Hi-res music streamer Qobuz has redesigned its mobile and tablet app, with a new player and real-time synchronised lyrics.

The player interface has been completely overhauled to make it more intuitive, immersive and full of even more information. The visuals also dynamically adjust to the album artwork.

The mini player will remain visible at all times, so you can always control playback regardless of where you've navigated to within the app. You can also add or remove tracks to the play queue by swiping like on a dating app.

One very welcome is synchronised lyrics, which displays the words to a song line-by-line as they're sung in real time. It even includes translations so you know what they're singing about. Which should settle a few arguments without resorting to Google.

Not sure what to listen to first? Qobuz has created new playlists, including the best songs to sing along to. Sweet Caroline it is.

The Explore section can also help here. It serves up all kinds of recommendations like similar albums and artists, playlists, radio stations, and content related to the radio station or genre. You can also access the Qobuz Magazine – with editorial content on the artist – straight from the player.

The credits layout has been tweaked so give you better access to info like reviews, biographies and technical file data, plus you can follow an artist or label direct from the player.

The listening queue and autoplay now show the next three tracks, so you know – and can adjust – what's coming, and you can tweak the audio output, add tracks to favourites and add to a playlist straight from the customisable mini player.

These features are now available on mobile and tablet apps for iOS and Android, and will come to other platforms at a later date.

In February, Qobuz updated its CarPlay app with more features and Siri voice controls. At £12.99 / $17.99 / AU$20.83 a month, Qobuz is more expensive than Apple Music (which recently raised its prices), but the same price as Spotify and Tidal (in the UK at least).

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Qobuz, the high-resolution music streaming and download platform, has announced a new global partnership with independent music retailer Rough Trade. The announcement, promising streaming deals, discounts and live in-store events for customers, comes as Rough Trade marks its 50th anniversary.

An initial two-year deal will establish Qobuz as the official streaming service of Rough Trade stores in the US, UK and Germany until 2028. Music from the Qobuz download store – which features more than 100 million tracks in lossless formats such as CD, hi-res (up to 24-bit/192kHz), DXD and DSD – will be available through Rough Trade’s retail website, with streaming deals and other offers up for grabs.

Additionally, Qobuz subscribers and employees will gain access to discounts at Rough Trade stores, where the partnership plans to host and co-produce live events.

Stephen Godfroy, Rough Trade’s co-owner, says: “As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, there couldn’t be a more fitting partnership than expanding our artist-focused community into high-quality digital streaming with Qobuz — a like-minded independent platform that connects audiences and artists through deep curation, and champions emerging talent as passionately as established voices.”

In our five-star review, the French-founded music streaming platform impressed us with its strong (though not totally comprehensive) hi-res catalogue, detailed sonic performance and the option to purchase hi-res downloads.

In March 2025, it also became the first streaming platform to have its average payout rate per stream officially validated by independent audit – at the time, Qobuz claimed it was the highest payout in the industry.

According to Dan Mackta, Qobuz Managing Director for North America and Northern Europe, “[Qobuz] are looking forward to working closely with the Rough Trade team to create meaningful new experiences for dedicated music fans.”

Further details on in-store events, offers and activations will be announced during the course of the partnership – but for die-hard vinyl listeners and streaming fans alike, a partnership that encourages investment in music can only be good news.

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The humble stereo amplifier has been at the core of any proper hi-fi system for decades, but for most of those it was useless until you added a source or two. These days that’s no longer the case.

Streaming amplifiers need nothing more than a pair of speakers to start singing, with amplification, DAC, connections and all the necessary network technology to play tunes from Spotify, Tidal et al already built in.

Cambridge Audio’s Evo 150 SE and the NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) are two of the best examples of this idea in action, but which premium streaming amplifier is better? Let’s take a look.

Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE vs NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module): price

When the original Cambridge Audio Evo 150 launched in 2021 it would have set you back £2249 / $3000 / AU$4299, but this revamped SE model comes in at £1999 / $3299 / AU$5795, which is nice if you live in the UK but less so if you don’t.

