, however, has directly taken on WiiM at its own game. Yes, streaming products are more abundant than before and they're getting less costly (Cambridge's MXN10 and Bluesound's Node Icon are great examples), but they are still a way off from WiiM's truly compact and affordable fare.

Until now. Surprisingly, it is another fairly young, budget-leaning brand that has decided to aim directly for WiiM and its range of products. Majority has been around a short while, and it too has built a reputation for undercutting its rivals by a considerable margin with its array of über-affordable products.

At the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026, just a few floors down from the WiiM demo room, Majority teased a brand new range of compact hi-fi streaming products that will be coming out later this year, comprising the Link Mini, the Link Pro and the Link Amp Pro. They will feature Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE Audio, AirPlay 2, Spotify Lossless and Tidal Connect.

It's not hard to make direct comparisons with WiiM's range. The Link Mini is similar to the WiiM Mini (£89), designed to bring network powers to any old system; the Link Pro streamer presumably goes toe to toe with the WiiM Pro Plus (£219); the Link Pro Amp is a streaming amplifier in a similar vein to the WiiM Amp Pro (£399).

Granted, these are early development prototypes, and the full specifications and details aren't finalised yet, but we do know that Majority's Link Pro and Link Pro Amp will feature an HDMI ARC input and a display screen, and that the streaming amp claims to have 300W of amplification power.

What's of note already, though, is the prices set out for the trio. They look to be a good £30 to £150 less than the WiiMs: the Link Mini is £49.95; the Link Pro is £199.95; the Link Pro Amp is £249.95. That's quite punchy. WiiM has made a name for itself for undercutting its competitors; Majority even more so. Whether the final Majority Link streaming products – in terms of design, specification, app interface and performance – can rival the very slick WiiM range remains to be seen.

We often hear the refrain “where is all the affordable hi-fi?” – and it’s true that really affordable kit feels few and far between these days when costs are constantly rising. But this area of the market could be hotting up, as more emerging rivals take on the likes of WiiM.

It's interesting to note, though, that in a showcase full of hi-fi products – from brand new, tech-laden launches, exciting sequels and boundary-pushing engineering, from brands with stellar performance records – the products taking on the upstart WiiM are from yet another upstart budget brand.

How will it pan out? We can't wait to find out.

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12 of the most exciting products I saw at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026

A visit to this year's Bristol Hi-Fi Show provided further evidence of a Cyrus revival

Rega's Award-winning Planar 6 turntable gets the 'RS Edition' treatment

I’ve got to put my cards on the table; I have something of a soft spot for Cyrus Audio. Consider me a critical admirer rather than any sort of fanboy, though.

This affection stems from my earliest days in this hobby of ours. I was building my first system and looking for an amplifier to drive a pair of Wharfedale Diamond Mk1s.

Months of reading reviews led to several dealer visits (a belated thank you, Harrow Audio!), resulting in a final head-to-head between Rotel’s RA820B and the original plastic-cased Cyrus 1. The latter won. It not only sounded better (more detailed, agile and precise), but its half-width, slightly odd styling just charmed me.

That little Cyrus amplifier served me well right up until it was part-exchanged for a Linn Axis record player, as I continued my hi-fi journey. Even though I didn’t own anything from the company, I watched with interest as Cyrus grew from a mere sub-brand of Mission Loudspeakers into an adventurous and independent manufacturer.

Over time, the brand’s product range expanded from the original pair of budget integrated amplifiers (rather logically called the One and Two) to include pretty much every part of the system chain from CD players and streamers to speakers and equipment racks.

Cyrus evolved away from its budget roots to mid and premium price points, even edging towards the lower slopes of the high-end with some of its top-end preamplifier/monobloc combinations.

Much of its 40-odd years have been successful, packed with great products and equally positive reviews. What Hi-Fi? Awards were regularly won, and justifiably so.

However, from my point of view, this positivity faded over the last decade. The company’s once modern-looking half-width casework now just looked old. It was introduced in the early 90s, and cost constraints meant it had hardly changed since then.

Cyrus components still sounded capable, but in our view, most were now overtaken by the best of the competition. The sole honourable exception is the terrific CDi CD player that has won more awards than we care to remember.

Over most of the last decade, it has felt like the company lacked focus, producing some odd things like cheap Bluetooth speakers and a portable USB DAC (good as it was), while the core hi-fi products barely evolved. New product launches became occasional and same-again events. I worried for the Cyrus brand and its long-term survival.

But, not anymore. A management change and fresh focus seem to have brought about a rebirth of sorts. The first fruit of this shift is the 40 Series launched in 2024. Still half-width, still every inch Cyrus, but with modern casework, classy aesthetics and, most importantly, class-leading sound quality. The 40 AMP integrated, 40 CD player and 40 ST music streamer won their respective categories in our Awards this year.

A visit to this year’s Bristol Hi-fi show reinforced my positivity towards the brand, thanks to the launch of its premium 80 Series. These are full-width components that still manage to look like Cyrus products. The styling cues are shared with the 40 Series, so there is now a cohesive family look, and I for one, like it.

Cyrus has announced three products in the new series: the 80 AMP (streaming amplifier, £5400), the 80 PRE (streaming preamp, £4500) and the 80 PWR (power amplifier, £4000). As with the 40 ST, these new streaming products are based on Bluesound’s BluOS streaming platform, which is one of the most stable and accomplished around.

A quick look at the specs doesn’t reveal any obvious feature gaps. The inclusion of a moving magnet/moving coil phono stage, an HDMI eARC input alongside good analogue and digital connectivity, shows that someone at Cyrus has thought carefully about what products like these need.

There is no shortage of power output either, with the 80 AMP and PWR both producing 150 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and 250 watts per side as impedance halves. The PWR can a;sp be configured as a 300-watt monobloc, if desired.

Seeing the 80 Series products up and running at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026 filled me with optimism. They feel well-made and look classy. Even the pricing feels realistic given what they seem to offer.

Any definitive judgment has to wait for the full review, of course. We’ve been promised samples just as soon as they are available. I can’t wait to have a listen.

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12 of the most exciting products I saw at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026

Rega's Award-winning Planar 6 turntable gets the 'RS Edition' treatment

Heading to the Bristol Hi-Fi Show this weekend and wondering what to see? Luckily for you, I've spent all of Friday (the first day of the show, on the 20th February) going around the show to see what's new so you don't miss out – from various new speakers and turntables to fresh streaming products and a few teasers, too.

I've been going to the Bristol Hi-Fi Show for over a decade, and the show itself has been running for over three decades. It's a chance for hi-fi and audio manufacturers to showcase their latest and greatest products to the public, as well as offering a sneak peek of what's coming up next.

So whether you're a repeat visitor or new to the show, we hope you have a fantastic time if you're visiting. There's plenty to see, and here are my 12 highlights from the show.

Rega Planar 6 RS Edition turntable

Following on the success of the Planar 3 RS Edition turntable, the Planar 6 has been given the 'RS' (Rega Special) treatment, combining the standard deck with key elements of the more premium Planar 8.

The Planar 6 RS Edition comes fitted with the RB880 tonearm, the Nd9 cartridge and features the rather fetching brushed aluminium finish we liked so much in the Award-winning 3 RS. Set to cost £2000 and is out in April/May – it's certainly a looker, but will it continue Rega's winning streak?

Neat Iota Alpha II floorstanders

I always forget just how tiny the Neat Iota Alpha floorstanders are: seeing them in person in Neat Acoustics' demo room really puts them into perspective.

These Mk2 floorstanders are barely knee-high, and features an upgraded mid/bass driver and updated crossover – similar to the changes made in the Neat Iota II. These are the smallest floorstanders we've seen, but their sound is anything but titchy.

ATC EL50 Anniversary active floorstanders

An evolution of the iconic ATC SCM50 speakers, ATC has unveiled its latest active speaker, the EL50 floorstanders. The three-way design features an active crossover, with a huge 350 watts of power per channel.

This EL50 Anniversary edition is limited to 50 models only, available from March, and costing £49,500 per pair. Better start saving up.

Pro-Ject Debut Reference 10 turntable

Pro-Ject has a new addition to its popular Debut range: the Debut Reference 10 is priced at £999 and boasts that it's the most "accomplished" Debut turntable yet.

Fitted with a 10-inch tonearm, a Pick it Pro Balanced cartridge, and featuring a hand-painted MDF chassis (similar to the one in the Award-winning Debut Pro), an aluminium sub-platter, an acrylic platter and electronic speed switching.

The current Debut Evo 2 is an Award-winner, so we have high hopes for the Reference 10 – we can't wait to hear it.

Onkyo Muse streaming amplifier

It's the first time I've seen any of Onkyo's new products since its comeback into the world of hi-fi in 2024. The brand has two new ranges to show the UK public: first is the Icon range, and you can see the P-80 streaming preamp and M-80 power amp in the main image at the top of this article, with Klipsch speakers.

But what caught my eye more were the even newer Muse Y-50 and Y-40 streaming amplifiers: these are smart-looking units with a snazzy, responsive display that moves in unison with the large control and volume dials. Released as part of Onkyo's 80th anniversary this year, the new Muse streaming amps have Class D amplification and the expected suite of streaming features and connectivity, and are set to cost $1499 and $999, with UK pricing TBC.

Give them a whirl.

Dali Sonik speaker range

After years of focusing on their very high-end models, Dali's new Sonik speaker series is a breath of fresh air as it sits in the mid-priced to premium range. It replaces the excellent Oberon speaker range and featuring many of Dali's innovative technologies for the first time at this price point, such as the tweeter and SMC Essential Magnet systems.

You can see the full Sonik range at the show, and my attention was caught by fairly slim and petite Sonik 5 (£899), although check out the second photo in the gallery above for the step-up Sonik 7 on demo (£1299) – Dali expects both these models to do well here.

ProAc Response DB1R speakers

It's not often ProAc has a new speaker on show, but the Response DB1R sees the decade-old DB1 standmount model gain a ribbon tweeter, while aiming to continue its legacy of delivering expressive, articulate and musically engaging sound.

We've had good experience of ProAc's ribbon tweeter performance in its speakers we've tested, such as Response D2R and the D20R, so here's hoping the DB1R follows in much-lauded footsteps.

Cyrus 80 Series

Michell Revolv and Gyro turntables

One of my annual rituals at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show is to pop by the Michell Audio room and see the legendary Gyrodec spinning in action. After many years, Michell has two new turntables – the Revolv (a step up from the entry-level Tecnodec) and the new Gyro (which replaces the Gyrodec and Gyro SE).

We saw them launched last year, but now is your chance to feast your eyes upon these two new Michell turntables, both of which are in action with the brand's Apollo phono stage and PMC's Prophecy speakers.

Harman Kardon SoundSticks 5 speaker system

Now this is both a throwback and one of the most unusual, funkiest designs you'll see at Bristol amongst all the traditional hi-fi. Tucked away in the JBL room is Harman Kardon's latest SoundStick 5 model – a 2.1 speaker system with see-through design and colour-changing lights.

The original model was co-developed with Apple in 2000, and it's a turn-of-the-millenium design that still catches our eye. You can get a fully wi-fi-enabled SoundSticks 5, but the one we saw is the Bluetooth-only model which also includes HDMI.

Majority Link streamer range

Budget brand Majority has taken direct aim at WiiM with its own suite of upcoming streaming products that are compact and even more wallet-friendly.

You can see prototypes of Majority's new Link Mini, Link Pro and Link Pro Amp at the show, which are all set to feature Tidal Connect, AirPlay 2, wi-fi 6 and Bluetooth. The tiny Link Mini is designed to bring wi-fi powers to any old system, the Link Pro music streamer and Link Pro Amp feature HDMI ARC, and the Link Pro Amp streaming amplifier has a 300W Texas Instruments amp and DAC inside.

Price-wise, they're set to cost £49.95, £199.95 and £249.95 respectively (undercutting the basic WiiM rivals) and are due out later this year.

Ruark Talisman-R floorstanders

And finally, we'll finish off with a teaser of Ruark Audio's upcoming speakers.

Next to the limited edition R810 MiE system that's kicking off Ruark's 40th anniversary celebrations, you'll get your first glimpse at the Talisman-R floorstanders. We spy some design similarities with its Sabre-R standmount siblings, but we don't know the price or any details yet – the Talisman-R will officially launch at the High End Show in Vienna in June, so here's an early sneak peek.

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Rega usually has something new to show at every Bristol Hi-Fi Show, and this year it didn't disappoint. We got our first look at the brand new Planar 6 RS Edition turntable – a model based on the Award-winning standard Planar 6, with elements taken from the superb, step-up Planar 8.

It's the second turntable to get the 'RS' (Rega Special) treatment, with the first being the Award-winning Planar 3 RS Edition, which sits at the top of our best turntables guide.

Unlike the skeletal frame of the Planar 8, the Planar 6 RS Edition features a more traditional rectangular plinth. This is still made out of the Tancast 8 polyurethane foam also seen in the Planar 8, sandwiched between two layers of High Pressure Laminate (HPL). This is further strengthened by the lovely brushed aluminium skin finish seen on the 3 RS, with adds rigidity while still keeping the plinth very light.

Other key elements borrowed from the Planar 8 is the RB880 tonearm (an upgrade from the 6's RB330), the use of two belts, and it comes factory-fitted with the Nd9 moving magnet cartridge, which is the Rega's new top-of-the-range MM cartridge.

You can buy the Nd9 separately, but it's not offered as a factory-fitted option for the standard Planar 6.

The dual-layer floating glass platter returns, as does the double-brace technology, and it comes packaged with the outboard Neo PSU Mk2 power supply that offers electronic speed switching between 33 ⅓ and 45 rpm.

The Planar 6 RS Edition is due around April, and is set to cost £2000. This puts it right in the middle of the two current standard models, with the Planar 6/Nd7 we tested costing £1655, while the Planar 8 with an Nd9 cartridge comes in at £2554.

Can Rega repeat its success with this latest 'RS Edition' turntable? We'll have to wait and find out.

Also unveiled was the new Rega Aos MC phono stage: a compact half-width design (similar to Rega's Brio Mk7 amplifier), and set to cost £1500. A moving magnet version (the Aos MM) is also in the works, with price and availability TBC. They will both sit under the reference Aura MC phono stage.

We'll bring you the full details once the new Aos MC officially launches in a few weeks' time.

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12 of the most exciting products I saw at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026

Pro-Ject's new premium Debut turntable promises to be its most accomplished yet

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ProAc is launching a brand new premium standmount speaker, the Response DB1R, and is set to unveil the new model at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026 this weekend.

The Response DB1R speaker builds on the compact Response DB1 that originally launched a decade ago, which was designed to deliver from a small speaker the kind of sound you'd normally hear from a larger model.

ProAc says that the new DB1R will take the DB1's musical, balanced and refined performance to "the next level" thanks to the inclusion of a new ribbon tweeter. The new DB1R is the smallest speaker in ProAc's range to include this ribbon tweeter, too.

The ribbon tweeter is apparently "lighter than a human hair", has a damped rear-chamber behind the diaphragm and an Alnico magnet (rather than a Neodymium one), and promises "exceptional high-frequency detail, speed and transparency".

As before, the DB1R will feature a rear port, with a long-throw woofer in the mix.

We've praised many of ProAc's speakers in recent years, including the D20R, the Response D2R, and the K3 floorstanders, and have noted how expressive, articulate and musical they sound. So we have high hopes for the new DB1R.

ProAc's director, Zoe Tyler-Mardle, commented: “The launch of the DB1R is the first step in developing our long-term plans while continuing to honour [founder] Stewart Tyler’s designs and the legacy he left behind. As a team, we want to take everything he taught us over the last 30 years and build upon it. Music is at the heart of our family and central to ProAc’s ‘perfectly natural’ sound – something we are fully committed to preserving.”

The ProAc Response DB1R is due to go into production around May this year, with prices for the standard finishes costing £2945, with premium finishes costing more at £3465.

If the new speakers follow the same finishes as the DB1, the standard finishes will include Black Ash, Mahogany, Cherry, Walnut, Natural Oak, and Silk White, while the more premium, luxury finishes will include Liquidambar, Rosewood, and Ebony at extra cost.

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Pro-Ject adds to its Debut turntable range with a premium model that promises to be its most accomplished yet

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We’re big fans of Pro-Ject’s long-running Debut range, having just given the Debut Evo 2 a What Hi-Fi? Award, and the Carbon Evo five stars. So, you can imagine our excitement when we heard that the Austrian hi-fi brand promises that the latest addition to this range is “the pinnacle of today’s Debut technology and its most accomplished model yet”.

Set to debut at the upcoming Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026, the new Debut Reference 10 sits at the top of the Debut range and features a 10-inch tonearm with a carbon-fibre and aluminium sandwich construction.

According to the brand, this longer arm length compared with other Debut models reduces tracking and inner-groove distortion. You can also fully adjust the tonearm’s horizontal and vertical tracking angle (VTA).

Pro-Ject’s latest turntable is fitted with its Pick it Pro Balanced cartridge and has a Mini-XLR balanced output, two features you can also find on the Debut Pro B, which was announced a couple of years ago. Just note that you’ll need a compatible balanced phono stage in the chain, too.

In addition, the Debut Reference 10 has a “resonance-resistant” acrylic platter that sits on top of a diamond-cut aluminium sub-platter, with height-adjustable metal feet attached to the hand-painted MDF chassis.

The turntable is a belt-driven model, with the motor fully decoupled and suspended in the base to reduce unwanted vibrations from affecting the vinyl replay. It features electronic speed control that allows for easy switching between 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records, while manually adjusting the belt adds the possibility of playing 78 RPM records, too.

Pro-Ject’s Puck E, a device that sits on top of the record to further secure it to the platter, is also included.

Available in a satin black finish, the Pro-Ject Debut Reference 10 will launch in the UK in March, where it will be priced at £999. It will cost AU$2349 once it launches in Australia soon, but US customers will have to wait few months, where its price is still TBC.

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Leema Acoustics has announced it will launch four new premium amplifiers at the upcoming Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026.

The Welsh hi-fi brand’s new 100 series comprises two analogue-only integrated amplifiers, the i85 and the i150, while the iD85 and iD50 models are equipped with digital inputs and a “high-performance” digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) that is based on the ESS Sabre 9028Q2M.

According to Leema, the amps “remain faithful to Leema Acoustics’ core amplifier DNA, with a strong emphasis on dynamic control and ultra-low distortion”. All four models are manufactured in Leema’s factory in Wales.

They each use Class A/B amplification, with the i85 and iD85 offering 85 watts per channel and the i150 and iD150 providing 150 watts.

Across the range, there are four RCA inputs, while the digital models also have five digital inputs: two coaxial, two optical and a single USB connection, which supports high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM.

If you’re paying for a premium amplifier, you might be tempted to use an external phono stage to ensure you get the very best sound when playing records, but the 100 series features a moving-magnet phono stage that Leema says is derived from its existing Essentials Phono model.

Should you wish to use an external phono preamplifier for your vinyl system, though, Leema has included suitable analogue outputs on each integrated amplifier. They all have a pair of subwoofer outs and a single record output for hooking up a CD or tape recorder, too.

Back in 2010, we rated Leema’s Tucana Mk II so well that it won a What Hi-Fi? Award for the best stereo amplifier costing £2000+, while we gave the Tucana II Anniversary Edition five stars in 2017. It has been quite a while since then, of course, so we’re pretty excited to see what this new integrated range has in store.

The Leema 100 series will be available in a black or silver finish, and are priced as follows:

• i85 - £1710
• iD85 - £2170
• i150 - £2600
• iD150 - £3040

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In one week's time, the annual Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026 will open its door, with hi-fi brands ready to show off their latest speakers, amplifiers, turntables and more to an enthused public – or at least, the ones who have made their way to the city of Bristol.

This is the first year in many that the What Hi-Fi? team won't be running our usual stand and demo at the ground floor for the whole weekend; but fear not, as myself and my colleague Ketan Bharadia will still be there on the day the show opens (Friday 20th February) to see all the new products and bring you our highlights.

While the news about new hi-fi products are trickling in slowly, there are plenty of brands and distributors who still haven't revealed what they'll be showcasing through the weekend. But there are three bits of news that I came across that piqued my interest, about new products (and some are just a short teaser!) that I can't wait to see in person at the upcoming show.

A fully working Cyrus 80 AMP

Back at the High End Munich Show in May 2025, we were treated to the biggest surprise in hi-fi: a preview of Cyrus’s next electronics, which was a new 80 Series of electronics in a full-width size. Cyrus is famous for its half-width chassis designs, so a full-width model for the first time ever felt as incongruous and monumental a change as Naim switching its iconic green lights to white.

The Cyrus 80 AMP sits above the brand’s premium, Award-winning 40 Series of electronics, which impressed us with their modern designs and fantastic sonic performance across the board. The 80 AMP – a streaming preamplifier with the BluOS platform and 150W of Class A/B amplification per channel – aims to extend that new modern aesthetic and glorious sonic talent even further, and higher up the price range. It’s an ambitious new era for Cyrus.

The model we saw on display at Munich last year wasn't a full production model, but we're hoping that the the 80 AMP on show at Bristol will be the finished product. We are excited to see it in the flesh, maybe even hear it in action, and get the final details, including pricing. At Munich, we were told the 80 series would sit in the £5000 to £6000 range.

Personally, I’ve always been fond of the half-width design, but the new 80 AMP with its sturdy aluminium chassis and sleek touchscreen display certainly looked impressive at first glance.

ATC will unveil EL50 active loudspeakers

ATC has teased a new active loudspeaker joining its ranks, the EL50. Details are less than sparse for now and we will get the full specifications at the Bristol H-Fi Show 2026 next week, but there are plenty of reasons to be excited here. ATC has a strong reputation in both passive and active speakers, and we have highly rated the ATC active models we’ve encountered, including the recent ATC SCM20ASL (astonishingly insightful and transparent), the ATC SCM40A active floorstanders (exceptional dynamics and control); we even had active versions of our reference ATC SCM50 speakers for a while in our test rooms, back in the day.

ATC has previously made an EL150 active speaker that is now discontinued, which featured a a 25mm tweeter, a 75mm “ATC SM-150s” soft-down midrange driver, and a ‘super linear’, rather massive, 37.5cm bass driver. This model used ATC’s P6 amplifier that featured three-way active crossovers with phase equalisation, and boasted 350W per channel into 8 ohms. That’s 50W for the tweeter, 100W for the mids and 200W for the bass.

The ‘150’ in the name tends to denote the cabinet volume, so we expect the new EL50 to be smaller (50 litres) than its discontinued sibling, which measured a behemoth 131.5 x 60 x 29cm and weighed 82kg. Whether it will carry on the rather bold styling – by ATC’s standards – remains to be seen.

Rega teases a new turntable 

We have even less information here than we do about the ATC EL50, but a note on Rega’s website teases that the brand will be announcing “new electronics and a new turntable for the 2026 show”. More details will be revealed closer to the time, but it sounds like we’ll have to be at the show to see first-hand what these new Rega products are.

Rega has a history of showing previews and prototypes of new products – the flagship Mercury/Solis pre/power amps are an example from last year’s Bristol – and I’m curious to see what else is on the horizon. The amplifiers have been getting sequels lately, but beyond a new Nd cartridge range and the superb Planar 3 RS Edition, the standard Planar turntables haven’t had a proper revamp in many years.

I’d love to see the entry-level Planar 1 be the first to get a long-awaited update, as it would be interesting for Rega to start at the budget end with any new technologies and engineering updates (rather than the other way round as most other brands do, with tech trickling down from higher end models). We’ll have to wait and see what lies in store for us next week.

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British hi-fi brand Creek Audio has launched the Cymatics 6 standmount speakers, the first of three planned models for its new Cymatics speaker range.

Making their debut at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026 next week, these two-way bookshelf speakers will be joined later in the year by the Cymatics 6 and 9 models, with the range sharing common design characteristics, according to Creek.

The single-wired Cymatics 6 are equipped with a 25mm aluminium-dome tweeter and a 17.1cm custom fibre mid/bass unit, with the two crossing over at a frequency of 2.6kHz. A rear-firing bass port is also on board for fine-tuning the lower frequencies.

Creek Audio’s new standmount speakers measure 41 × 22.5 × 34cm (hwd) and the British manufacturer says the cabinet architecture, crossover topology, and driver integration have been optimised for performance and deliver “controlled extension and spatial precision”.

While at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, Creek will also showcase a new prototype integrated amplifier featuring its MOSFET Class A/B framework.

Creek Audio’s Cymatics 6 speakers will be available in a gloss black or eco-friendly wood finish, while their price is still TBC.

It will be interesting to see how they stack up against our current picks for the best bookshelf speakers.

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British audio brand Ultrafide Audio may not be a household name, but it is aiming to shake up the premium hi-fi space with its debut integrated amplifier, the Enso (INT-125).

Taking its name from the Japanese 'Enso' circle, which symbolises unity and balance, the new amp aims to bring flexibility and musicality to a home hi-fi setup.

The new integrated claims 125 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and features a linear toroidal power supply for what Ultrafide describes as "superior audio performance with a clear focus on sonic purity, headroom and musicality".

Physical connections include twin RCA and balanced XLR inputs alongside coaxial and Toslink inputs. The amplifier also comes equipped with a moving magnet phono stage for integration within a turntable setup, offering gain adjustment via the on-screen menu on the screen and multiple capacitance loading options at the rear.

The new integrated features a preamp output and power amp input, so if you need a bit more power, you can upgrade your amplifier over time.

According to Mark Bailey, Ultrafide's product specialist: "The Enso (INT-125) is a huge moment for the Ultrafide brand. It’s a flexible and powerful integrated amplifier that lets you focus on the music".

The Enso (INT-125) integrated amplifier is available now, priced at £3500. At that level, it's a little cheaper than the five-star Cyrus 40 AMP (£3999), our current pick as the best premium amp on the market.

Ultrafide made its domestic debut at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show in 2024, and the brand will once again be at the show next weekend, with the new Enso integrated amplifier on display.

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This budget trio delivers a profoundly musical performance and is a great first step into hi-fi

The annual Bristol Hi-Fi Show is steadily approaching us in a couple of weeks – starting on Friday 20th February – and we already know we'll be making a beeline to the Neat Acoustics room.

That's because Neat will be showing off the new Iota Alpha II small floorstanders, which are an updated version of the original Iota Alpha we tested back in 2017.

The new Iota Alpha II is set to retain the same knee-high dimensions (about 45cm tall) and outer form, which consists of an upwards-angled baffle that houses the tweeter and mid/bass unit (which are essentially taken from the tiny Iota bookshelf speaker), while the rest of the box is dedicated to the lower frequencies, thanks to a downward-firing bass driver.

The updated model will feature the same EMIT ribbon tweeter, but will include a new mid/bass driver and a revised crossover, which Neat says will deliver "an even more astonishing performance from this miniature marvel."

We are big fans of Neat's quirky designs, which have a knack for delivering hugely entertaining, detailed and rhythmically exciting performances from smaller cabinets than is the norm. In our original Iota Alpha review, we said that while they would struggle to fill large rooms, their presentation "is wonderfully cohesive, the three drivers integrating seamlessly, and the sound is appealingly robust."

Let's hope the sequel retains all of the original's charms.

The Neat Iota Alpha II is set to cost £1995 for 'standard' finishes, while 'premium' finishes will cost more at £2395 per pair, and will be available to buy from April 2026.

We don't know yet what these full finish options are (it's usually black/white as standard, with wood as premium), but we will bring any new details once we see them in person at the Bristol Show in two weeks' time.

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Read the Neat Iota II review

And the original Neat Iota Alpha review

Best floorstanding speakers 2026: budget to premium models tested by our experts

There is a small but significant change happening in the world of hi-fi right now. While traditional separates set-ups are still going strong, many manufacturers are now putting together complete systems that offer customers new to the world of hi-fi everything they need in one box, from all the components to even cables.

This may not feel like a particularly revolutionary endeavour (or even a new one), but it's one that has been missing in recent years. As brands are searching for ways to entice the next generation of hi-fi fans into the fold, I think this is a considered and inviting approach.

At the Bristol Hi-Fi Show earlier this year, I heard a refrain of "smaller systems in a box" being repeated in various rooms throughout the show weekend, with manufacturers feeling the urgent need to entice younger audiences to the world of hi-fi in a more appealing, beginner-friendly way.

You can't expect someone new to hi-fi separates to care about system matching and finding the cables straightaway. Not everyone is as keen about the minutae when starting on their hi-fi journey. Not everyone has the space these days for multiple large boxes, either.

And it would be wrong for us seasoned hi-fi fans to assume and insist this should be the case for anyone with a fledgling interest in good audio kit. I, my friends and so many of my colleagues would have started listening to music on a Walkman, Discman, an all-in-one stereo boombox picked from the Argos catalogue or similar. We didn't care about sampling rates or DSD files; we just wanted to listen to our music in the most accessible, space-saving (and affordable) way possible.

When unboxing the WiiM Amp Pro streaming amplifier recently, I was struck by how generous (and unusual) it was that all the interconnect cables you'll need – optical, RCA and HDMI – are included in the box.

Some brands used to do the same in previous years, but we imagine it stopped being in vogue due to cost-cutting measures. There is also the notion that most hi-fi buyers will already have a box of spare cables, or will choose and buy their own cables separately (and perhaps even carefully match their new components).

But what of newcomers to hi-fi, who are starting afresh and won't have a stash of tangled cables to dig into? Of course we want hi-fi fans to appreciate good kit and take an interest, but shouldn't we appeal to them without expecting them to know what an S/PDIF socket is from the start? Giving them a helping hand as they start their journey can go a long way, especially if we want help them graduate from that one-box wireless boombox.

It's not like this 'younger generation' isn't interested in enjoying higher quality music, especially in old-school physical formats. Just look at the ongoing popularity of vinyl and turntables – sales are continuing to rise year-on-year and people's interest (especially the younger generation, thanks to Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and more releasing their new albums on vinyl) in this pricey but enduring analogue format isn't abating.

The demand for hi-res and higher-quality streaming from Tidal, Qobuz, Apple Music (and even Spotify) is growing, too – so there is a genuine interest and demand for quality. Alongside this is the demand for instant access, for convenience, and for being able to listen to music without any barriers.

Newcomers to the industry like WiiM have also proven there is huge appetite for tech-laden separates components; they're just wrapped up in a more modern, consumer-friendly skin than the long, rectangular black boxes we've come to associate with hi-fi.

WiiM's affordable pricing and super compact form factor are a huge part of their appeal. I think its products are also a great example of eliminating barriers simply by offering all the cables and accessories you need in the box (for no extra cost), as I've encountered with the Ultra streamer and Amp Pro.

It means you can plug your new hi-fi product to your TV or turntable straight away – there's no delay or guesswork, you don't have to know the name of the connections, and if you don't need a specific cable right then, at least you have it spare for later.

Ruark Audio is another brand that also wants to make it easy for younger generations to start their audio journey, or for parents to pass on their hi-fi to their kids.

The Ruark Sabre-R bookshelf speakers and R610 streaming amp can be purchased together as a complete system. It is compact and stylish, boasts all the modern streaming smarts as well as hi-fi heritage.

Unboxing the R610 uncovered a surprise: there were speaker cables included in the box. Now, I can't remember if I've ever seen speaker cables included with a hi-fi product, let alone a modern streaming amplifier. Even the cheapest speaker cables can get pricey once you add up the length you need (and times by two), so this is a great touch by Ruark.

And it makes perfect sense here; the compact R610 'music console' has network streaming, Bluetooth, Tidal/Spotify Connect and internet radio all included, so all you need to do is add a pair of speakers to complete the system. Bundling in a pair of speaker cables brings the customer closer to that ultimate aim: enjoying listening to your new stereo kit straightaway.

Pro-Ject is taking it another step further. Recognising that people want a proper turntable, but many not know all the elements you need in a system to play a record (e.g. a phono stage, an amplifier), it puts everything you need in just one box.

The Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System E and step-up Colourful Audio System 2 provide you with a turntable, a super compact amplifier (that includes phono stage, analogue and digital inputs, even Bluetooth) and a pair of bookshelf speakers, including all the cables needed to hook everything up and get music playing.

Like WiiM and Ruark, the components in this complete Pro-Ject system aren't the full-width size of traditional separates; apart from the turntable, they're fairly compact and easy to fit on most furniture. That they come in a variety of matching, fetching shades is attractive, too.

This means your new customer can have a hi-fi system ready to go from unpacking just one box – without needing to visit a shop, Google for additional components or put in an Amazon order for anything missing.

It's a neat and appealing proposition; much more so for many of the younger generation, who likely won't have ever set foot in a hi-fi shop, or find it a bit daunting. There can be an element of gatekeeping or the need for you to know a system's technical specifications by heart when stepping into the world of hi-fi – but really, the main aim is to listen to and enjoy music, isn't it?

If we as an industry – one which still very much loves and cares for this particular hobby of ours – want the younger generation to get involved and appreciate just how amazing music can sound on great-quality kit, why not make that introduction to 'proper' hi-fi more welcoming and easier to access?

And once they're hooked in, well... we know it's all uphill from there.

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Michell Audio, best known for its iconic Gyrodec turntables, has taken the lid off its first set of hi-fi electronics in a long while at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025. The Apollo phono and Muse power supply are a two-box combo designed to make the most of your high-end turntable, Gyro or otherwise.

The units are sold and designed to work together, with Apollo’s built-in power supply circuitry supposedly working in harmony with the Muse to further refine and regulate the DC power from the dedicated supply. The two compact units are made of solid aluminium billet and connected by a specifically designed cable link.

The Apollo/Muse duo have been manufactured in the UK and designed by the Michell team from the ground up. The engineers' focus here is all on noise reduction, hence the two-box design of the phono stage and power supply. The clam-shell design of both units also acts as a Faraday cage, which keeps unwanted electrical noise from within the power supply from escaping and also shields the phono stage's internal circuitry from being affected by unwanted external noise.

The Apollo phono stage handles moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, offering customisable loading and gain settings that can be selected via the DIP switches on the underside of the unit. A finely tuned passive RIAA circuit is used for “preserving fidelity”, while Class A circuitry has been chosen for both the preamp and subsequent amplification stages for “precise signal handling” and “clean, accurate sound”.

The Muse power supply, meanwhile, is all about reducing noise — “the enemy of phono stages” — and providing clean and stable power. Housing the low-noise toroidal transformer separately naturally ensures any generated noise is kept isolated from the amplification circuits in Apollo. It also uses advanced capacitance multiplier technology and high-quality voltage regulators to reduce ripple and noise, delivering two highly filtered and regulated DC outputs.

Michell's managing director Jonathan Nye says: “For over 50 years, we’ve been at the forefront of vinyl playback innovation, designing industry-leading turntables, cartridges, and electronics... With Apollo and Muse we have something very special that will satisfy the most demanding and discerning of audiophiles.”

The new Michell Apollo and Muse duo is set to launch in March and cost £3500 in the UK, which translates roughly to $4500 / AU$7000. We were also teased during the press launch at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show that this is the first of a number of new products from Michell coming out in 2025, and we can't wait to see what those are.

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Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025: pictures, highlights, and all the latest audio news from Musical Fidelity, Rega, WiiM, Quad and more

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Welcome to the latest entry into our weekly Rewind hi-fi and home cinema news digest, where we detail the top stories to break over the past seven days.

Last week was a particularly busy one as not only did our team of experts have to contend with a surprise Apple launch, they also spent the weekend covering the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025, where we saw a wealth of new products launch.

Here’s what you need to know.

There were loads of new speakers at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show is a staple entry in most audio fans’ calendar and this year’s expo was a great example why. As well as showing off the latest wares from over 150 audio brands, it also saw numerous new products launch. Reporting live at the show our audio team trawled the showroom floor having a look and listen at as many of them as they could and found seven in particular that caught their eye.