The standard NAD C 3050 is a stereo amplifier that costs £1349 / $1699 / AU$2699, but with the MDC2 BluOS-D module added to turn it into the Award-winning streaming amplifier, it raises the price tag to £1699 / $2199 / AU$3599. The price can fluctuate – we have seen it drop to £1499 during Black Friday, and at the time of writing, it’s available to order for £1749 in the UK.

Even without a discount that’s still a good £250 / $1100 / AU$2196 less than the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE, which makes the NAD an easy winner as far as your bank balance is concerned.

**Winner: NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module)**

Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE vs NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module): features and connectivity

One of the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE’s strong points is just how welcoming it is. If you’ve got something you want to plug into it, chances are you’ll find the necessary port or socket somewhere on the back.

RCA, optical, coaxial, USB (type B), balanced XLR, HDMI ARC and 3.5mm are all present and correct, plus you get two sets of speaker terminals too. There’s also a moving-magnet phono stage inside in case you want to hook up your turntable. It's an exhaustive list of connections that should keep everyone happy.

Its wireless capabilities come courtesy of Cambridge’s fourth-generation StreamMagic platform, so you get Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, and Google Cast, with Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal (and their Connect versions) all supported along with Amazon Music and Deezer. If you have a networked drive stuffed with digital music it’s also good news, as the Cambridge is UPnP compatible and can play hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256.

The C 3050 isn’t quite as well equipped on the physical connections front, but NAD has still found space for coaxial, optical, USB (type A), and HDMI eARC inputs, plus a 6.3mm headphone socket on the front. Like the Evo 150 SE, there’s also a moving-magnet phono stage built in. The essentials are covered, then.

Thanks to the MDC2 BluOS-D streaming module, which runs on the exhaustive BluOS streaming platform, the feature set is bountiful, although Google Cast is the only major omission. Spotify, Qobuz and Tidal Connect are available, as is Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth, and it also has UPnP support for streaming hi-res files from your local network.

However, it doesn’t support DSD files (which might disappoint some) and PCM playback is limited to a maximum of 24-bit/192kHz. Considering most download sites don't offer tracks higher than that rate, we don't think it's an issue.

The NAD does also come with Dirac Live room-equalisation software, which is useful if your listening room is particularly troublesome from an acoustics point of view.

In terms of power, both use Class D amplification, but the Evo 150 SE also outmuscles the NAD. Cambridge boasts 150W per channel, while the NAD has a still-considerable 100W per channel (both into 8 ohms). It’s a knockout blow that means the Cambridge, combined with its greater features set and broader file compatibility, takes this round without breaking a sweat.

**Winner: Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE**

Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE vs NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module): build and design

From an aesthetic point of view, these two streaming amplifiers could hardly be more different.

Cambridge Audio has gone for a modern look with the Evo 150 SE, although you can give it a slightly more retro feel by using the wooden side panels that come in the box rather than the plain black ones. The 6.8-inch colour screen on the front will always give it away as a contemporary bit of kit, though, and we do like how clearly it displays information.

The knurled control dial, which is used to select your sources, feels better to use than the looser-feeling volume one, and you also get a sleek remote control included. Much of your interaction with the Evo 150 SE is likely to be through the StreamMagic app, which is straightforward and intuitive to use.

The NAD C 3050, on the other hand, is very much a throwback, thanks in no small part to those lovely mechanical meters on the front. In fact, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for something from the past century – and we mean that entirely as a compliment.

The walnut vinyl-covered casework is solid, the controls feel suitably sturdy and the whole thing has a premium feel to it, which is exactly what you want when spending this sort of cash.

What gives the C 3050 away as something more modern than its appearance might suggest is its compatibility with the BluOS app, which makes getting it to stream music simple and hassle-free.

Of course, which of these two styles you prefer will be entirely personal and may just come down to which one matches the rest of your system, which means this one has to go down as a draw.

**Winner: Draw**

Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE vs NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module): sound

The NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) is a current What Hi-Fi? Award winner so it sets the benchmark as far as sound quality from a streaming amplifier is concerned at this price.