Read the full story: The 7 best speakers we saw at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 – Ruark Audio, Wharfedale and more

Rega has a new amp

While most of the “new” products at Bristol were speakers, Rega bucked the trend unveiling its seventh generation Brio amp at the show.

The amp is particularly interesting for a couple of reasons. First because it comes from Rega Research, which has a very strong track record in the space, based on our decades of testing. Second, because it’s the first entry to the line with a DAC.

Read the full story: Rega reveals 7th generation Brio amplifier – and this time it has a DAC!

Fyne unveiled new mid-range speakers

Fresh off the back of our five star review of its Fyne Audio F501E, Fyne Audio unveiled its new mid-range F500S speakers last week.

We haven’t had a chance to listen to the new F500S yet, but Fyne claims they are a "significant audio and aesthetic upgrade" over the established F500 Series and on paper there’s a lot of evidence to back this up.

The speakers feature the firm’s IsoFlare driver technology. This is a cool feature we’ve seen before that aims to improve stereo imaging with a custom design where the bass/midrange driver shares a common centre with the speaker’s high-frequency unit.

Read the full story: Fyne Audio's mid-range F500S speakers aim for serious increases in sonic performance, not price

Neat’s latest speakers are outright dinky

Last week Neat launched its new Neat Iota II speakers. Why are they interesting? Because they are outright tiny, measuring in at just 13cm tall, 20cm wide and 16.5cm deep. Despite this Neat’s loaded them with some impressive hardware that it promises will let them deliver room filling, hi-fi grade audio, even in incredibly tight spaces.

Read the full story: Neat Iota II are ultra-tiny speakers with big ambitions and are ideal for small spaces

Optoma’s new UST projector is an interesting beast

Optoma last week unveiled its new Photon Go ultra short throw projector. Though UST is a bit of a vogue category at the moment the Go is interesting as it features one key bit of tech we haven’t seen in many rivals: a battery. This, plus its small dimensions and light weight could make it an ideal option for movie fans on the hunt for a portable projector they can use on the go when travelling or even camping.

Read the full story: Optoma's new on-the-go projector is set to be one of the cheaper USTs on the market

Surprise! There’s a new cheap(ish) iPhone

Last week Apple unveiled its new iPhone 16e. The device was originally expected to be called the iPhone SE 4, and is at first glance a refreshed version of the iPhone 14, with the only major additions being a new Apple Intelligence (AI) ready A18 chipset and OLED screen. Despite this, considering how much we liked the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16’s audio when we tested them, it could still be a very solid option for serious music fans that want a phone that can double as a proper portable music player.

Read the full story: Apple officially unveils the affordable iPhone 16e complete with an OLED display and Dolby Atmos support

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Our picks of the best speakers money can buy

We rank the best floorstanding speakers

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show is in full swing and I, and the wider What Hi-Fi? team have spent the past 24 hours trawling the expo floor in an attempt to find the coolest products you need to know about.

And in that endeavour I've found 11 stand out items, including everything from freshly announced devices from established hi-fi heavyweights to products the team and I’ve never seen, or heard, in the wild before.

Here’s what you need to know about them.

Wharfedale Super Linton speakers

The Wharfedale Linton are excellent speakers. That’s why we not only gave them a five-star rating when we reviewed them, we’re also using them in our 2025 Bristol Hi-Fi Show tech demo.

It’s also why myself and the team were excited to see them get the super treatment at this year’s show. The Super Linton are larger than the basic Linton and come with a few key upgrades including a completely redesigned tweeter, midrange driver and woofer which all aim to refine the speakers sonic performance.

Quad ESL-2912X electrostatic speakers

If you say the electrostatic speakers to any hi-fi fan Quad is one of the first names to come to mind. Which is why we were super excited to get our first “in the flesh” look at the firm’s new ESL-2912X speakers at the show.

Quad promised huge upgrades to the speakers’ internals but has kept quiet about the specifics. Sadly this remained the case at the show, but we did get an opening listen, with the speakers being demoed, paired with the firm’s Quad 33/303 pre/power combination at Bristol.

Acoustic Energy AE300 speaker range

The AE300 is the latest refresh of the audio brand’s mid-range series of speakers, which last got a dab of new paint all the way back in 2018.

It consists of AE300² standmounts, AE309² and AE320² floorstanders and an AE307² centre channel. Every item attempts to improve audio performance by borrowing elements and learnings from the brand’s Corinium project.

This includes the firm’s RSC (Resonance Suppression Composite) technology, which aims to reduce cabinet radiation for less interference between the cabinet and drivers.

Chord Electronics Alto headphone amplifier

The Chord Electronics Alto is an interesting beast. The £3000 unit was originally designed for recording and mastering studios and is already endorsed by some big name musicians.

It’s built around Chord's flagship Ultima amplification technology, which uses a dual feed-forward error correction circuit.

This is a clever bit of tech bespoke made to monitor and correct distortion before it reaches the output stage, thus improving audio quality.

It’s also very flexible and can be used to drive four devices simultaneously through its generous selection of front-panel outputs. Which is why we were very excited to see it in the wild at this year’s Bristol Hi-Fi Show.

Ruark Audio Sabre-R bookshelf speakers

The Sabre R are the latest bookshelf speakers from UK hi-fi house Ruark. Under the hood they offer decent specifications considering their £699 / $899 / $1499 price.

Highlights include a two-way design with a 26mm silk dome tweeter and 15cm treated natural fibre cone mid/bass driver.

Ruark also quotes them as offering a sensitivity of 86dB/W/m which means they should play nice with most modern amplifiers outputting 25-100W of power. If that wasn’t enough to excite you, having seen them in the flesh I can confirm they look lovely.

Neat Iota II

The £1095 Neat Iota II are ultra-tiny speakers with big ambitions. Specifically, Neat claims the dinky speakers will “defy the laws of physics” ideal for small spaces.

Featuring a similarly small size to the original Iota, under their tiny frame the second generation houses some big upgrades.

These include an updated mid/bass driver that promises "even better bass extension and bigger scale" than before and a revised crossover. Neat claims these will let them offer much better scale than you’d expect from a speaker their size.

Rega Brio MK7

Rega Research unveiled its latest Brio Mk7 stereo amplifier at Bristol. Set to retail for £799 you may at first glance think it’s fairly similar to its five-star predecessor, featuring the same 50-watt per channel rating and moving magnet phono stage. But it has a few big upgrades, including the inclusion of a DAC, which is a first for the Brio range making it a seriously interesting product on show at this year's expo.

Devialet Astra streaming amplifier

It has been a while since myself and the team have heard from French audio house Devlialet, which is why I was super excited to get an opening look at its new Devialet Astra streaming amp at this year’s show.

Set to retail for $20,000 the amp offers 600 watts of power alongside support for Google Cast, AirPlay, Bluetooth 5.3, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and is Roon Ready. Devialet’s also making some big boasts about its audio promising it will offer "bar-raising" quality for serious listeners. Here's hoping that's true when/if the we get it in for testing.

Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System 2

The Colourful Audio System 2 is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a simple setup that gives you a full hi-fi package combining a turntable, amplifier, stereo speakers, cartridge and cables – all the stuff any budding hi-fi or vinyl fan needs to get going. The System 2 package I looked at includes a five-star Debut Evo 2 turntable, a MaiA S3 amplifier and two Speaker Box 5 S2 bookshelf speakers and will set you back £1799. That's pretty competitive considering the hardware included.

WiiM Vibelink Amp

The Vibelink Amp is the first integrated amp from WiiM with no streaming smarts. Despite that it comes with some impressive features and hardware considering its £319 price. The unit offers 100W-per-channel of power and WiiM claims, this plus its "solid circuitry" will let the Vibelink offer a "rich, pure audio experience." Considering its strong record creating solid value audio products recently, I’ll be curious to see if lightning will strike again with the WiiM Vibelink Amp.

Michell Apollo phono stage

Michell is a brand mainly known for its Gyro turntables. But at Bristol it launched its new Apollo phono stage and Muse power supply. The compact units are made of solid aluminium billet and have a specifically designed cable link. The units are set to launch in March costing £3500.

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Well here's a surprise: Rega has snuck in a world-first debut at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025, with the long-awaited update to its Brio stereo amplifier seeing the light of day.

Now in its seventh generation, the new Brio Mk7 has the same 50-watt per channel rating as its five-star predecessor, as well as the all-important moving magnet phono stage.

What's new is the inclusion of a DAC for the first time in the Brio range. While previous generations have remained all-analogue, the advent of the Elicit Mk5 in 2022 and then the Elex Mk4 in 2023 – both of which included DACs – shows not just a nod towards customer demand but also Rega's satisfaction with including digital inputs that don't compromise the overall audio quality nor increase the cost to the customer – a key concern of the brand's.

The new Brio Mk7 has three RCA line level inputs, a MM phono input, and one digital optical and coaxial input apiece. The 3.5mm headphone port returns as well. The Brio remains a half-width design, but is about an inch deeper to accommodate the new DAC section. Rega also says the internal circuitry and signal paths have been rearranged to minimise any interference from the digital side. And there's a bit of cosmetic redesign to follow the visual language of the rest of its amplifier range, too.

A new Brio was top on my wishlist of hi-fi product sequels I want to see revealed this year and I'm delighted I can already cross one off the list so early into 2025. It had also been a good seven years since the last Brio – which is roughly the same amount of time that passed between 2017's Brio and the previous Brio-R – so it was about time for a sequel.

Price? The Brio Mk7 will be yours for £799 when it goes on sale very soon. That's a fair bit pricier than previous Brio models, but the Mk7 slots in between the current entry-level Rega io (£440) and the Elex Mk4 (£1260). Stay tuned for our full review when we get a sample in our test rooms.

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Read our full 6th-gen Rega Brio review

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FiiO has announced its latest flagship headphones. The FT7 follow on from the FT5 and FT3, but they are a considerably more premium proposition.

FiiO claims the Patent Pending Gold + Silver Precious Metal Multi-Layer Coating Technology will result in improved sound and durability. Inside are 106mm full-size planar drivers and a 1μm ultra-thin film diaphragm, while there are also 18 high-performance N52 neodymium magnets on each side.

They certainly look the part, thanks to their zebrawood grilles and earpads made of lambskin and suede. Even the cord has been given the design treatment – it's a liquid nitrogen-frozen single crystal copper cable, see, while the case is custom-detailed and made of linen from the Yauli region of Peru.

At 427g, they’re fairly light for a flagship pair. They also boast an even magnetic field design.

They will retail for "around $800" (around £630 / AU$1250) when they go on sale later this year. FiiO is so confident in them, it claims they will take on rivals at much higher price points. So should the likes of the Focal Clear Mg and Austrian Audio The Composer be worried? We'll find out when we've given them a review.

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WiiM has teased a new device at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, and it's a little different from its other products. The WiiM Vibelink Amp is the firm's first amp without any streaming smarts. There's no wi-fi, meaning the device focuses purely on amplification.

WiiM is selling it as the "perfect complement" to the Mini, Pro and Ultra, which do all have built-in streaming skills. The WiiM Pro Plus is our current favourite budget music streamer and Award winner, while the Ultra is currently being reviewed.

The product has only been teased for now, so there's not all that much info to go on, but our team is on the ground at the Bristol Show for a first look and any extra information they can glean.

We do know that the 100W-per-channel (into 8 ohms) Vibelink Amp will support variable sample rates and bit depths, and will have "advanced technologies and premium component choices". WiiM promises a "rich, pure audio experience," alongside analogue and digital inputs and "stylish" speaker connection options.

The Vibelink's footprint also fits perfectly with the WiiM Ultra, with which it will be demoed during the Bristol show.

An official announcement will follow in March, with full details. But we do have a guide price, which is set to be £319 (around $400 / AU$630).

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Read our five-star WiiM Pro Plus review

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More from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025

Pro-Ject has unveiled a follow-up to its eye-catching Colourful Audio System. The Colourful Audio System 2 is just as radiant as its predecessor, but has some upgraded components, including the Debut Evo 2 record player, which we rated as five stars.

It's a complete system in a box – including a turntable, amplifier, stereo speakers, cartridge and cables – which is ideal for beginners who don't want the complexity of finding compatible separates.

And it's upgradeable over time, so as your confidence – and your budget – grows, you can swap in higher-end components if you like.

There are actually two versions of the new system: the Colourful Audio System 2 and a lower-end Colourful Audio System E.

The former comprises a Debut Evo 2 turntable, a MaiA S3 amplifier and two Speaker Box 5 S2 bookshelf speakers. The Debut Evo 2 is a five-star deck with a carbon fibre tonearm and damped aluminium platter. At 206cm wide, the S3 amplifier is small but packs 40 watts of power per channel, with eight inputs including Bluetooth and a phono stage. Extras include rubber feet that will help isolate the speakers from the turntable and a pair of terminated Connect it LS E speaker cables.

The turntable and speakers' seven finishes comprise six in satin (Black, Fir Green, Golden Yellow, Steel Blue, White, and Wine Red), and a Walnut real wood veneer. But the amp only comes in black.

The Colourful Audio System E downgrades these components to the new Debut E turntable (which was created exclusively for this package), Stereo Box E amplifier and Speaker Box 5 E Carbon bookshelf speakers. The Debut E has a solid MDF plinth, aluminium tonearm and Ortofon OM5e cartridge, while the amp has 40W per channel, six inputs and Bluetooth. And the Speaker Box 5 E Carbon speakers have silk dome tweeters and carbon fibre woofers. The E system comes in the same range of finishes as its pricier stablemate.

The Colourful Audio System 2 costs £1799 (around $2270 / AU$3558) and the System E is £1099 (around $1386 / AU$2173). Both go on sale next month.

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News from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025

These are the best speakers we’ve tested

We rate the best stereo amplifiers

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show may not have "High End" in the title like a certain Munich-based event set to happen in May, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a wealth of awesome, premium audio hardware to check out at the expo.

In fact, myself and the wider team of top-end hi-fi hunters at What Hi-Fi? has already earmarked three Temptation level products set to appear at the show that we haven't had a chance to see or hear in the flesh yet.

Here’s what you need to know about them.

1. The Wilson Benesch Horizon

We first covered the Wilson Benesch Horizon floorstanding speakers in January, where they immediately caught many hi-fi fans' attention.

First, because they sit in the same Fibonacci Series of loudspeakers as the A.C.T. 3Zero and Discovery 3Zero, which both earned a perfect five-star rating from our testers when we got them in for the full What Hi-Fi? review treatment.

Second because they’re technically interesting beasts featuring a wealth of proprietary hardware, including Tactic 3.0 drivers and a Fibonacci Tweeter, which the company claims will let them deliver "extraordinary clarity, speed and detail across the frequency spectrum".

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show is the first time we’ll have the opportunity to check them out in the flesh, with the company running demos throughout the event.

2. The Devialet Astra

Devialet is an interesting company, with a strong record for creating beautiful looking and sounding high end hi-fi that started all the way back in 2012, when we tested its D-Premier amp and gleefully reported:

“It's like nothing we've seen before, but in terms of sonic ability, the Devialet D-Premier is an incredible performer”.

Which is why we’re super excited that we’ll get the chance to have a first look at its new Devialet Astra streaming amplifier at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show this year. Set to retail for $20,000 the unit boasts 600W of power and all the streaming support you’d expect in 2025.

We haven’t gotten full details what speakers the amp will be paired with at the demo, but we can’t wait to find out and get an early listen to the Astra at the show.

3. The Rotel Michi Q5 CD

Though it was announced all the way back in September last year, the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 will be our first chance to see the Rotel Michi Q5 CD in the wild.

Rotel markets the unit as a “Transport DAC” but it’s essentially a CD player with digital inputs and high resolution file playback that sits in the same family as the X3 and X5 Series 2 integrated amplifiers, which first appeared in 2023.

The flexibility to play CDs, or high resolution files is awesome, but the unit also packs some impressive hardware under the hood. This is headlined by eight-channel ESS ES9028PRO DAC that’s been specially configured so that its channels are split equally between the left and right audio signal paths. This will apparently help it deliver "extraordinary detail retrieval" and a much wider soundstage.

We’ll be curious to check it out at Bristol where the £5499 / $6999 / €5999 spinner will be on show.

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The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 is rapidly approaching. In less than a week’s time hi-fi fans will be able to visit UK's longest-running hi-fi show and see some of the top new products and some established favourites from over 150 audio brands.

As ever, myself and the wider What Hi-Fi? team will also be exhibiting and running a tech demo at the show.

While that means for at least part of the show I’ll be glued to our stand running the demo and chatting to visitors, I’ve already blocked out time to check out one pair of speakers set to make an appearance at the show: the Wharfedale Super Linton.

That’s not to say I'm not looking forward to seeing and hearing the dozen or so other new speakers at the show – I’ll be doing a tour checking out numerous stands while there for the weekend. But I’m especially excited about the Super Linton for a couple of reasons.

The first is simple. Myself and the team remain massive fans of the original Wharfedale Linton speakers, which we gave five stars to when we reviewed them all the way back in 2020. This was largely due to their effortless bass reproduction and wonderfully detailed, open soundstage, which led our reviewers to report:

“With effortless weight, spot-on stereo imaging and layer upon layer of marvellous detail, you could listen to these speakers for days and still not get tired.”

I’ve been eager to hear how the larger “Super” version sounds since they were unveiled at the start of November as a result.

Considering how much I enjoyed seeing the Super Denton at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024, in the same room the Super Linton are set to be shown off, I can’t help but get a little excited – especially as the new speakers come with some meaty upgrades, based on the specifications I’ve seen.

Like the Super Denton, the Super Linton are larger than their predecessors. But Wharfdale has also done a lot of work under the hood adding across-the-board upgrades to the cabinet, crossover and drive units. The speakers feature a completely redesigned tweeter, midrange driver and woofer, with the 25mm dome tweeter sharing a lot of common attributes with the firm’s higher-end Wharfdale Dovedale speakers.