It offers a clear, spacious and expressive presentation from both the streaming module and the wired inputs, uncovering detail in a wonderfully organic way that makes vocals really shine.

We say in our review: “It has the midrange clarity and fluidity to shine with a vocal-based group such as The Unthanks. Detail levels are good, but it’s the organic way in which the C 3050 arranges all that detail that draws us into the music. It captures the texture and tone of the sisters’ voices superbly and so communicates the heartfelt passion in the title track, Mount The Air, better than most alternatives we’ve heard.”

There’s plenty of punch and power on offer too, with the necessary dynamism to deliver it properly, along with rich, full-bodied lows that manage to avoid ever sounding sludgy. In our review, we note that Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances Op.45 “sounds muscular, delivering lows with a richness and punch that’s enjoyable.”

Even when the music becomes demanding, the soundstaging remains reasonably expansive and nicely focused.

The phono stage is fairly quiet but we never felt the need to bypass it for a separate one when connected to our Rega Planar 2/Nd3. It sounds agile, informative and dynamically interesting – NAD has done a great job of its built-in phono preamp here.

In comparison, the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE is even more powerful, but it can struggle to match the NAD C 3050 when it comes to rhythmic cohesion and dynamic subtlety.

Our review notes that it’s capable of “a fluid and spacious sound that is wonderfully clear and detailed”, but you do need to be careful to pair it with the right set of speakers or it can sound rather emotionally detached. Paired with the KEF LS50 Meta or PMC Prodigy 5 speakers, there is a greater degree of warmth, dynamism and pep through the Cambridge.

Be wary of a less harmonious pairing, as it might lead the Cambridge to sound less dynamically exciting with a curious lack of grip and rhythmic propulsion.

When you do get the pairing right, though, the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE is capable of delivering songs with great clarity, plenty of detail and the kind of low-frequencies that really thump you in the chest. Unfortunately, the last of those does sometimes go against it when playing delicate compositions such as songs from Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones or Nick Cave. During our testing, we found “that slightly relentless, muscle-bound lower end works with frenetic songs that require that high energy, but it does these gentler, emotive songs a disservice.”

We do find the Evo 150 SE prefers being played at louder volumes, relishing the chance to flex its muscles and show off its scale and power. The start and finish of notes are clearly defined, distortion levels are impressively low, and there is ample punch. In comparison, the NAD sounds smaller-scaled and less powerful, although it is less fussy with speaker matching.

Playing Midnight City by M83 and we find that the “Evo 150 SE’s soundstage is impressively large and wide, with ample space given over to the various instrumentals.”

No matter which input you use, the Evo 150 SE’s open, refined character comes across, although the one thing we would avoid using is the integrated phono stage. It sounds lightweight and muddy, with a lack of detail and dynamism – so if you’re serious about vinyl replay, you would definitely be better off using an external phono preamp.

There’s really only one winner here. While the Cambridge impresses with its scale, power and refinement, it’s the NAD’s greater expressiveness and fluid handling of rhythm that keeps our attention rapt and our foot tapping.

**Winner: NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module)**

Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE vs NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module): verdict

It’s probably not a huge surprise that the streaming amplifer with a What Hi-Fi? Award already sitting in its trophy cabinet is the winner here. But it's not quite so straightforward, as the Cambridge’s presentation has its strengths, while its greater set of connectivity and extensive file resolution specs will no double appeal to many.

The NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) has all the essential features, however, and more crucially, it is cheaper and sounds better than the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE. So unless you really have something against its retro styling or your music collection consists entirely of DSD files that it can’t play, there’s one clear winner here.

**Overall winner: NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module)**

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Here it is, folks: our first full review of an RGB Mini LED TV.

We have previously run extensive hands-on tests of a couple of RGB Mini LED TVs – most notably the huge Hisense 116UX – but, due to their astonishing sizes and prices, we’ve had to do the testing outside our own facilities. In our world, that’s not a full review, so those TVs haven’t received star ratings.