The second reason I’m excited about the Super Linton in particular is their looks. I’m a magpie with a soft spot for anything with a retro design. That’s why at past shows Fyne Audio’s Vintage series in particular caught my eye.

This remains the case with the Super Linton. Featuring a distinctly retro look inspired by the original 1980s Linton 3XP, the 'Super' speakers look wonderful based on the press imagery I’ve seen and I can’t wait to see them in the flesh – I’ve long argued hi-fi needs to look and sound nice if it has any hope of getting into a normal living space.

And that’s why the Wharfedale Super Linton speakers, which will be on demo and powered by the similarly retro-styled Quad 33/303 amplifiers, are one of the top new products to check out at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show this year.

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My regular trawl through the What Hi-Fi? archives this month sees me look back to the March 1994 edition of the magazine.

There isn’t often much rhyme or reason for me picking a particular issue – hey, every one’s a winner! – it’s usually a case of me heading down to the hi-fi testing room where our archive lives, where the bound issues and magazines serve a handy dual purpose of helping to control the acoustics in the room by absorbing and deflecting sound (by, basically, not being a hard flat surface).

This month, though, there was at least a little bit of method in my mag guess: the Bristol Hi-Fi Show (originally called Sound and Vision) has been a regular in the What Hi-Fi? diary for decades now – and the 2025 edition (the show's 36th) is being held next week (21st-23rd February). We will, as we have done for almost the entire history of the event, be there in force, with a demonstration of the latest and most impressive tech we can lay our hands on.

So, to tie in with the show, I went in search of some early references; so March ’94 it is.

A system for the systems

And, as is pretty much always the case, there are some fascinating points of reference and difference for us to delve into – Bristol Show notwithstanding.

The cover was a bit of a surprise to me. Back in the day (back in my early days, at the very least) it was traditional for the magazine that came out at the start of the year (so normally the February issue) to feature a one-make systems round-up. In 1994, though, it was the March edition that saw us go round the manufacturers to see what they could come up with as suggestions of branded products to marry together for a serious two-channel hi-fi set-up.

Perhaps the “tradition” started a year or two after this, then.

Turning the tables on CD

A separate system – a monthly regular it seems – was promoting a turntable set-up using a Thorens deck with Denon amplification and a pair of Rogers speakers. I confess to being somewhat surprised to see vinyl being pushed in this issue in more than one instance; in my mind the hi-fi world was very much in love with the compact disc, and pretty much everyone had written off the vinyl disc and turntable as a lost cause; the What Hi-Fi? team at the time could clearly see the advantages of analogue.

The second record player link was even worth a brief reference on the cover, pushing the advantages of upgrading your turntable's cartridge. In an amazing demonstration of how times have changed, inside I found a Group Test of upgrade cartridges, each one costing less than £70. Nothing terribly mind-blowing there in itself, I know, but… But there are 17 (seventeen) of them on test.

Now this is more like it

To put my mind more at ease, also in the pages was a Group Test of budget CD players (now that’s more like it, 1994). The standfirst includes the line “You can get a surprisingly good CD player for the cost of a dozen discs”, which sounds like an eminently good deal to me.

Another slight surprise to me (this, after all, was before even my time on the magazine) was the separated off, with its own internal cover, AV/home cinema section. We quite often, here on What Hi-Fi?, get people writing in or commenting, complaining that we shouldn’t be covering home cinema products, and should stick to our “core” remit. All I can say is that the brand has been covering the visual side of things for almost as long as we have been around – and certainly for a lot longer than this issue from three decades ago shows.

All roads lead to Bristol

Which brings us back to the Bristol Show. Which we have been covering for around 30 years. The feature pictured above devotes four pages to the upcoming event, with a rundown of the main runners and riders as far as brands and products available to be seen in one of the hotel rooms given over to the UK’s biggest hi-fi event. I confess, it isn’t the most inviting of layouts, but the facts are all there – and once again, it shows the difference a generation and more can make. All this information is now available online – indeed, here it is – and would be in effect dead air in a magazine of today.

So there you go: get yourself down to Bristol if you can; and if you do, come and say hello to the What Hi-Fi? team, and enjoy a 20-minute sit-down in our demo. We’d love to see you.

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The Bristol Hi-Fi Show has been around for as long as I've been alive (just – I'm a year older). As the largest and longest-running hi-fi show in the UK, the show is an annual haven for audio brands, media and hi-fi fans to congregate in Bristol (in the same Marriott Hotel) and set our sights on the latest audio-visual products from both UK-born-and-based manufacturers and those from around the world.

I was two months into my very first year at What Hi-Fi? when our editorial team set off for a long weekend at the Bristol Show, and it has become a staple of my calendar along with our annual Awards and Christmas ever since.

I've seen – and heard – some terrific new speakers, amplifiers, turntables and headphones at the show in the past decade or so, and with this year's Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 only a week away, here are the new products that I'm most looking forward to hearing for the first time.

Quad ESL-2912X electrostatic speakers

Quad and electrostatic speakers are synonymous with each other, and we haven't had a new electrostatic speaker from the brand in 12 years – so the advent of a brand new model is quite a big deal. The prototype ESL-2912X had their first public showing at High End Munich last year, but the ones shown at the Bristol Show next week are the final production model that will go on sale in summer – and we'll be the first people to hear them in action.

We've enjoyed the terrific sound of Quad's electrostatic speakers, with the current and ongoing ESL-2812 wowing us with their stunning cohesion, insight, precision and stereo imaging. The new Quad ESL-2912X are positioned as the flagship model with significant updates made throughout. They'll be on demo with the equally interesting Quad 33/303 pre/power amplifiers that carry on the brand's mission of reviving retro designs for the modern audience, and I'm excited to hear not just what the new ESL-2912X sound like, but how this combination sounds together.

Ruark Audio Sabre-R bookshelf speakers

Here's another brand that is reaching back towards its roots: Ruark Audio stopped making passive stereo speakers in favour of stylish, well-featured smart/DAB radios and modern wireless systems – such as the five-star (and Award-winning) R1S radio and the MR1 MK2 desktop speakers – around the mid-’00s. But the Essex-based brand has now launched its first passive speakers in over 20 years: the Sabre-R. The two-way speakers mimic the lovely wooden cabinet finish of its radio siblings and are set to cost £699. The stereo speaker market is fiercely competitive and packed with options in this price range; will Ruark be able to compete with the established players with this new model? We've been fond of Ruark's current sound signature and fondly remember its previous speakers (such as Talisman, Solstice, Equinox), so hearing what these new Sabre-R speakers sound like is high on my to-do list next weekend.

Devialet Astra streaming amplifier

When we first encountered Devialet back in 2012 with the Devialet D-Premier amplifier, it was as futuristic as hi-fi could get. Its wholly original approach to amplifier design (combining Class A with Class D) along with wireless capability – a rarity at the time – was as exciting then as it is now, and it had a sound quality to match its high five-figure price. The French brand has since found success and popularity with its Phantom line of powerful wireless speakers, but at the Bristol Show it will be unveiling its new Astra streaming amplifier. It costs $20,000, boasts 600W of power and has all the streaming features you could wish for – and it looks as stunning and unique as the D-Premier did over a decade ago. It'll be interesting to find out what speakers this high-end streaming amp is connected to in the demo, and whether it can match the high expectations for build and performance at this level when we see it in person.

Acoustic Energy AE300 speaker range

Acoustic Energy's speakers have a well-regarded reputation for delivering strong, capable sound with great build quality, and this update to its midrange AE300 speaker series is certainly enticing. With the tweeter derived from its flagship Corinuum speaker range and cabinet technology derived from higher-end models, the new AE300 series (which comprises the AE300² standmounts, AE309² and AE320² floorstanders and the AE307² centre channel) aims to deliver flexible and friendly options for hi-fi and home cinema fans alike. Prices start at a sensible £649 and they look rather smart too.

Wharfedale Super Linton speakers

It wouldn't be a Bristol Hi-Fi Show without Wharfedale launching another pair in its hugely popular Heritage line of retro-revived speakers, now would it? The last few years at the show have seen launches of the Dovedale, Linton and Super Denton speakers, and this year we'll be treated to the first look and demo of the Wharfedale Super Linton. We were big fans of the original Linton when we tested the pair in 2020 (five stars for a pleasingly effortless, detailed and open sound), so the bigger 'super' version of these large standmounters with revised drivers has plenty of appeal. They will be powered by the Quad 33/303 amps, which is a quirky pairing that I can't wait to hear.

Rotel Michi Q5 CD transport/DAC

We've known about Rotel's new models in its high-end and well-regarded Michi range for a while, and I can't wait to experience the new Michi Q5 CD transport DAC (essentially a CD player with digital inputs and outputs, so it can also be used as a transport with outboard DAC) in person. Michi products have always been built to the highest standards and that top-loading CD mechanism is crafted from aluminium and looks stunningly machined, and is a dream to use. It also promises accurate signal reproduction with minimal distortion and exceptional detail retrieval from your beloved CD collection and hi-res files. We've not had many previews or teases about any turntable this year, so this could be a win for die-hard CD fans – I know I'll be queuing up to hear the Michi Q5 in action with Spendor speakers.

Chord Electronics Alto headphone amplifier

If your system at home is desktop and headphones-based, Chord's versatile Alto headphone amp should be high on your audition list. Chord Electronics' excellent (and sometimes very quirky) products have delivered superb detail and rhythmic ability across the board – from the portable Mojo 2 to the premium Qutest DAC to the the higher-end Ultima Integrated – so it's safe to assume that Alto will deliver the sonic goods. Originally designed for pro studio use, this is now available for the consumer market, and we can see its generous spread of headphone outputs (3.5mm, two 6.3mm, and 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced) appeal to headphone fans, while its Ultima-derived amplification (25W into 8 ohms) can also drive small speakers/monitors. If you're a fan of Chord's sound (as well as its lit-up, button-laded, space-age looks) as I am, I'll see you at the demo stand.

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Wilson Benesch will be launching a new pair of high-end floorstanders at next month's Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025. Called Horizon, this model will join the brand's Fibonacci Series of loudspeakers and expand the range thanks to the success of its previous launches – both of which were announced at previous Bristol Shows.

The Sheffield-based hi-fi brand claims the Horizon "embodies all the qualities of the award-winning Fibonacci Series, setting a new benchmark in cutting-edge loudspeaker technology and craftsmanship within its class". We've tested two speakers from the Fibonacci range – the Discovery 3Zero standmounters and the A.C.T. 3Zero floorstanders – both of which received five-star reviews.

As with the rest of the Fibonacci Series (and in line with Wilson Benesch's cutting-edge approach across its 30 years), the Horizon uses a Monocoque enclosure similar to its bigger A.C.T. 3Zero sibling, which is made of a bio-based composite material (developed thanks to a pan-European research project funded by the EU to the tune of €7.4million to find alternative sustainable materials). This enclosure is designed to offer "unparalleled" rigidity and damping and is precision-engineered to maximise internal air volume for deep, taut bass, while ensuring next-to no noise from the cabinet itself compared with more conventional wood cabinets.

For drive units, the Horizon uses proprietary Tactic 3.0 drivers and a Fibonacci Tweeter (also present in the A.C.T. 3Zero model) for "extraordinary clarity, speed and detail across the frequency spectrum".

We don't have further specifications or confirmed prices yet, but the Horizon speakers will sit between its two five-star siblings, both of which sport exceptionally expensive price tags. The Discovery 3Zero cost £18,995 / $32,000 / AU$41,000 while the A.C.T. 3Zero are yours for a cool £31,995 / $54,000 / AU$68,000. Something in the £20k region for Horizon, then?

We called the A.C.T. 3Zero "a technological tour de force that delivers a sublime listening experience", so let's hope some of that magic trickles through to the new Horizon. As ever, these speakers will be available in a variety of premium finishes, including real wood veneers and hand-polished pearlescent metallic paints.

Wilson Benesch's new Horizon loudspeakers will be shown and demoed to the public for the first time at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show (21st-23rd February), where you can find them on Stand Conservatory 1 on the Terrace/Conservatory floor.

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The Bristol Hi-Fi Show is gone and dusted for another year. We've seen – and heard – some of the latest new audio products from some of the world's biggest hi-fi brands this weekend.

A staple of every hi-fi fan's calendar, the Bristol Hi-Fi Show is the UK's biggest and longest-running hi-fi show (now in its 36th year) and offers the general public a chance to experience exciting new audio products for the first time. Head to the show and you'll see evidence of the latest launches from the likes of Quad, Rega, Musical Fidelity, WiiM, Arcam, Cyrus, Wharfedale and more.

There’s also the annual What Hi-Fi? demo, where we show off some of the best audio-visual hardware currently available. The What Hi-Fi? editorial team will be at the show all weekend too, answering any questions you have.

Below you'll find our highlights from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025, from hands-on photos, our favourite products (including a video) from the show and details on all the new products from all the brands exhibiting.

Highlights from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025

• The 7 best speakers we saw at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 – Ruark Audio, Wharfedale and more
• VIDEO: The 11 coolest audio treats I’ve spotted after 48 hours at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show

Over 150 audio brands are exhibiting at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025. You can see the full exhibitor list on the official Bristol Hi-Fi Show website. Below is a guide to what's on demo and the new products being launched at this year's show, including hands-on photos from the show.

Musical Fidelity
Musical Fidelity has launched two new goodies at Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025: the B1xi stereo amplifier and the B1xCD CD player. The B1xi is a Class A/B amplifier which houses oversized transformers for greater dynamic handling, packing 50 watts of power into 8 ohms and boasting the likes of HDMI ARC, coaxial, optical and phono inputs. The new disc spinner, meanwhile, is a tray load model with various analogue and digital outputs alongside front-mounted buttons, a headphone port and a central digital display. Read our Musical Fidelity news

Fyne Audio
The Scottish-based brand unveiled the new F500S mid-range speaker series at Bristol. A step up above the refreshed entry-level F500E line, the F500S range features Fyne's proprietary IsoFlare driver technology and consists of two standmounts and two floorstanders, available this spring. Read our Fyne Audio F500S news

Michell
Michell Engineering, famed for its iconic Gyro turntables, has unveiled an Apollo phono stage with a Muse power supply. The duo aims to reduce as much noise as possible from affecting vinyl reply, are made out of solid aluminium billet and have a specifically designed cable link. The duo will cost £3500 when it goes on sale in March. Read the Michell Apollo/Muse news

Neat Acoustics
Neat Acoustics has announced a sequel to its ultra-compact (and ultra-cute) Iota speakers, aptly named the Iota II. The new standmounts will be on show to the public for the first time at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025, featuring an upgraded mid/bass driver with the same footprint as the first-gen model in pursuit of a sound that goes well beyond their diminutive stature. Read the Neat Iota II news

Quad
Quad is set to demo two of its biggest recent launches at Bristol Show 2025. First up is the Quad 33/303 preamp and power amp which, as a reimagined version of the units from the 1960s, boasts new circuitry, a low-noise toroidal transformer and 50W of Class A/B power. Landing alongside the 33/303 will be a new pair of Quad ESL-2912X electrostatic speakers – this will be the first time Quad has revealed an electrostatic pair since 2012, making this something of a big deal. Read our Quad ESL and 33/303 news

Wharfedale
Tied to Quad's upcoming showcase will be a showcase of Wharfedale's Super Linton speakers. The new Quad 33 preamp and a pair of 303s will power a pair of the Super Linton, first launched last November and featuring upgrades to their cabinet, crossover and drive units, making for a combination that sounds too tantalising to miss. Read our Wharfedale Super Linton news

Wilson Benesch
Wilson Benesch has become something of a fixture at Bristol over the past few years, and 2025 is no different. The British brand will be launching a new pair of high-end floorstanders, the Horizon, joining the brand's established series of Fibonacci loudspeakers. We don't know the prices yet, but given that Wilson Benesch tends to operate well within the realm of at least five figures, don't expect any free samples to be given away if you're heading down this year. Read our Wilson Benesch Horizon news

Rega
We have a new Brio! The Brio Mk7 stereo amplifier has been unveiled, featuring digital inputs for the first time in the line's history. It sports the same half-width design but is a little bit deeper, has 50 watts per channel, an MM phono stage, and will cost £799. Read our Rega Brio Mk7 news

Rotel
Rotel's latest high-end Michi products will be on demo, mainly the Michi Q5 CD transport/DAC and X5 integrated amplifier, played through Spendor speakers. Other products on show are the Award-winning Rotel A8, the All and RA1592 integrated amplifiers, the CD14 CD player and the RA5000 streaming amplifier. Read our Rotel Michi Q5 news

Acoustic Energy
British loudspeaker brand Acoustic Energy has completely redesigned its mid-range 300 Series speakers, refusing to carry over a single part of the 2018 line to the new range. The redesigned line comprises the AE300² standmounts, AE309² and AE320² floorstanders and the AE307² centre channel and debuts a new mid-woofer, Reference Series cabinet technology and a tweeter design derived from the brand's Corinium floorstanders from 2024. Well worth a listen if you have the time. Read our Acoustic Energy 300 Series news

WiiM
The budget wonder that is WiiM has its Ultra streamer on show, but even more exciting is the debut of WiiM's first integrated stereo amp with no streaming. With the same design and footprint as the Ultra, the Vibelink Amp boasts 100W per channel into 8 ohms, a selection and analogue and digital connections and is set to cost around £320 when it launches in March.
Read the WiiM Vibelink Amp news

Pro-Ject
Pro-Ject isn't just about turntables, sometimes it does complete do-it-all systems with a turntable included! What you get with the Colourful Audio System 2 is the whole shebang, including a Debut Evo 2 record player, amplifier, stereo speakers, cables and a cartridge, all in a single box. It's even upgradable over time, so you can swap out elements as your confidence, and budget, grows. We wonder which of the seven available finishes it will be daubed in at Bristol... Read our Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System 2 news

Atacama Apollo
Inspired by HiFi Racks Ltd's Podium range, the new Apollo Podium 6 HiFi Rack and the Podium 10 AV support will make their debut at the Bristol Show. The two Podium equipment racks are made of solid European oak shelves and legs and will be available in three shelf heights for a modular design. The Apollo Storm 6 XL Limited Edition crafted from rare Sapelli Mahogany will also be shown, with limited supply of this hardwood available, meaning once stock is gone, it's likely gone forever.