The 65-inch Hisense UR9 we have before us today is designed to address the size and price issues that have until now prevented more people from hopping on the RGB Mini LED bandwagon.

This set, then, is leading the mainstream RGB Mini LED charge. And, while it’s a fair way short of perfect, particularly next to a flagship OLED TV, the UR9 is an impressive TV in its own right and a tantalising glimpse at the technology’s long-term potential.

Price

Price is always a hugely important factor whenever we test a product, but it’s particularly crucial to how the Hisense UR9 will be viewed.

In the UK, the launch price of £2999 places the 65-inch UR9 in the same category as flagship OLED TVs such as the new LG G6 and last year’s Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II.

In Australia, though, the AU$3999 price puts the Hisense UR9 up against step-down OLEDs such as the LG C6.

Most interestingly (and confusingly), while the announced launch price in the US was a super high-end $3500, when the TV actually arrived in shops, the tag was a vastly cheaper $2000, placing the UR9 in an entirely different category, below even step-down OLED models.

Essentially, then, this Hisense is a rather different proposition in each of those three regions. Seeing as we are UK-based and it’s a UK sample we’re reviewing, though, it’s the UK price that we are primarily working with here. And that means the UR9 is going to have to face off against the mighty Bravia 8 II QD-OLED.

Design

The Hisense UR9 is not one of those modern flagship TVs that disappears into your living room.

At 4.5cm thick, it’s decidedly chunky by current premium TV standards, particularly next to the impossibly slim OLED models with which it competes on price.

The rear panel is completely flat, though, which makes the UR9 fairly tidy for wall-mounting, and the overall build feels solid and substantial.

The TV’s general styling is perfectly pleasant, too, though it stops short of being genuinely luxurious. Bezels are slim enough, the dark metallic finish is smart, and the overall aesthetic is clean and restrained, but the UR9 lacks the slick elegance and premium flair of rivals such as the Sony Bravia 8 II and Samsung S99H/S95H.

Hisense has made some nice, practical decisions, though.

The centrally mounted pedestal stand has a relatively narrow footprint of around 42cm, making the UR9 easier to place on narrower furniture than many similarly sized rivals. It also offers two height positions, allowing you either to keep the screen sitting low and tidy or raise it slightly to create extra clearance for a soundbar.

Rows of tiny perforations run down both sides of the set, while larger openings line the top edge. These house the UR9’s side- and up-firing speakers, which form part of its integrated Devialet sound system.

Overall, then, the UR9 is more functional than fashionable – a practical, purposeful TV rather than a particularly glamorous one.

Features and specs

The headline feature here is, of course, the UR9’s RGB Mini LED backlight.

Unlike a conventional Mini LED TV, which uses a white backlight shining through a colour filter layer, the UR9 instead uses separate red, green and blue Mini LEDs to generate colour directly. In theory, this approach allows for both greater brightness and more precise colour reproduction.

Hisense claims peak brightness of up to 3500 nits for the 65-inch model we’re testing here, alongside 980 local dimming zones and a native 170Hz panel, all driven by the company’s Hi-View AI Engine RGB processor.

Gamers are generally very well served – with one unusual caveat. Unlike most premium TVs, which have four HDMI sockets, the UR9 has just three. These are accompanied by a PC-gaming-friendly DisplayPort connection – something that remains extremely rare on TVs.

Is a DisplayPort connection more valuable than a fourth HDMI socket? We have our doubts, but to a small number of very committed PC gamers, it may be very useful.

All three of the HDMI sockets are 2.1-specified, though, with support for 4K/170Hz (and the console-friendly 4K/120Hz), VRR and ALLM. Some brands, including Sony, still offer just two HDMI 2.1 sockets on their TVs.

The UR9’s input lag is decent rather than exceptional. We measured 32.5ms at 60Hz in the standard Game mode, though enabling the Refresh Rate setting reduces that figure to a more respectable, though far from groundbreaking, 24.6ms.