Meze Audio
Meze's new Poet open-back headphones will be on show if you're heading down to Bristol, but if you're expecting this post to rhyme all the way through, we might struggle. Clocking in at a cool £1850 / $2000 / €2000, the Poet won't come cheap, but their decent pedigree, open-backed design and planar-magnetic drive design make them an intriguing proposition. Now that you know it, go and see the Poet. (Sorry.) Read our Meze Audio Poet news

Ruark Audio
Ruark Audio will be showcasing its new Sabre-R bookshelf speakers, which were revealed last year. The new standmounts deploy a two-way design with a 26mm silk dome tweeter and 15cm treated natural fibre cone mid/bass driver alongside a quoted sensitivity of 86dB/W/m. This will be the first time that Ruark has had a pair of passive speakers on demonstration at the show for over 20 years, so it's not one to miss! Read our Ruark Sabre-R news

PMC
PMC's Prodigy line blew us away last year, with both the Prodigy 1 standmounts and Prodigy 5 floorstanders earning five-star reviews and plenty of plaudits. PMC's new premium range, the Prophecy, consists of five new models – a standmounter, three floorstanders and a centre speaker – with each member using PMC's trustworthy transmission-line design alongside brand-new drive units across the board. If you're heading to the Bristol Show this year, the PMC room (the SS Great Britain Suite on the ground floor) isn't to be missed. Read our PMC Prophecy range news

Fiio
Fiio will be showing off an armful of its latest launches, including the new flagship FT7 over-ear headphones, the K17 headphone amp/DAC, the budget JM21 hi-res portable music player, and the retro-styled Snowsky Nano portable DAC. Read the Fiio FT7 headphones news

Kanto
Kanto's latest powered desktop speakers – named UKI – will be on show after their debut at CES earlier this year. The very small speakers have a curved cabinet, Bluetooth and physical connections and are set to cost just £199 per pair.

Cyrus Audio
Cyrus will be showcasing its latest 40 Series of hi-fi products, including the five-star 40 ST BluOS-powered music streamer and 40 AMP integrated that we've reviewed. The 40 CD player will also be on demo alongside the TTP turntable, all being played through Audio Physic's Sparks standmount speakers. The upcoming 40 PPA phono preamp will also be on display for a first look.

Devialet
Devialet is shooting for the stars (metaphorically at least) with its new Astra integrated streaming amplifier. As you'd expect from a company that tends to operate in a more rarefied atmosphere when it comes to cost and design, the new integrated amp looks divine (if you like that sort of thing) and costs an unholy $20,000. For that, you get 600 watts of power delivering "bar-raising" sonic performance alongside support for Google Cast, AirPlay, Bluetooth 5.3, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon Ready.

Diora Acoustics
Polish manufacturer Diora Acoustics is set to showcase its Polaris Series of loudspeakers at this year's Bristol Hi-Fi Show. We saw Diora at last year's event demonstrating its high-end Perun and Chors ranges, with this new line incorporating a passive radiator and high-quality components in pursuit of improved performance and exceptional sonic clarity. Definitely one to check out.

Lyngdorf Audio
Lyngdorf Audio's FR-2 floorstander, a speaker made for wall placement which saw the light of day last year, will be showcased at this year's Bristol Show. Compact, discrete-looking and designed "to work with the room acoustics rather than against them", the £2000 FR-2 could be a fascinating set of speakers if you're short on space but have a bit of cash to spend. Read our Lyngdorf Audio FR-2 news

Morgan Acoustics
If you want to experience a powerful, large-scale set of floorstanding loudspeakers, room 416 on the fourth floor of the exhibition might be the place to head first. The Ten-12 promise a wide frequency bandwidth, low distortion and a high dynamic range for a powerful, exciting performance – sounds good to us!

Ultrafide Audio
With its heritage in pro audio, Ultrafide is bringing its talents to the home market, unveiling the DIAS-U8 power amplifier at Bristol. This beast of an amplifier is so big it had to be situated on the floor in its demo room and features Class A/B amplification with a reported 1kW per channel. No word on pricing yet, but we imagine it'll be as massive as its ambitions.

Chord Electronics
Bristol showgoers will be treated to the UK debut of the quirky Suzi Pre and Suzi (power) amplifiers, which originally launched at High End Munich last year. The recently launched Alto headphone amplifier, which was originally developed for pro users, will also be on the stands. Read our Chord Suzi and Chord Alto news

Piega
The Swiss brand Premium Gen2 speaker range – comprising Premium 701 Gen2 floorstanders and the Premium 301 Gen2 standmounts – is heading to UK customers this Spring. Those heading to the Bristol Show will be able to see the Premium 301 Gen2 in action, so head to the Musical Fidelity room for a first look. Read our Piega Gen2 news

Optoma
It's rare to have a home cinema launch at the show, but Optoma will be bringing its newest UHZ68LV 4K laser projector. It has a claimed peak brightness of 5000 lumens, supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ and 360-degree projection capability, and is set to cost £4000 when it launches later this year. Read the Optoma projector news

What Hi-Fi? demo
As has become tradition, we'll be showing off a spectacular AV demo throughout the show days. This year's demo centres around a whopping great 85in 8K Samsung TV where we'll go through the evolution of video formats leading to bespoke 8K content, while the 7.2 surround sound system will consist of Wharfedale Linton speakers – rather unconventional, but we thought we'd try something fun and different. The system will be powered by the mighty Marantz Cinema 30 AV receiver and we'll have one of Magnetar's premium 4K Blu-ray players as part of the demo too. Don't miss out!
Read the full details of the What Hi-Fi? demo

Deals & Competitions

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 will be running its annual competition for showgoers, with over £18,000 worth of prizes to give away. Products you can win include the Naim Nait 50 and Cyrus 40 AMP integrated amplifiers, the new Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable, premium Dali IO-8 wireless headphones and even a newly launched pair of Acoustic Energy AE309² floorstanders. It's worth the price of admission alone to enter this giveaway, as you could walk away with a superb bit of hi-fi kit.

Exhibitors also tend to offer specific discounts (available at the show only) on the products they’re showing off, so if you’re on the hunt for a new speaker, amp or music streamer, it’s well worth checking who’s at the event using the full exhibitor list.

Ticket information

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German-based turntable manufacturer Dual surprised us with two new turntables at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show this year, but even more surprising was a world first: a control app for a Bluetooth turntable.

This app is designed to be used with the new Dual CS 529 BT, a fully automatic belt driven turntable with Bluetooth streaming. 

In our demo at the Bristol Show, Dual's representative showed how the app mirrors all the functions on the deck itself: automatic play and stop, speed selector (33, 45 and 75 RPM) and a Bluetooth pairing button. There's also a repeat function, where you can tell the deck to repeat playback of a record up to 10 times.

The app (available for iOS and Android devices) is laid out on a simple screen with large buttons for every function. During our demo, the turntable responded instantly to every button press on the app – it was pretty impressive and pleasing to use. It works the other way too: selecting a function on the deck itself lit up the same buttons on the app at the same time. We weren't able to pair any Bluetooth headphones in a busy trade show environment, but we did see the fully automatic operation and repeat functions in action, which worked smoothly during the demo.

The automatic mechanism placed under the platter is decoupled from the plinth to minimise vibrations, while an optical sensor that detects the speed is also decoupled from the plinth. We asked why this model is only available in a belt drive design and not a direct drive model, and Dual told us there currently isn't a small enough direct drive motor to fit under/alongside the fully automatic mechanism.

The CS 529 deck has a built-in switchable moving magnet phono stage (so you can connect directly to active speakers or use your own existing phono amp) and comes with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge fitted. The tonearm has a twin gimbal bearing design (a Dual design trademark since the 1970s) and the deck is available in two finishes, black and walnut.

Available now, the Dual CS 529 BT costs £899 for the black finish and £999 for the walnut version. We can't wait to try the deck and its control app out for ourselves when we get a sample in for a full review.

The other new turntable model we spotted was the step-up Dual CS 618Q. As a contrast to the CS 529, this deck is a direct drive design and fully manual in operation. 

There is one small exception: it has an autostop function. There is a timer that detects when the record has finished playing and will lift the tonearm up after 30 seconds of inactivity. This is in case you've forgotten to lift the arm up yourself, and will prevent any undue damage to the record or needle in case it's left running in the groove for an extended period of time.

Similar to the CS 529, the CS 618Q has a switchable phono stage built in and comes fitted with the step-up Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge. There's no Bluetooth or app function here, but the switchable phono preamp offers greater flexibility with partnering kit. The Q in the model's name refers to the quartz clock in the speed selector that aims for greater precision, with the 618 capable of playing all 33, 45 and 75 RPM speeds.

The Dual CS 618Q is available now in three finishes: it costs £1099 for the standard black finish, going up to £1199 for the high gloss black and high gloss walnut finishes.

It's a very interesting showcase from Dual, who looks to have all bases covered with different turntable designs and thoughtful, useful features that will appeal to many. The brand has a strong history in turntable design – we particularly liked the CS 418 and CS 518 models in recent years – and we're hoping to put both new turntables through the full review process as soon as we get samples into our test rooms.

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8 of the best new speakers at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024

Epos ES7N bookshelf speakers make their debut at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show

Pro-Ject Juke Box E1 adds new components and better speed switching

Another Bristol Hi-Fi Show has come and gone. After all of the excitement and build-up, it's time to say goodbye to the West Country and reflect on the highlights of Britain's biggest hi-fi showcase.

While we've witnessed and heard cartridges, amplifiers and turntables, new speakers remain a perennial favourite for brands to show off to eager hi-fi fans at the show. While we had our own hugely popular and seamless tech demo, we spent much of our time doing the rounds and listening to speakers of various shapes, sizes and prices as they fired out everything from classical concerts to '20s jazz (and, inevitably, a lot of Dire Straits).

Here is our selection of the most exciting reveals and demos from this year's show.

PMC Twenty 5i Active 

We've been really impressed with PMC recently, especially with regard to the British brand's excellent Prodigy 1 standmounters and Award-winning Prodigy 5 floorstanders.  

The aforementioned Prodigy models are passive speakers, but at Bristol we had the unveiling of the company's Twenty5i Active series, an active version (obviously) of the passive twenty5 range that first launched in 2016. With built-in amplification and the inclusion of an optional active upgrade module which slots straight into the back panel of the passiveTwenty5 series, PMC's Friday demo was a real highlight for those attending.

PMC launches Twenty5i Active speaker range at the Bristol Show

Fyne Audio Special Production

Our booth was opposite Fyne Audio, so we were in the best possible position to see what the Scottish brand was exhibiting at this year's show, including its new Special Production floorstanders: the F702SP and the F703SP.

When we reported on the possibility of a new pair of Fyne floorstanders, we teased the integration of "F1 engineering" for the F702SP and F703SP, both of which borrow tech from the company's flagship F1 Series. Scotland has a proud motoring history (see Jackie Stewart, David Coulthard etc.), and it will be aiming for pole position with its Special Production models which blend upgraded electronics with an improved crossover.

Fyne Audio brings F1 engineering to its latest Special Production floorstanders

Epos ES-7N

Big floorstanders with large footprints and even larger price tags are a big draw at the show, but we are just as keen on cute, small-form units. The new Epos ES7N certainly fall into the latter category; a pair of small bookshelf speakers designed to be as comfortable sitting inside a bookshelf as they are on stands in an open space.

There's a switch on the rear of the speaker that allows you to select the correct crossover filter and switch between two versions of tonal balance depending on where the speakers have been placed. With an asymmetrical two-way design and a front reflex port, the diminutive new monitors are available now for £1890.

Epos ES7N bookshelf speakers make their debut at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show

Wilson Benesch Discover 3zero 

Wilson Benesch's products are usually drawn from the "if only I had the money" end of the price spectrum, so getting a chance to hear any of the British manufacturer's products is something of a treat. The company was showcasing a few different models and combinations at Bristol 2024, including the third iteration of its 'Discovery' standmount speaker, the Discover 3zero, in its regular first-floor conservatory location.

Wharfedale Super Denton 

Wharfedale was one of Bristol's heaviest-hitting names, with the British brand delivering the goods with its Super Denton standmount speakers. They're a new addition to the company's Heritage Series and continue to build on the legacy of the original Wharfedale Denton, incorporating a three-way design and an industrial, slightly abstract look.

We're hoping for more info regarding the Denton in the coming days, and having heard them for ourselves, they could be worth looking out for if you're a long-time Wharfedale fan. The Super Denton will hit shelves on March 4th for £999.95 per pair.

Wharfedale's latest standmount speakers see the brand celebrate its illustrious British heritage

Leak Sandwich 

The new Sandwich 150 and 250 speakers draw on the design of the original Sandwich which first launched back in 1961. They feature Leak's nifty "Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich" cone used in bass, mid and mid/bass form, plus a 30mm textile-dome tweeter. The cleverly crafted cabinets are built using a special glue filling, sandwiched (get it?) between an outer layer of MDF and an inner layer of high-density particle board.

The new Leaks weren't on demo at the show but they looked the part, and if that sandwich-based tech pays dividends, they could certainly be worth your hard-earned dough.

Leak's two new Sandwich speakers look very well bred – see them at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show

Focal Aria Evo X

French company Focal had quite the presence at this year's event, showcasing speakers in two separate rooms with a dedicated listening area on the hotel's first floor to hear the Bathys and Stelia headphones. As we can verify, that was worth the price of admission on its own.

Focal also treated us to a real-world look at its new Aria Evo X speakers, the long-awaited successor to the original Aria 900. With a proprietary ‘M’-shaped inverted dome tweeter supposedly capable of reproducing frequencies up to 30kHz and Focal's signature flax cone midrange and bass drivers, let's hope Focal's Evo X loudspeakers sound as good as they look.

Focal's Aria Evo X speaker range could be the stylish home cinema solution you've been searching for

Acoustic Energy Corinium 

The Corinium are officially here. We reported on the unveiling of Acoustic Energy's premium floorstanders back in October last year, but Bristol was the first chance we had to hear the sizeable towers in person. With each unit weighing around 40kg and standing 110cm tall, the burly monoliths were designed with mid and high-frequency drivers positioned at ear height alongside a dual-subwoofer set-up lower down the cabinet face.

The Acoustic Energy Corinium will set you back around £6000 per pair and are available now in four different colourways: real wood veneer, matt white, matt black and metallic British Racing Green.

Hear Acoustic Energy's new Corinium floorstanding speakers at the Bristol Show

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I spent 48 hours treasure hunting at Bristol Hi-Fi – these are the 11 coolest things I found (VIDEO)

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024: pictures, news, highlights and latest products

These are the best floorstanding speakers we’ve tested

And these are the best bookshelf speakers money can buy

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show always brings with it loads of awesome hi-fi kit, and having walked around the show ardently searching for cool new stuff, I can safely confirm this remains the case in 2024.

And to help those who didn’t make it to the show I’ve created this guide detailing the 11 coolest things I saw at the Bristol H-Fi Show 2024.

1. Wharfedale Super Denton Heritage speakers

Wharfedale’s latest Super Denton Heritage speakers made their debut at the show. The fashionable stand mounts were teased before the show, but this was the first time we saw them in the flesh.

While the listening conditions are never great, paired with an Audiolab 9000N network streamer, the 9000A amp and 9000CDT transport they look like an enticing bit of kit and the team and I can’t wait to get them back into our proper listening rooms later this year.

 2. Leak Sandwich speakers 

Myself and the team got our first look at Leak’s new 120 and Sandwich 150 speakers, at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024. Why the sandwich name you ask? There are a couple of reasons. 

First, they feature Leak's trademark Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone driver design. Second, the speaker cabinets are also built with a special glue filling sandwiched between an outer layer of MDF and an inner layer of high-density particle board to scatter and dampen resonances.

 3. Acoustic Energy Corinium 

Unveiled all the way back in October last year, Bristol finally gave us a chance to see Acoustic Energy’s new Corinium floorstanding speakers.

Being pitched as the result of a three-year project by Acoustic Energy's in-house design team the £6000 per pair speakers aim to deliver a new level of performance for high-end speakers. Myself and the team’ll be keen to see if they deliver on this promise when we get them in for review.

4. PMC Twenty5i Active speakers

PMC used the Bristol Hi-Fi Show as the launchpad for its nifty new Twenty5i Active series of speakers. These are an active version of the passive twenty5 range PMC launched all the way back in 2016. Featuring built-in amplification the active speakers aim to improve on their predecessor and deliver greater clarity, transparency and a more natural sound overall.

What makes the launch particularly interesting is the inclusion of an optional active upgrade module which slots straight into the back panel of the same two-way speaker models from the passive Twenty5 range and adds all the benefits from the new active line.

5. Chord Ultima Integrated Amplifier   

The Chord Ultima Integrated Amplifier made its debut at the Bristol Hi-Fi show. The £8500 Ultima Integrated was on show paired with the firm’s Qutest DAC and the M Scaler upscaler. The reason we’re so excited about the amp is that as well as looking like a proper slice of sci-fi kit, the Ultima features the firm’s proprietary dual-feed-forward error-correction topology, which constantly monitors and corrects signals before the output stage.  

6. Ruark R810 all-in-one system 

The R810 is the long-awaited follow-up to the iconic 2016 Ruark R7, which was first released over 10 years ago.

A "modern-day take on the iconic radiogram the all-in-one system oozes design appeal and adds wireless streaming to the functionality, more powerful 180W of Class A/B amplification and an upgraded 4.1 arrangement – which combines two larger 30mm silk dome tweeters with twin 10cm paper cone woofers, and a 20cm long throw paper cone subwoofer.