The UR9 supports every significant HDR format currently in use – HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision – plus the intelligent Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive variants that respond to ambient room lighting conditions.

It is also IMAX Enhanced certified, and the UK version of the TV features an anti-reflective, anti-glare screen coating that proves fairly effective at combating bright-room reflections.

Audio specifications are unusually ambitious by TV standards, too. The UR9 features a Devialet-tuned 4.1.2-channel speaker system with dedicated up-firing drivers, plus support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks.

In the UK and Australia, the UR9 runs Hisense’s own VIDAA smart platform, while the US version instead uses Google TV.

VIDAA still isn’t the prettiest smart system around, but it’s fast, responsive and logically laid out. App support is broadly very good, too, with all of the major streaming services and UK catch-up apps present and correctly supporting the relevant picture and sound formats.

There are, however, a few frustrating omissions. Most notably, the Apple TV app lacks access to the Apple TV store and users’ purchased libraries, so it can’t be used for movie purchases and rentals. That’s a real disappointment, as Apple’s pay-as-you-go store is the best around.

While far less important for a TV, it’s worth noting that music streaming support is sparse, too, with Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music and Qobuz all absent. There are no cloud gaming apps, either.

The inclusion of Freely is welcome, though, as it allows live TV channels to be streamed over the internet without an aerial connection.

Picture quality

The Hisense UR9 makes a superb first impression. In fact, perhaps the most impressive thing about it is just how rarely it behaves like a traditional backlit TV.

Before getting into that, though, some setup advice is required, because the TV’s default HDR settings do it few favours.

When first fed HDR10 content, the UR9 automatically switches into its HDR Energy Saving mode which, despite its name, is surprisingly aggressive. Colours skew cool and bluish, motion processing is overly intrusive, and the overall image looks unnatural and overcooked.

HDR Standard and HDR Dynamic are similarly best avoided, both pushing sharpness, brightness and processing much too hard.

Thankfully, Filmmaker Mode proves far more successful. It delivers the most accurate and balanced picture of the available presets, and it quickly becomes our preferred overall option.

Interestingly, though, IMAX Cinema is also unusually compelling. While its underlying settings appear almost identical to those of Filmmaker Mode, it consistently produces a noticeably brighter and punchier image without obviously compromising balance or naturalism.

As a result, we would stick with Filmmaker Mode for dark-room and purist viewing, but happily switch to IMAX Cinema during the daytime or whenever we fancy a little extra visual intensity.

Once properly configured, the UR9 is an extremely accomplished performer.

Play 1917 on 4K Blu-ray, and the opening logos immediately demonstrate just how well controlled the TV’s backlight system is. Blooming around the bright white text is minimal, black depth is strong, and colours look rich, warm and nicely cinematic.

More importantly, the local-dimming system generally goes about its business without drawing attention to itself. Throughout our testing, the UR9 almost never exhibits the flickering, brightness pumping or visibly shifting backlight behaviour that can make many Mini LED TVs distracting.

That consistency quickly emerges as the UR9’s defining strength. While many bright Mini LED TVs constantly remind you that they are dynamically manipulating a backlight behind the scenes, the Hisense instead achieves a broadly very composed, stable and natural delivery that often feels surprisingly OLED-like.

Blade Runner 2049 showcases this particularly well. Black depth is consistently strong, shadow detail is excellent and subtle blooming is tightly controlled. There’s also impressive richness and stability to colours, especially reds, which look wonderfully pure and saturated without drifting into pink or magenta tones.

Extra-bright HDR material suits the UR9 especially well, too. Pan looks spectacular here, with dazzling highlights and bold, vibrant colours that comfortably outgun the Sony Bravia 8 II for outright brightness in many scenes. Sunlight bursting through clouds and glinting off the fantasy scenery of Neverland is delivered with real punch and intensity.

Crucially, though, the UR9 generally achieves this brightness without sacrificing balance. Skin tones remain natural, and there’s a pleasing cinematic warmth to the image – and it doesn’t drift into gaudiness.