7. Neat Acoustics Mystique Classic

I and the What Hi-Fi? team have never been shy about our desire for smaller, but better sound hi-fi. Enter the Neat Acoustics Mystique Classic, an enticing-looking, dinky floor stander that stands at a modest 78cm tall.

Despite their size, they pack some impressive specifications, featuring using the same 134mm treated paper cone mid/bass driver from Neat's 5-star Motive range. 

This makes them the smallest floorstanders we have seen in quite some time and a very exciting prospect for any hi-fi fan that’s short on space – see what we did there?

8. Focal Aria Evo X 

After over a month of waiting we finally got to get a real-world look at the Focal Aria Evo X speakers. On show in Naim/Focal’s swanky executive demo room, the speaker line is the successor to the Aria 900 line which was originally released a decade ago. There are significant hardware upgrades across every entry to the line,

Highlights include the use of Focal’s proprietary ‘M’-shaped inverted dome tweeter which claims to reproduce frequencies up to 30kHz and the use of midrange and bass speaker drivers, constructed using Focal’s signature flax cone – which aims to help them deliver more natural, immersive sound. 

9. Naim 300 series

After being unveiled to celebrate Naim’s 50th anniversary last year, I finally got a chance to see the new 300-series separates at Bristol. These included the NSS 333 high-resolution network streamer, the NAC 332 high-end analogue pre-amplifier and NAP 350 power amp. While I didn’t get to do an in-dpeth listening session with the new 300 series, what little I saw left me and the team hankering to get them into our test rooms.

10. Wilson Benesch Discovery 3zero Standmount Speakers

After showing off its floorstanders last year, WIlson Benesch was back at Bristol this year with its Discovery 3zero standmount Speakers.

These are the third-generation standmounts from the Wilson Benesch and from what I saw they look pretty darned interesting, featuring the firm’s unique driver array – which places the tweeter at the acoustic centre of a midrange drive unit and an isobarically loaded woofer on the bottom. 

I only had a brief listen, in less-than-ideal tradeshow conditions, but the hardware and swish looks left me and the wider team hankering to give them a proper go in our dedicated test rooms.

11. The What Hi-Fi? TV tech demo

As always I’d be remiss if I didn’t list our tech demo as THE key highlight of Bristol Hi-Fi Show.

This year the team continued our home cinema theme pitting the Panasonic MZ1500 and MLA-powered MZ2000 head-to-head to showcase what difference the new award-winning micro lens array tech makes on a flagship OLED. 

And that’s a wrap on this year’s Bristol Hi-Fi Show highlights reel. As ever make sure to get involved in the conversation and let us know if you have any questions about the products mentioned, or think we missed some!

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These are the best bookshelf speakers money can buy

Ever since Epos revived its large ES14N standmount speakers, under the new ownership of respected speaker designer and audio consultant Karl-Heinz Fink, we've been waiting for the brand to drop another model.

At this year's Bristol Hi-Fi Show, we saw our first glimpse of the new Epos ES7N, a small bookshelf speaker that is designed to be placed inside your standard IKEA bookshelf as well as in free space.

While the terms standmounters and bookshelf tend to be used interchangeably, most of these speaker models are designed to sound their best when placed on dedicated stands and positioned away from a wall. But the ES7N (nicknamed the 'baby Epos') have been made so that you can place these petite speakers – measuring 29 x 20 x 27cm (HWD) – inside a bookshelf or close to a wall without compromising the sound.

To deliver on this challenging design concept, Epos has decided to implement a switch on the back of the speaker that lets you select the correct crossover filter and choose between two versions of tonal balance, depending on where you've positioned the speaker. If it's 30-50cm away from a wall, flick it to the top position; if it's in a bookshelf, flick the switch downwards. Epos says this lets the customer "choose the place of your speakers without making compromises in tonal balance."

If you are placing these speakers on a stand, Epos recommends a stand height of 70cm.

The ES7N is an asymmetrical two-way design with a front reflex port. The 28mm ceramic coated aluminium tweeter is the very same one used in the bigger ES14N model, while the 13cm mid/bass driver is made of a new mica-loaded polypropylene material, which was developed for ES14N's 18cm woofer cone.

Available in three semi-matte finishes of orange, white, black and a walnut finish, the Epos ES7N bookshelf speakers are yours for £1890. We're rather fond of the excellent ES14N speakers, so we can only hope that the same sonic balance (composure, authority and punch) is heard in the smaller speakers as well.

Intriguingly, Epos's website says that the ES7N is "the second model out of three", with a third model planned for the range. We can't wait to find out what that is in due course, too.

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We've had our first glimpse of Rega's high-end pre/power amps at the Bristol Show

PMC launches Twenty5i Active speaker range at the Bristol Show

Wharfedale's latest standmount speakers see the brand celebrate its illustrious British heritage

Rega has unveiled a few world exclusives at this year's Bristol Hi-Fi Show. The British brand always has a surprise or two to show us ahead of the official launch, and this year we are treated to a few new models to delight fans attending the popular consumer event. 

Let's kick things off with a new reference Mercury preamplifier and Solis power. We only have a few details at the moment" the Solis power amp boasts 165W per channel, whereas the Mercury has a variety of analogue and digital inputs, including USB type B. There's also a bespoke Rega DAC housed within the Mercury.

This new pre-power combo joins the rest of Rega’s top reference line including the Aura phono stage and the Naia turntable, which we first saw at last year's Bristol Hi-Fi Show. The Naia/Aphelion 2 turntable is a stunning five-star spinner, so here's hoping Rega can bolster its hi-fi stable with the Solis and Mercury.

Also on show is the ND7, a moving magnet cartridge due for release later this year. Developed over a period of 10 years, the new ND7 is a new design which teases "next level" performance via a high-performance diamond stylus, neodymium rare earth metal magnet and a glass-filled PPS body. Like most of the company's products, the ND7 is hand-made in Rega's factory in Essex. The ND7 cartridge will cost you £450.

Finally, there's a new turntable finish. Thanks to the popularity of the 50th Anniversary Limited Edition version, Rega has decided to bring out a new light oak effect finish for the standard Planar 3 deck.

It's not finalised yet, but we're told the Mercury and Solis are priced at roughly £6000 each, totalling a pretty substantial £12,000 for the pre-power combination. We'll bring you more confirmed details at the official launch, which is about three or four months away.

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The Bristol Hi-Fi Show is always a great chance to get a glimpse of some brand-new hardware, and this year has been no different. Wharfedale had already teased the announcement of a new model at this year's show, and it's delivered on that count with the launch of its new Super Denton bookshelf speakers.  

The Wharfedale Super Denton speakers will join the company's Heritage Series and build on the legacy of the original Wharfedale Denton, the retro-looking standmounter model that we praised for its smooth, rich and expressive presentation. The Heritage range is designed to celebrate Wharfedale's illustrious British roots, although the IAG-owned brand promises plenty of modern internal tech to keep up with the times. 

The new Super Denton incorporates a three-way design, with each driver offset in a manner that puts us slightly in mind of a Picasso portrait. If you don't like that particular look, there are a pair of detachable grilles to give a smoother, sleeker aspect to the duo. Those three drivers compromise a 25mm treble, 5cm midrange and a 16.5cm bass driver, the latter of which is made using woven Kevlar for a bass extension down to 40Hz.

The Super Denton’s crossover components include air-core inductor coils and polypropylene capacitors, chosen specifically for their transparent nature, while the cabinet incorporates a blend of woods to scatter panel resonances for a broad, deep soundstage. 

Peter Comeau, Wharfedale’s Director of Acoustic Design, said: “We wanted the Super Denton to pay homage to its innovation as a compact three-way speaker whilst elevating it in every way. The room-filling scale, energy and detail the Super Denton delivers are highly impressive for a speaker of its size". We were treated to a short listening session with the standmounters, and found them to be impressively broad and weighty in terms of the sound they produced in a crowded demo room. 

The current range of Heritage speakers (the Super Denton notwithstanding) currently consists of the Denton 80, the Denton 85th Aniversary Edition, the Linton and the Dovedale. 

The Wharfedale Super Denton speakers will hit the market in mid-March at a retail price of £999 / $1299 / AU$2220 per pair, available in a choice of walnut, mahogany and black wood veneer. 

MORE:

Read our pick of 10 of the best Wharfedale speakers of all time

We've had our first glimpse of Rega's high-end pre/power amps at the Bristol Show

PMC launches Twenty5i Active speaker range at the Bristol Show

PMC has launched a new Active Twenty5i series of speakers at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024. The brand has a rich history of making active studio monitors, but this is the first time that consumers at home can enjoy that same studio-grade sound.

Mirroring the existing Twenty5 series of passive speakers, the Active Twenty5i series features four speakers – two standmounters, two floorstanders, all two-way designs – with built-in amplification inside. The models include the Twenty5.21i and Twenty5.22i Active standmounters and Twenty5.23i and Twenty5.24i Active floorstanders. 

You'll still need to add a source – your choice of streaming, vinyl, CD, etc – but it does mean fewer boxes in your set-up as there's no need for external amplification.

Each drive unit has a "dedicated and perfectly matched" 100W amplifier, resulting in 200W of power per channel. PMC says the direct coupling of amps to driver allows for superior control and increased transient response. There is a custom-designed analogue crossover, which "splits the frequency bands of the incoming line-level signal, from the balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA inputs, and ensures each amplifier is only amplifying the signals appropriate for its drive unit". Each crossover is specific to each speaker model, ensuring seamless integration, wide dispersion and low-distortion. Additionally, the active crossover allows for tighter tolerances in components and higher precision.

All in all, it should allow for greater clarity, transparency and a more natural sound from the speakers, says PMC.

What's more, PMC is also offering an upgrade kit for existing owners of the passive Twenty5 series speakers, to also benefit from the "higher resolution, control, and transparency" the active module brings. The active upgrade module is available separately, and slots straight into the back panel of the same two-way speaker models from the Twenty5 range (21, 22, 23 and 24). PMC says the kit is easy to install for retailers and owners alike by replacing the back panel and integrated crossover with the new active module – PMC claims it should take all of five minutes.

PMC says the upgrade module's "crossover network has a unique setting for each model, ensuring the flawless integration of the drive units. A simple ‘model selector’ connector is plugged into the socket that corresponds to the model of speaker to ensure the correct crossover settings are applied".

For home cinema fans, we've been told that there's no active version of the centre channel yet, and any digital input isn't currently planned either.

Oliver Thomas, commercial director and head of design, says, “Our active studio monitors, used to create much of the world’s best music, have been built around our in-house designed amplifiers and active crossovers from day one and with over 30 years experience. It is the best way to power a speaker and we know our audiophile customers are going to love the huge improvements in performance they will experience when they make the switch.”

The new PMC Active Twenty5i speakers and upgrade kit are available from March/April 2024, with prices as follows:

PMC Twenty5.21i Active – £3975

PMC Twenty5.22i Active – £5275

PMC Twenty5.23i Active – £5975

PMC Twenty5.24i Active – £7975

Active Twenty5i upgrade – £1795

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The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024: news and highlights from hi-fi and audio brands

Optoma launches its latest smart 4K projector at Bristol Hi-Fi Show

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An AV launch at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show? Optoma has made use of the gathered congregation of hi-fi heavyweights to debut a new 4K projector, and it's packed with smart features. The UHZ55 joins the UHZ66 (we sense a pattern) in the projector company's current lineup of 4K beamers, and it's making a strong first impression. 

Optoma is touting "true 4K" resolution on this unit, although we presume that's achieved with pixel shifting, as hinted at by the price (more on that later). It's also set to include HDR support via the HDR10 and HLG formats. The big selling point of this projector's picture is the 3000 lumens of brightness and 2,500,000:1 contrast ratio, which means you'll be able to watch it comfortably with the lights on, or so Optoma says. That being said, Optoma did confirm that this projector is destined for home cinema set-ups more than casual lounge environments.

You'll find three HDMI 2.0 sockets for hooking up a Blu-ray player, with one port designated as an eARC socket for connecting audio equipment (Dolby Atmos soundbar or AVR). You can certainly hook up a PS5 or Xbox Series X, but you won't find the latest 4K/120Hz gaming features. No word has been given on ALLM or VRR, but Optoma has been kind enough to include an enhanced gaming mode with a reduced 4.2ms input lag and 4K/60Hz or 1080p/240Hz picture modes. 

If you don't fancy cluttering up your set-up with a dedicated disc player, then you'll be pleased to find a built-in streaming module based on Android. Optoma mentions a Marketplace app for downloading streaming apps; Netflix is even included which is a rarity with built-in streaming platforms on projectors such as these. If cutting cables is your plan then you'll also be pleased to find it's WiSA HT Certified, meaning this projector will play nice with similarly certified wireless audio devices. 

Rounding out the smart wireless features is voice assistant functionality. The UHZ55 is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, providing you have a suitable Echo or Nest speaker (respectively) to connect to the device.

As for the light source, Optoma has made use of Texas Instruments’ DLP technology and Optoma’s DuraCore laser technology, allegedly ensuring up to 30,000 hours of maintenance-free use. Optoma also touts easy installation with this unit if you plan on ceiling-mounting it. 

The Optoma UHZ55 is expected to launch in March for £2000 (around $2540 / AU$3860). 

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The Pro-Ject Juke Box E is a previous What Hi-Fi? Award-winner, and now its follow-up looks even better. The E1 is essentially the same just-add-speakers starter system with Bluetooth, vinyl playback and built-in amplification, but now it has a new tonearm, sub-platter drive system and more convenient switching between 33 and 45 RPM speeds.

It's directly inspired by the E1 range of budget turntables.

Pro-Ject has form in this area. The original Juke Box launched in 2009 – an age ago in technology terms – and the follow-up, the Juke Box E, won an Award in 2019. Pro-Ject's most recent budget turntable, the Primary E, won a 2023 What Hi-Fi? Award.

But the Juke Box E1 is more than just a record player. Bluetooth lets you play music from your phone or tablet, while the integrated phono stage, pre-amplifier and power amplifier eliminate the need for separates. Pro-Ject will even throw in a pair of speakers – for a little more money, naturally – to make it a complete all-in-one system.

You get a CNC-machined wood chassis, aluminium tonearm and Ortofon OM 5E cartridge, alongside a 50W per-channel Class D amplifier. The tonearm comes pre-set and balanced, making set-up a doddle: just attach the drive belt, slot in the platter and plug it into the mains. Then start listening.

The display shows the volume and input, as well as the turntable speed selector, while a 32-step potentiometer lets you precisely choose your playback volume.

The Juke Box E1 is available now in four finishes, costing £599 / $799. The Juke Box E1 SET adds a pair of Pro-Ject's Speaker Box 5 speakers in a matching finish, along with a speaker cable and isolation feet. It costs £799 / $1199 (Australian prices are still TBC).

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The Bristol Hi-Fi Show is a chance for audio enthusiasts to see their favourite brands on a regular basis, but it's also a time for hi-fi companies to make an appearance, especially if it's their first time being represented in the UK market. This year’s Bristol Hi-Fi Show will see German speaker brand Audio Physic make its show debut thanks to a new UK distribution partnership with hi-fi brand Cyrus Audio. 

As part of its debut, Audio Psychic is set to showcase its stylish new Avanti floorstanders, with the German brand's research and development team set to attend alongside the Cyrus Audio team. The new speakers tease a "white glass" cabinet that boasts resonance-damping bonding to absorb internal and external vibrations, while aluminium honeycomb sandwich bracing and ceramic foam aim to further boost the speakers' overall sonic fidelity. 

The new floorstanders employ a "spiderless design" midrange driver featuring an aluminium ring which promises to grant "greater impulse distribution"; the midrange is housed within a dual basket chassis to further minimise vibrations. The aluminium tweeter, meanwhile, is also housed within that dual basket chassis and sports a special membrane which "removes the resonances usually associated with aluminium" for a "clear and neutral sound". Lastly, bass is dealt with by a downward-firing "invisible subwoofer" which uses ceramic foam as a sound diffuser.

The new Avanti speakers are hand-built in Brillon, Germany and are each signed by the craftsman who made them. You can also customise your speakers' glass finish by choosing any colour you like from the RAL colour chart, although real wood gloss veneers are available as an alternative. The speakers are single-wired as standard, but there is a bi-wire option available if your set-up requires it.

If you are heading down to the Bristol Show this weekend, you can find Audio Physic and Cyrus Audio in Room 104 on the first floor of the Marriott Bristol City Centre Hotel. They'll be showcasing the new Avanti floorstanders for all to hear, alongside Cyrus' new TTP turntable and Stream-XR network streamer. See you there!

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Wharfedale has teased the announcement of a new speaker, which will see its global launch at The Bristol Show 2024.

Details are light at the moment, but we do know that the new product will join the company's Heritage Series. This range of loudspeakers offers recreations of famous models from the brand's past, but re-engineered using more contemporary techniques and materials.

Until now, the range of Heritage speakers consists of the Denton 80, the Denton 85th Aniversary Edition, the Linton and the Dovedale. But which model is next to join them remains to be seen.

Attendees will be able to hear the new speaker every morning of the show, on demo with the Audiolab 9000N network streamer, the 9000A amp and 9000CDT transport. In the afternoon, they'll be swapped out for the Aura 3 floorstanders.

We'll bring you all the details on the new speaker just as soon as they're announced. You can keep up to date on all the other announcements on our Bristol Show 2024 preview page.

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The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024 is just around the corner and, as ever, the team at What Hi-Fi? will be on the ground with all manner of treats. 

Chief of which is our tech demo, where this year we’ll be running an OLED vs MLA shoot-out to see if LG Display’s next-generation screen tech is worth your hard-earned cash.

Specifically, our team of tech experts will be on hand at the What Hi-Fi? stand to showcase the difference between MLA and regular OLED TVs in a direct head-to- head comparison.