Motion handling is strong, too. The default Film setting is decent enough, but switching Motion Enhancement to Clear results in noticeably smoother pans without introducing the distracting soap-opera effect or processing artefacts that such systems often create.

The notoriously difficult Matera cemetery and chase sequence from No Time To Die is handled particularly well, with impressively little judder to the panning shots and clean rendering of drifting smoke and rapid camera movement.

Dropping down to standard-def and SDR, our Kiss Kiss Bang Bang DVD is reproduced with pleasing warmth, strong detail and impressively clean upscaling. Colours are arguably pushed a touch too hard at times, but the overall presentation remains highly enjoyable and consistently cinematic.

For all of the UR9’s strengths, though, direct comparisons with a top-tier OLED TV still reveal the limitations of even this undeniably refined RGB Mini LED model. Despite its impressive local-dimming system, the Hisense simply cannot match the pixel-level contrast control of the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Extremely bright highlights against deep black backgrounds are sometimes handled slightly conservatively, presumably to avoid blooming. Perhaps counterintuitively, those bright white logos against pitch-black backgrounds appear more intense and impactful on the Sony OLED than on the much brighter, on paper, Hisense.

More significantly, the OLED TV produces a more solid and perceptually three-dimensional image across the board. Objects and characters stand out from their surroundings with greater depth and dynamism, while subtle gradations within clouds, shadows and highlights appear more convincing and refined, creating a more rounded look.

This isn’t a new phenomenon: we have documented that extra solidity you get from OLED plenty of times previously, most notably when we used the Sony Bravia 8 OLED as a comparison in our Bravia 9 Mini LED review. But it bears repeating for those who are choosing between an OLED and a backlit TV.

Viewing angles are another clear OLED advantage. While the UR9’s picture performance doesn’t entirely fall off a cliff when you move off-axis, the sweet spot in which it performs at its very best is surprisingly narrow.

And while the UR9 usually keeps blooming impressively well controlled, especially for a backlit TV, particularly torturous scenes can still expose its limitations.

The bomb-test sequence in Oppenheimer is a great example. From the UR9, there’s a slight general greying to the image, plus some visible glow around isolated spotlights in the darkness. The opening starfield of Alien: Romulus, meanwhile, reveals that the UR9 cannot simultaneously maintain truly inky blacks and perfectly intense star highlights in the way an OLED can.

To be clear, the Hisense performs well in these scenes by LCD standards, and many owners may never notice such shortcomings during normal viewing. But they do prevent the UR9 from truly matching the effortless contrast precision and dimensionality of the best OLED TVs.

Sound quality

Developed in partnership with Devialet, the UR9’s 4.1.2-channel speaker system delivers a surprisingly expansive and full-bodied presentation by TV standards, with particularly impressive width and height effects.

The Theatre sound mode is the most immediately striking of the available presets, producing a presentation that extends well beyond the physical boundaries of the TV and creating a convincing sense of spaciousness with Dolby Atmos soundtracks.

There’s decent bass depth, too, and the UR9 maintains good composure at high volumes, avoiding the harshness and distortion that can afflict many flatscreen TVs when pushed hard.

The overall presentation is smooth and rich in character, which makes the UR9 an easy and enjoyable listen over long viewing sessions.

It isn’t perfect, though. Dynamics are a little stunted, and action scenes lack some of the punch and excitement they deserve, while dialogue could be projected with greater clarity and emotional expression.

The Theatre mode also slightly overplays its hand at times. While its extra spaciousness is undeniably appealing, it introduces a faintly diffuse and echoey quality to voices, along with a slight sense of delay that makes speech sound less natural than it should.

As a result, we find ourselves preferring the Standard sound mode for most content. It still sounds pleasantly spacious and open, but delivers dialogue with greater focus and cohesion while maintaining good weight and scale.

Ultimately, while even a modest dedicated soundbar will comfortably outperform it, the UR9’s audio system is better than that of most TVs, even at this lofty level.

Verdict

In several ways, the Hisense UR9 is one of the best backlit TVs we have ever tested.