At the demo, we’ll be running the MLA-powered Panasonic MZ2000 against its regular OLED sibling, the Panasonic MZ1500. These TVs are as close to like-for-like as you can get, outside of the lack of Micro Lens Array technology on the latter; but any differences there are between the sets will be on clear display in our dedicated demo room.

As a bonus, and just for fun, the demo will be presented in surround sound using an Arcam AVR31 and a KEF R Series 7.2 speaker package. 

To catch readers up, MLA is a new technology from LG Display that has the same goal as the Samsung-made QD-OLED tech we showcased at last year’s demo – to radically boost OLED TVs' max brightness levels. 

While this sounds cool, based on our testing of the new tech there are some added complexities when gauging if it is worth the extra money required to get a TV packing it. Which is why our home cinema head honcho created his demo.

The demo will run from Friday 23rd Feb through Sunday 25th Feb, at the Marriott City Centre Hotel, Bristol, so get your tickets now.

If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, we’ll also be running a competition from the stand with over £12k in prizes to be won, so make sure to pop by and say hello if you’re at the show.

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UPDATE 20/02/2024: Legendary British audio brand Leak will be making a splash at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024 with its new Sandwich 150 and Sandwich 250 speakers. 

You'll find these modern versions of a 63-year-old speaker design sharing space alongside Leak's sister brands, Audiolab and Wharfedale, at The Old Vic Suite on the lower ground floor at the hi-fi show this weekend. We're looking forward to seeing – and hopefully also hearing – the new Leak Sandwich speakers in action. Check out our Bristol Show page for the full details on dates, location and what each brand is showing.

ORIGINAL STORY 05/02/2024: A 63-year-old sandwich might not sound that appetising, but these speakers are anything but stale. Leak's new Sandwich 150 and 250 draw on the design of the firm's classic speaker which debuted in 1961, injected with plenty of modern technology to make what looks like a very tasty treat.

But Leak hasn't been lying dormant since then. The Cambridge-based company made a comeback in 2020 with its first new products since the 1970s. Now, just ahead of the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024, it's looking to cement its place in the modern British hi-fi landscape.

The original Sandwich took its name from the unique construction of its mid/bass drive unit – it was the first to be made from a 'sandwich' of different materials, namely expanded polystyrene foam between two sheets of aluminium foil. Because it was light yet stiff, it reduced distortion, creating a more accurate sound.

The Sandwich 150 and 250 bring the concept into the 21st century. The outer surfaces use a stiff aluminium skin bonded to a core of aircraft-grade polymethacrylimide (PMI) structural foam for "immense rigidity", Leak claims. 

The Sandwich 250 is the larger of the two standmounts, a three-way model that stands 65.5cm tall compared to the Sandwich 150, a two-way model with a height of 41.5cm. Both have a 30mm textile-dome tweeter – the 250 combines it with 280mm bass and 108mm midrange drivers, while the 150 only has a 170mm mid/bass driver. All these drivers feature Leak's trademark Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone.

The speaker cabinets are also built like a sandwich. A special glue filling is sandwiched between an outer layer of MDF and inner layer of high-density particle board to scatter and dampen resonances. There's also spot bracing, and a front-rear brace that echoes the design of the original.

At the rear, the cabinets are dual ported, with the increased airflow helping the bass response. And they look very much like a modern take on the classic Sandwich, with a walnut veneer applied by hand complemented by aluminium driver trims and an aluminium insert around the edge of the front baffle.

So how much do these Sandwiches cost? The 250 costs £1999 / $2495 / AU$4799 per pair, and the 150 is £999 / $1295 / AU$2399 per pair – about the same as a high street sandwich nowadays. The 250 plus dedicated floor stands will set you back £2299/ $2995 / AU$5699. They're available from mid-February.

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Fyne Audio has announced a new pair of floorstanders getting its Special Production design treatment, set to launch in just a few weeks at The Bristol Show 2024.

The F702SP and F703SP models build on 2018’s F700 range, but include upgraded engineering borrowed from its flagship F1 Series.

By using the IsoFlare drivers and BassTrax porting system, as seen in the F1-8S and F1-10S speakers, Fyne Audio is promising the F702SP and F703SP a significant performance upgrade over the standard F700 Series models – not to mention a striking design upgrade too, by borrowing the F1 Series’ heavyweight aluminium plinth architecture.

This large double-layer design forms part of the BassTrax porting system, which sees the cabinet's bass port firing downwards onto Fyne Audio’s proprietary Tractrix profile diffuser cone. The aim here is to create a smoother bass response that spreads lower frequencies more evenly across the room, for easier placement.

This is joined by the IsoFlare point-source drivers. In the F703SP, the 25cm driver has been borrowed from the F1-10S, with a large Neodymium HF magnet system and 75mm titanium dome compression tweeter.

The magnet system helps to minimise distortion and even out the frequency response, particularly helping with an improved high-frequency performance.

The F702SP, on the other hand, uses the 20cm driver from the F1-8S, with a 25mm magnesium compression tweeter to best align the high-frequency dispersion pattern with the F702SP cabinet.

Both models are topped off with upgraded electronics, also ported over from the F1 Series, and an improved crossover, entirely hand built with redesigned circuit topography. This is then deep cryogenically treated to relax any stresses in materials, components and solder joints, and maximise signal transparency.

What's very clearly different between the two ranges is that these Special Production models are built into more a modern and contemporary style cabinet than the F1 Series offers.

Fyne Audio's Sales Director, Max Maud, said: "The F1 aesthetic certainly polarises opinion, and customers have been asking us for a premium Fyne loudspeaker using the best of our technologies in a more contemporary cabinet – like the F700 Series."

"We set our head of Design, Dr Paul Mills, to seamlessly merge our F1 technology and performance with the F700 floorstanding cabinets for our latest Special Production project. The result offers much of the performance and pedigree of the F1-8S and F1-10S flagship models in a stunning contemporary design with the widest aesthetic appeal."

The F700 Special Production speakers will be available in a choice of Piano Gloss Black, Piano Floss Walnut and Piano Gloss White, as well as a new satin natural walnut veneer, with the F702SP costing £12,000 a pair and the F703SP costing £15,000 a pair.

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UPDATE 20/02/2024: Acoustic Energy's latest Corinium floorstanding speakers will make their debut at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show this weekend, 23rd - 25th February 2024. The Corinium speakers were launched late last year, but this will be the first time UK showgoers will be able to see – and hear – the new floorstanders in action. Head to The Concorde Suite on the lower ground floor of the Delta Hotels Marriott Bristol City Centre (home to the Bristol Show) and you'll be treated to a first listen of these speakers.

The Corinium speakers are the result of a three-year project by Acoustic Energy's in-house design team and aims to deliver a new level of performance for high-end speakers, costing £6000 per pair.

ORIGINAL STORY 19/10/2023: Acoustic Energy has announced a new premium floorstanding speaker, Corinium, claiming it is the company’s most significant loudspeaker yet. 

The speaker was designed with the aim of being an optimal middle-sized floorstander, with mid and high-frequency drivers positioned roughly at ear height working with a dual-subwoofer section further down the cabinet.

Acoustic Energy says this configuration brings a blend of what both standmounts and floorstanding loudspeakers excel at – providing great dynamics and expression while driving larger spaces than a traditional floorstander is capable of.

Based in Cirencester in the Cotswolds since 1995, Acoustic Energy wanted to pay respect to the Roman history of the town. It was once the most important town in England outside London, and was named ‘Corinium’. Thus the name was bestowed upon its newest creation.

With a price tag of £6000 per pair, these speakers will be significantly more expensive than our high-end recommendation and this year's Award Winner in the 'over £2500' category, the Spendor A7 speakers. 

We look forward to testing the Corinium floorstanders to see how they compare. Considering the price, high-quality components, and thoughtful driver configuration, we hope to be impressed.

The 29mm tweeter featured in Corinium speakers is made using a new soft-dome material. The 120mm midrange driver and twin 140mm bass drivers are made from carbon fibre cones.

The cabinets have a four-degree tilt, which is said to improve the time alignment of audio for the listener, and are made using a ‘Resonance Suppression Composite’ with a thickness of up to 4.5cm. This, along with the 6mm ultra-rigid aluminium baffle, is said to keep the drivers secure and isolated from any cabinet resonance.

These new units are fairly sizable speakers, with each weighing 40kg and standing tall at 110cm while handling 200w of power at 4 ohms.

Acoustic Energy’s Corinium floorstanders will be available next month and will come in four different cabinet finishes: real wood veneer, matt black, matt white, or metallic British Racing Green.

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UPDATE 20/02/2024: Visitors to the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024 will be treated to the UK debut of Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated stereo amplifier, which was first launched at last year's High End Munich show.

The Ultima Integrated will be on demo throughout the show this coming weekend, and will be joined by the Qutest DAC and the M Scaler upscaler. Other Chord products on demo throughout the February 23th – 25th show weekend include the Award-winning Mojo 2 DAC/headphone amp and the Anni desktop integrated. 

The Ultima Integrated amplifier is now in full production and available to buy worldwide across Chord Electronic's international retailer network. The amplifier was originally meant to start shipping in September of last year, but delays have meant the product will be globally available from February 2024. The price tag of £8500 in the UK remains the same as originally launched, and we can confirm additional pricing for other territories: €10,000, $11,250 and AU$18,500.

ORIGINAL STORY 18/05/2023: The new Ultima Integrated amplifier courtesy of audio specialist Chord Electronics has been unveiled at this year’s High End Munich show. The new 125-watt integrated amp comes equipped with ultra-high-frequency power supplies and advanced error-correction topology, a tech that monitors and corrects signals before the output stage for better signal accuracy and audio fidelity.

The new amp is the British company's first full-width integrated amplifier in years, and boasts an output power of 125W into 8 ohms. According to Chord Electronics, the Ultima also integrates the latest developments in low-distortion power supplies to deliver low noise and “outstanding amp operation”. 

The Ultima features four inputs, one fully balanced and three unbalanced, each of which utilises individual buffering and selective filtering against radio frequency interference. Each input also features selection switching through microprocessor-controlled relays, with the amp itself using an AV bypass input and a balanced preamp output for connecting to additional power amps. 

Design-wise, the new model mimics the Ultima Pre 3 preamp by sporting a 28mm-thick front panel, while the front panel central power on/off control uses multi-coloured dimmable lighting to indicate the amp’s playing status. The so-called “power sphere” is then surrounded by a combined volume and input selector and a combined balance and AV bypass control.

The metal case itself is aircraft-grade aluminium, with the lid featuring a vented design and a dimmable LED light ring. The Ultima Integrated is available in a choice of Jett Black or Argent Silver, and can also be spruced up with a polished black acrylic side block option for no additional cost. 

According to Chord’s owner and chief designer John Franks: “The new Ultima Integrated offers levels of performance not yet seen in any integrated amplifier” and, thanks to its four line inputs, delivers "high energy power levels and fast transient power that Chord Electronics’ products are known for”.

After making its debut at the High End Munich Show this week, the Ultima Integrated is available to pre-order for £8,500 (US/AU$ pricing TBC) from Chord Electronics dealers now, with the product expected to be fully available and shipping in September.

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Oh it's good to be back. The Bristol Hi-Fi Show – the UK's biggest and longest-running dedicated hi-fi show – has been off our calendars for three whole years and for me personally, I was more excited than usual to be back.

People laugh at me when I say this, but I genuinely love the Bristol Hi-Fi Show. I joined What Hi-Fi? over ten years ago and it's still one of my favourite events of the year. It's the place where the audio industry congregates year after year (in the exact same place, even the exact same demo room) to celebrate all things hi-fi. It's familiar, the people are lovely, and there's a genuine buzz around seeing the latest (and sometimes older) audio kit.

And with 160 brands exhibiting, there was plenty to see. New launches, products already announced but getting their first public showing, surprise reveals, and some classics that I never tire of seeing.

I'd urge you to check out our Bristol Show highlights page for a fuller picture (including many hands-on photos) of all the new announcements and more of what the brands were showcasing this year, from Naim to Technics, Rotel to PMC.

But here I've picked out a handful of products from the Bristol Show that not only caught my eye and piqued my interest, but ones that I couldn't stop talking about to my colleagues. These are the top hi-fi products that stayed with me throughout the show weekend.

Rega Naia

Rega had a world-exclusive reveal of its new high-end turntable, celebrating the company's 50th anniversary this year. The Rega Naia is a production-ready version of the fabled Naiad (an engineering exercise that was never meant to be in production but was hugely in demand - only 50 will ever be made). The Naia (£12,000 with the fitted Aphelion 2 MC cartridge) is designed to be a real-world model that can actually be bought and enjoyed.

The turntable features a carbon fibre skeletal plinth and a new titanium tonearm, but won't officially launch till Autumn 2023. I can't wait to hear it when ready.

Wharfedale Dovedale & Audiolab 9000 Series

Wharfedale announced the Dovedale, the latest and biggest classic model to be revived in the Heritage Series, just a couple of days before the doors opened at the Bristol Show. And sister brand Audiolab also announced brand new 7000 and 9000 series of electronics only a few months ago.

Not only were all new products at the show but rather handily, the new 9000A integrated amplifier and 9000CDT CD transport were powering the Dovedale speakers during the demo.

While a trade show (especially one taking place in acoustically untreated hotel rooms) isn't the ideal environment for any kind of critical listening, it was a match that seemed to work well. The system sounded open, smooth and large-scale in an effortless way. Of course, the Dovedales do have the benefit of a rather large cabinet volume (about 65 litres), but it did demonstrate a tantalising glimpse of what the retro-style speakers are capable of.

Lyngdorf Cue-100 

Lyngdorf's new Cue-100 speakers caught the team's attention from the start, thanks to its modern Scandi design that looks timeless and futuristic at once. But it's the Purifi technology with Neutral Surround Geometry that's the real star.

What exactly is that? It's the unusually crinkly, ruffled design of the surround that, well, surrounds the aluminium mid/bass driver. Lyngdorf uses a "ring shape [consisting] of alternating mountain ridges" here, designed to eliminate any distortions brought about by the movement of the surround, and aims to deliver ultra-low distortion levels.

And while you can't quite see it clearly in the photo above, in person, it's a design that looks positively revolutionary.

Pro-Ject Colourful Audio System

What's the best way to stand out in a hi-fi show? A bright yellow finish. This system looks so good, I couldn't stop going back to see it repeatedly at the show.

Pro-Ject's Colourful Audio System cleverly packs in everything you need in one tidy system: a Debut Carbon Evo turntable, a MaiA S3 streaming amplifier, Speaker Box 5 S2 two-way speakers, and even the cables are thrown in.

All for £1599, and ideal for anyone looking to get started with hi-fi or wanting to dip into vinyl and streaming. And the fact the whole system comes in a range of attractive finishes (yellow, blue, green, white, black, walnut) does it plenty of favours.

Martin Logan & AVM

We knew Martin Logan and AVM would be at the show, but I wasn't quite prepared for how good this combination sounded in the room.

The new Motion and Motion XT speakers aim to combine the open sound of electrostatics into a traditional box cabinet design, while the feature-packed AVM CS 5.3 all-in-one player boasts 350W per channel and gave the system plenty of grunt. 

Despite being a noisy show floor, the system managed to cut through the chatter and sounded clear, punchy and toe-tappingly rhythmic. Impressive.

Meze Audio 109 Pro

Headphones were few and far between, but Meze Audio stood out from the crowd by a mile. Not only were the Romanian company's high-end Elite and Liric headphones scattered throughout the show and paired with Chord Electronics and EarMen DACs/amps, but I also got our hands on the new 109 Pro open-back dynamic cans. They look and feel lush: distinctively styled wooden housings mixed with plush ear cushions. 

JBL Classic Series

What Hi-Fi? has already covered JBL's new Classic Series of electronics at CES 2023, but this was the first time they've been shown to the UK public. And crucially, it's the first time I've seen them in the flesh. The CD350 player, two stereo amplifiers (SA550 and SA750), MP350 music streamer and TT350turntable all look smart, adding a sleek touch to the vintage revival that's been very popular. 

I hope they sound as good as they look, too.

Vivid Audio Kaya S12

Sometimes you come across a new brand - big or small - that makes an impression and you can't stop talking about them. Vivid Audio hasn't been at a trade show in a long while, but the South African company decided this year they'd make an appearance at Bristol. 

And I'm glad they did: the new small Kaya S12 standmounters definitely stood out. It wasn't just because of the shiny purple finish (you can request most colours to match your car), but the designer/technical director behind the speakers is one Laurence Dickie. If the name sounds familiar, it's because he's the one who designed the original, iconic B&W Nautilus speakers. 

The S12 are roughly £6000 per pair, and Laurence said that the warm response they've gotten at the show hopefully points to Vivid Audio making bigger waves in the UK market.

Wilson Benesch

Wilson Benesch put on an impressive display of new ACT 3zero floorstanding speakers (shown here in a purple finish), swapping the trademark carbon fibre enclosure – which the Yorkshire company has used for years – for sustainably sourced and bio-based composite materials in its construction.

It's an interesting move from the speaker company, whose products are always at the cutting edge of technology.

Michell Gyro 

An oldie but a goldie... no Bristol Hi-Fi Show would be complete for me without a visit to the Michell Engineering room. It's a chance to look at and listen to the iconic Gyro turntable (as well as Orbe and Tecnodec models).

Making elegant, iconic turntables since the 1960s and even featuring on the silver screen, the Gyro SE and GyrdoDec models are always a delight to experience in person. 

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This weekend is the Bristol Hi-Fi Show and as always there are a range of special deals on offer for products bought at the show.

Brands including Acoustic Energy, Marantz, Rotel, Sennheiser and Triangle are offering special savings that are only available to show attendees this weekend.

Read on for the pick of the best deals and head down to the Marriott City Centre Hotel in Bristol between 10am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday to take advantage. You can find all the show details and the latest product news, on our Bristol Hi-Fi Show page.

Acoustic Energy

Up to 26% off audio bundles purchased at the show

Cyrus

38% off Cyrus Soundbuds, save £19, now £30

Denon

AVR-X2800H AV receiver - was £869, now £695

Focal

Clear MG headphones - was £1399, now £1199

Celeste headphones - £999, now £799

Aria 936 K2 speakers - was £3699, now £2799

Aria 926K2 speakers - was £2799, now £1999

HiFi Racks

20% off all products purchased at the show

IsoAcoustics (SCV)

Up to 20% off GAIA/OREA/ZAZEN/APERTA (except accessories like carpet discs)

Marantz

33% Off NR1200 network receiver

Rega

28% Off Elex-R amplifier (only 15 available) - was £1045, now £750

RX5 speakers in Cherry - was £1699, now £599

RX1 speakers in Cherry - was £799, now £299

REL

17% Off T Zero subwoofer

Triangle

35% Off Genese Trio speakers - was £1400, now £900

35% Off Genese Quartet speakers - was £2700, now £1800

35% Off Genese Lyrr speakers - was £3100, now £2000

Rotel

20% Off CD14mk2/A14mk2 bundle - was £1998, now £1598

Ruark

20% Off MRX speakers in Soft Grey - was £419, now £336

Sennheiser

20% Off all products purchased at the show

Ambeo Plus soundbar - was £1299, now £1039

Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds - was £220, now £176

Momentum Wireless 4 wireless headphones - was £300, now £240

HD 660S2 headphones - was £500, now £400

Wireworld

20% off all products purchased at the show

You can also expect a 15% show discount on most items over £100 although some exclusions do apply and these discounts do not apply to any show special offers, show systems or items already on sale at Audio T.

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Audiolab 7000 Series hi-fi separates to get first public showing at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2023

Gold may be the traditional gift for a 50th anniversary, but Rega has other plans. Getting its first-look preview at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2023, the Rega Naia is a new high-end turntable from the British hi-fi specialists launching this year.

The Naia isn't officially launching until Autumn 2023, but Rega couldn't resist bringing it over to show Bristol Show visitors for an early preview. The new turntable was very much on static display – but we managed to get the key details.

The Naia is the production version of the £30,000 Rega Naiad – a no-cost purely engineering exercise that was so popular that Rega ended up making 50 limited edition models (38 of which have already sold, the rest are on backorder). 

With the Naiad being rather impossible to make in large quantities (everything is handmade too), it's great to see that Rega has figured out ways of making a production version of the deck. Many of the Naiad's design and engineering concepts have been used in the more affordable Planar 10 and Planar 8 decks, too (both of which received five-star What Hi-Fi? reviews).

But the new Naia is closer to the Naiad's ambition (in engineering, materials and performance), and features plenty of firsts for Rega. The Naia's skeletal plinth design may look familiar, but it's now entirely made out of carbon fibre for the first time, and is infused with graphene material. The usual Tancast 8 foam core (used in Planar 10, Planar 8 and Planar 6) is used in the plinth, too.

The RB titanium tonearm is new, there's a titanium vertical bearing housing and spindle, tungsten balance weight shaft and weight, and it uses Rega’s one-piece polished aluminium arm tube.

The central bearing is a ZTA zirconium-toughened alumina (ceramic) – the very same material used in the Naiad.

A triple drive belt is used for improved stability and drive characteristics. The platter is made of ceramic and is "resonance controlled", and has an improved flywheel effect, which should help with speed stability. And to top it all off, the deck has "low mass" skeletal aluminium feet.

The turntable comes with a separate AC power supply unit, which is the same one used in the Planar 10.

The Rega Naia is available with or without the company's reference Aphelion 2 moving coil (MC) cartridge. 

On its own, the Naia turntable costs £9200. With the Aphelion 2 MC fitted, the total cost is £12,000. That's a hefty price tag, but Rega says you can make a "big saving" of £655 on the Aphelion 2 (£3465 on its own) if you have it factory fitted. 

We said of the Naiad-inspired Planar 10 in our review: "The result should be something that offers a good slice of the Naiad’s performance but at a far more approachable, though still premium, price." 

The new Rega Naia is pricier, but more importantly, it should give us an even bigger slice of the fabled Naiad's performance. And what with Rega's rather excellent proven track record with turntables, the upcoming Naia could really be something quite special. We can't wait to get our mitts on a proper production sample of the Naia in our listening rooms for a listen later in the year.

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Fyne Audio has unveiled new “retro-inspired” Vintage Fifteen and Vintage Five speakers at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2023.

The speakers are being marketed as “ultra, retro, cool” luxury speakers and will be available at an unspecified point “in March or April”. 

Here’s what you need to know about them.

Vintage Fifteen

The Vintage Fifteen is the premier option in the firm’s current lineup with a pair being set to retail for a hefty £29,999.99 (other regions' pricing to be confirmed). They’re also the largest in Fyne’s Vintage line, sitting above the newly unveiled Five and older Vintage Ten and Twelve.

Each 93kg loudspeaker is also loaded with what Fyne is describing as "its most ambitious and dynamic" IsoFlare driver to date.

The point source transducer system features a giant 15-inch (380mm) multi-fibre cone mid/bass driver with Fyne’s 75mm titanium dome, neodymium motor compression tweeter. Outside of this, the speakers offer 97dB/W sensitivity, 800W peak power handling and bass down to 22Hz.

Visually, Fyne has also described the speakers as its “most ambitious” to date. Their designs are apparently inspired by the 1970s and, having seen them in person at Bristol Hi-Fi Show, we can confirm they are very visually impressive.

The cabinets are hand-built from birch plywood that’s finished in walnut veneers. As an added air of class, they also feature gold anodised metalwork and a “retro texture” grill.

The twin-cavity enclosure has also apparently been mathematically contoured to reduce standing waves and ported downwards onto Fyne’s largest BassTrax LF diffuser system to date – the design reportedly allows the 15-inch driver to move the largest volume of air without port turbulence seen from a Fyne speaker.

We haven’t had any listening time with the Fifteen yet, but according to Fyne, the system lets the speaker deliver audio with the precision and scale of a full orchestra. We’ll be excited to hear if this is true when we get them into our listening rooms.

Vintage Five

The Vintage Five is the smaller, more affordable option of the two, with a pair being set to retail for a more modest £3,749.99.

They feature a smaller bookshelf size, despite sharing a near-identical look to their larger floorstanding siblings.

The Five features Fyne’s smallest IsoFlare driver, which combines a 5-inch (125mm) multi-fibre cone mid/bass driver with a FyneFlute surround and a 19mm magnesium dome high-frequency compression driver with a neodymium motor system.

The IsoFlare driver is built into a cast aluminium chassis and incorporates Fyne’s flux-focusing magnet. The combo reportedly helps eliminate vibration colouration and increases bass sensitivity.

Like all Vintage speakers, the Five is hand-built of birch ply, which has been hand finished in oiled walnut veneer and burr walnut inlays. Like the larger Fifteen, it also has an anodised gold trim and leather grille tab.

As was the case with the Fifteen, we’ve not had any listening time with the Five, though the demo units we saw on the Bristol Hi-Fi Show floor definitely caught our eye – we’ll be keen to get them into our listening rooms for proper testing as soon as possible.

The Fyne Audio Vintage Fifteen and Vintage Five are two of many top-end products to make an appearance at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2023. Our team of experts is on hand at the show, so make sure to keep checking back with What Hi-Fi? for all the latest news.

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US speaker company Klipsch has announced at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2023 that its latest powered monitor speakers, The Sevens and The Nines, will go on sale in the UK within the first quarter of 2023. It joins The Fives in the brand's current suite of Heritage Wireless speakers.

Klipsch is angling this speaker series towards the premium market, as it incorporates luxurious materials like metal and wood within the build of these new powered units. The top-notch craftsmanship evokes the classic design legacy of founder Paul W. Klipsch while incorporating modern performance and functionality, according to Klipsch.

Klipsch says that The NInes and The Sevens will deliver "room-filling sound with minimum space required", thanks to their custom-engineered built-in amplifier, which aims to maximise output and sound quality, without the need for additional equipment for a clutter-free setup. 

Klipsch also highlights the speakers' versatility, as they include a host of connectivity options, such as HDMI-ARC for connecting to a TV, Bluetooth, digital optical, analogue RCA and USB inputs, and a subwoofer output. There is also an integrated phono preamp for connecting a record player. Klipsch says that the bi-design amp provides improved clarity and output, and the speakers' ability to playback 24-bit/192kHz files for apparently "flawless reproduction of high-resolution audio tracks". 

Both speakers feature 1in (2.54cm) titanium tweeters on Tractrix horns, although each model should perform differently. Klipsch says that the larger Nines offer greater output with 240W of total system power and feature an all-new 8in (20cm) long-throw high excursion composite cone woofer. Whereas, the more mid-sized Sevens have 200W of total power output and use a 6.5in (16.5cm) long-throw woofer, which Klipsch says will offer room-filling sound and enhanced bass. 

Finally, Klipsch highlights these speakers' compatibility with the existing Klipsch Connect App, which will allow users to set up and tweak the speakers' performance and download over-the-air firmware updates. This includes adjustable EQ and subwoofer volume modes and presets, a night listening mode and many more customisation settings.

The Nines and The Sevens both come in two finishes: walnut and black veneers. The Nines will retail for £1849 ($1499), and The Sevens will cost £1499 ($1299)

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Wharfedale has revived yet another classic speaker with modern technologies as part of its Heritage Series, this time turning its hand to the Dovedale stereo speaker.

We were first teased about the Dovedale at Munich High End 2022, but nothing was known about the speaker bar the fact it was a three-way design, entirely "Made in the UK" at Wharfedale's headquarters in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and would be celebrating the company's 90th anniversary.

The original Dovedale was first made in 1965, but this revived version has taken inspiration from the later Dovedale 3 model originally launched in 1971. Joining the trend of modern-classic speakers like the five-star Wharfedale Linton and Award-winning Mission 770 from its sister brand, the Wharfedale Dovedale aim to make just as much of an impact with the biggest Heritage Series speaker yet.

The new Dovedales are a little bit taller, a little wider and a whole lot deeper than the original Dovedale 3 models' dimensions (and also are bigger than the Wharfedale Lintons) with new drivers and technology taking full advantage of that extra space. 

The 25mm fabric-dome tweeter has its own rear chamber, which is damped to absorb unwanted output from the back of the unit and reduce resonances affecting the high frequency performance. The 13cm midrange and 25cm bass drivers are now made from Kevlar, and the midrange unit is further housed in its enclosure to ensure the mid frequencies aren't affected by vibrations from the larger bass driver. 

Both units are further damped using acoustic foam and long hair fibre, and the bass reportedly reaches a depth of 25Hz. The crossover components were also carefully chosen for "their revealing and transparent character" says Wharfedale, being laid out on twin PCBs and spaced in such a way as to "avoid electromagnetic interference".

Wharfedale says it spent countless hours listening to a wide variety of music to refine the crossover slopes and power response of the speakers, and the culmination of all of this is to deliver a sound that "reveals a lively and transparent level of reproduction that suits all styles of music at whatever power level you choose".

With an 89dB/w sensitivity, the speakers should have no problem being paired with a wide range of amplifiers, either.

Of course, the vintage design has been a huge part of the Heritage Series' appeal and the Dovedales are no different. The cabinet is constructed using a mix of woods and a two-layer sandwich of MDF and high-density particle board to scatter panel resonances even further.

The speakers themselves are wrapped in real wood walnut veneer, hand-polished and lacquered to a satin finish, that from pictures alone looks rather gorgeous. 

There are also dedicated stands made of carbon steel with glass inserts and hidden cable management, costing £800 per pair if bought separately. Rather unusually for a modern speaker, Wharfedale says the Dovedales are keeping true to their heritage and will perform better with the grilles on; removing them "will result in a sound that is brighter but less smooth."

The Wharfedale Dovedale speakers will be available from March, costing £5500 per pair with the stands included, or £5000 for the speakers alone. For US and Australia, the approximate pricings are $7000 and AU$10,500 – these prices both include the stands, as the Dovedales are not available without stands outside of the UK.

Those coming to the Bristol Hi-Fi Show this weekend (24-26 February) will be able to see the Dovedale speakers in the flesh – we sure wouldn't want to miss them.

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The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2023 is almost upon us. It's being held at the Delta Hotels Marriott, Bristol City Centre Hotel from 24-26 February. That means doors open this Friday, so get your tickets now!  Tickets are available online via the show’s official website or on the door.

Head on down, and you'll have the chance to see some of this year's most eagerly anticipated and exciting new products in the metal, from Audiolab's new 7000 series hi-fi separates to Yamaha's high-end YH-5000SE planar magnetic headphones. You'll also be able to see What Hi-Fi?'s QD-OLED demo and hear a premium surround sound system featuring McIntosh and Sonus Faber.

Not only that, but you'll also be able to enter into the show competition where you've got a chance to win a share of more than £10k worth of prizes. The list includes five-star and Award-winning kit from the likes of Bowers & Wilkins, Rega, Astell & Kern, Whaerfedale and Sennheiser to name a few. You can find a full rundown of all the prizes listed below.

You'll only be able to enter if you're at the show, though, so be sure to head over to Bristol either this Friday, Saturday or Sunday and put your name in the hat.

titleWin over £10k worth of prizes at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2023

• Rega System One 
• Chord Electronics Mojo 2
• Chord Company Clearway Analogue RCA 
• Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII
• Wharfedale Diamond 12.3
• Dali Oberon 1 C
• AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt
• Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus
• Elac Debut ConneX DCB41
• Qobuz Studio Annual Subscription (x2)
• Fyne Audio F302i
• JBL Bar 1000
• Triangle AIO Twin
• Denon D-M41DAB
• Atlas Element Achromatic
• Yamaha A-S301 / Yamaha NS-BP301
• Technics Ottava F SC-C70 MK2
• Mark Levinson No. 5909
• Austrian Audio Hi-X15
• Bowers & Wilkins PX8

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Leema Acoustics will reveal 25th-anniversary Quantum hi-fi range at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show

German high-end audio brand AVM will be bringing two brand new all-in-one players to the fast-approaching Bristol Hi-Fi Show – the Evolution CS 5.3 and the Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition. The models feature all of the hallmarks of the increasingly popular just-add-speakers systems, combining amplification, streaming, a CD player and a DAC all in one unit.

Both models have varying specs and technology powering them, with the Evolution CS 5.3 boasting 350 watts of amplification per channel, while the Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition claims an even more powerful 2x 500W. The new Black Edition further uses carefully selected high-quality components and a special grade of tubes (valves) that AVM says is reserved specifically for this model and “elevates the Ovation tube stage in our flagship All-In-One CS to the next level.”

Both players have a CD player slot, while those that have a hi-res digital library are also catered for. Hi-res audio files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM are supported, with the Evolution further handling DSD256 files, while the Ovation goes up to DSD128 only.

Tidal Connect, Qobuz and Spotify music streaming services are supported on both units, as are Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth wireless streaming. The units are also Roon Ready certified and you can connect them to your home network using wi-fi or wired ethernet.

In terms of physical connections, the models vary quite a bit. The Evolution model has three pairs of line level and one pair of XLR inputs, an MM/MC switchable phono input, HDMI ARC, two digital inputs (coax and optical) and a USB-A port. The Ovation Black Edition, meanwhile, doesn’t have a phono stage and keeps things simple with one pair of XLR inputs and one pair of line level on the analogue side. It has more digital inputs: two optical, one coax, USB Type B and USB A inputs. Both models also have a dedicated headphone amplifier with a 6.3mm headphone jack on the front panel.

The Evolution does beat the Ovation with regards to speaker terminals, offering two pairs of speaker connections compared with the single pair on the more expensive model.

For the design, the Evolution CS 5.3 provides a choice of either hand-brushed aluminium silver, black or a “CELLINI” chrome front panel (for a fee). The Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition (unsurprisingly) only sports a sleek “night black” finish and a blue graphic display in contrast with the Evolution’s standard white. You can, however, have other “individual finishes” for your Black Edition on request.

Speaking of price, there’s a significant difference between the two when it comes to cost. The Evolution CS 5.3 will set you back £10,495 / €10.090, while the Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition weighs in at a hefty £18,495 / €16.490.

We're excited to see how these sleek-looking systems sound when we hear them on demo at the Bristol Show. The AVM players are distributed by PMC in the UK, and will be paired with PMC and new Martin Logan Motion speakers at the show this week on February 24-26 (there’s still time to buy tickets).

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To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Welsh hi-fi brand Leema Acoustics has announced a brand new Quantum range of hi-fi separates. The Quantum series will consist of the Electron CD player, Positron music streamer, Neutron DAC/preamp and Graviton power amplifier. All with, we can agree, rather brilliant product names.

While full details of each product are yet to be released, visitors to this week's Bristol Hi-Fi Show will get their very first glimpse of the new Quantum series products. 

Leema Acoustics co-founder Lee Taylor said, “Leema started as a hobby project in a small metal shed, bought from a Littlewoods catalogue back in 1998. The fact we are still doing what we love 25 years later, although thankfully, now in a much bigger shed, is a constant source of surprise to me. It seems the old adage, ‘time flies when you are having fun’ is true.”

We've also been teased that the brand will be working on a number of other technology projects as part of its birthday celebrations this year.

Leema Acoustics was founded in 1998 by two ex-BBC sound engineers, Lee Taylor and Mallory Nicholls. Their first product was the well-received Xen micro monitor speakers, before embarking into electronics. The Tucana integrated amplifier followed next in 2006 (the latest editions of which were highly acclaimed), and Leema remains one of the small handful of hi-fi brands hand-building products in the UK. All Leema products are handmade, designed and produced in Welshpool, Powys in Wales, with components sourced locally from the UK and Europe.

The new Quantum products will be shown alongside a full Tucana-based demo system at the Bristol Show (room 412). There's no word on pricing yet, but we'll see what other information we can eke out of Leema Acoustics when we see them at the show this weekend.

The Bristol Show runs from 24-26 February and tickets are available online via the show’s official website or on the door.

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