Most of the time, you’re not even made aware that it is a backlit TV, so good are its black levels, its control of blooming and its consistent, flicker-free contrast.

While it is possible to trip up the backlight, it’s quite hard to do so, and many buyers may never see an unsightly bloom in their period of UR9 ownership.

But while this first mainstream RGB Mini LED TV is broadly mercifully free of the flaws that generally afflict backlit TVs, it still can’t match the overall picture quality of the best OLED models.

The pixel-level contrast control of OLED brings benefits in several areas. There are the notably brighter highlights on very dark backgrounds that even accomplished backlit sets, such as the UR9, are too cautious to go all guns blazing with for fear of blooming. There are the almost flawless viewing angles, too, which the UR9 is a long way from matching.

The biggest thing, though, is the generally more solid, more perceptually three-dimensional image that OLED provides. Next to the Bravia 8 II, the Hisense UR9 simply looks flatter, less dynamic and less impactful.

Ultimately, as enjoyable and technically impressive as the UR9 is, we can’t think of a good reason you would buy it over a flagship-grade OLED, and that’s the level at which Hisense is pitching it – at least in the UK.

Of course, if you are someone who has a flagship-level budget for their next TV and a general aversion to OLED, the Hisense UR9 should be right around the top of your list.

If you’re a UK buyer, it’s probably a good idea to wait and see if we get a massive US-style discount before placing an order, though.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 4
• Features 4

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If you happen to be in the UK or other select parts of Europe, you'll probably have been blessed with an extra hour of sunlight at the end of your hard slog of a day, thanks to the clocks leaping forward by an hour. Forget the farmers and their darker mornings, it's time to play hacky sack in the park until 9.00 pm with your best bros.

Do people still play hacky sack? Did they ever?

Moving on. While the temptation to go out galivanting until late hours of the evening may be strong, we've got a selection of tasty tunes to pull you back into the shadowy realm of your devoted listening space, with belters from the likes of Harry Styles, Rosalía and Gnarls Barkley all on this month's menu.

Vitamin D, eh? Who needs it?

American Girls by Harry Styles

During my school years, I was deep in the One Direction trenches (I already feel the judgment). The charismatic Harry Styles always stood out to me the most, with his swoopy hair and cheeky grin. So when he went off to have a solo career back in 2016, I was curious to see how his music would evolve.

It has certainly changed for the better. His latest album, Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally, may be awash with almost nonsensical lyrics, but it’s an excellently produced collection with plenty of toe-tappers.

The track that has been on repeat in our test room since the album came out is American Girls. It starts slowly and quietly with a creeping electronic whine, which is then interrupted by a more acoustic-sounding piano.

Next, the punchy drum track kicks in shortly followed by Harry’s moody vocals. An extra layer of bass is introduced, which can easily feel blobby and slow the song down if not portrayed with the right level of bounciness and pep.

If you haven’t given the new album a try, this is the track to start with.

Words by Robyn Quick

Berghain by Rosalía

Is it pop? Is it opera? Whatever it is, Rosalía’s staggering symphonic smash Berghain is a mini sensation. The three-minute epic is crammed to the brim with enough orchestral drama to make a conductor’s baton wilt. Your speakers had better take 20 minutes to do some deep stretches, because this really is a proper, proper workout.

Performed in at least three different languages (Rosalía has apparently demonstrated her linguistic prowess by singing in more than 10, the big show off), this is the sort of bombastic, boundary-stretching pop that has cemented the Spanish songstress’s legacy as one of the most forward-looking artists working today.

Also featuring vocals from our ever-beloved icon Björk, who herself heavily influenced Rosalía and duetted with her on the enjoyable charity single Oral, Berghain skids and skates between thunderous, Wagner-esque opera to the sort of erratic strings you’d usually find on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

This is classical made accessible without for a moment dumbing it down, and the result is an absolute thrill ride.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine

For many of us, Rage Against the Machine were the sound of rebellion – even if our rebellion was jumping up and down on the bed in our room as the music played one volume higher than we were meant to.

And with so much stuff to get your blood boiling going on in the world and age generally making me more cantankerous, this month I’ve found myself playing Rage Against the Machine’s Bulls on Parade more than a few times.

First, because the iconic song is turning 30. Second, because despite its age, it remains as relevant and awesome as ever. Featuring Zack de la Rocha’s iconic, politically charged vocals and Tom Morello’s instantly recognisable guitar style, the track is a great example of everything that makes Rage Against the Machine so iconic.

And as an added bonus, the track's bouncing rhythm, rapid shifts in volume and booming bass make it a great gauge of any system's low-end heft, dynamics and general ability to go loud. If you’re not listening to it at a Spinal Tap 11, you’re not doing it right…

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Tomorrow Died Today by Gnarls Barkely

Gnarls Barkley is back, baby!

Or maybe that should be Gnarls Barkley are back, because despite the confusion caused by people thinking that Gnarls himself is a person in his own right, it is in fact a duo consisting of legendary producer Danger Mouse and soul crooner CeeLo Green.

Regardless of singular / plural confusion, it’s a triumphant return for the duo following a yawning 18-year hiatus. Atlanta is the first record Gnarls Barkley have put out since 2008’s The Odd Couple, with the team behind 2006’s smash-hit Crazy

Tomorrow Dies Today is the album’s cheery opener, shifting from sparse, hand-clap-backed verses to a clamorous, fear-inducing refrain as Green’s unmistakable soul wail laments the end of all times.

“Take cover all God’s children / Even the sun has gone to hide / The sky is raining bullets / And I’ll never forget the day that tomorrow died.”

The world may be ending, but it will have one heck of a soundtrack when the lights go out.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Days We Left Behind by Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney is one of the world’s most famous musicians, having been a member of a little band called The Beatles, and this week I’ve had his new single Days We Left Behind playing a fair bit.

This was a surprise, for a couple of reasons. First, because McCartney has never been my favourite Beatle (team Harrison all the way). Second, because I’ve never quite gelled with his other recent albums.

While they’ve all been well composed and recorded, as you’d expect from the man who helped create the blueprint for pop music, they’ve felt a little hollow, and dare I say, try hard. Like a man looking too hard to relive his glory days and remain relevant.

Days We Left Behind shows a positive shift away from this that I’m all for. The track is a thoughtful, backwards-looking, gentle ballad full of whimsical reminiscing and occasional melancholy laments over getting old.

It’s not his best work ever, but it is a solid reminder of why McCartney has been such a powerful force in music for the past 50 years – he was one of The Beatles' primary songwriters, let's not forget.

Featuring a gentle plucked acoustic guitar composition and sweet, but mature vocals, the track is a slow burner that expertly pulls at your heartstrings, evoking a sense of loss that comes to many of us with age, but without ever feeling maudlin.

If you’re a fan of The Beatles, even if you fell out of love with McCartney’s other recent work as I did, I’d strongly recommend giving it a listen.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Like A Dog Chasing Cars by Hans Zimmer

We’ve been using Hans Zimmer’s peerless The Dark Knight soundtrack since before I was even a part of the What Hi-Fi? team, with our pristine CD copy regularly wheeled out any time we’ve got a disc spinner that needs testing, or we want to see how well a given speaker or hi-fi separate deals with a digital source.

However you play it – CD, streaming, vinyl if you’re lucky – there aren’t many soundtracks that can compete with The Dark Knight for its grim, brooding grandeur and adrenaline-inducing explosiveness. Each track’s a winner, but we regularly pick out Like A Dog Chasing Cars for its layered, propulsive nature and its ability to communicate an ever-rising sense of dread and drama in equal measure.

It’s a track with a metronomic, almost hypnotic repetitiveness as sharp, clacking percussive strikes bubble underneath, with sequential passages of strings and drums which should, through the right system, have sufficient articulation and phrasing to feel like the roll of waves on an increasingly stormy sea.

For gauging dynamics – both small and large-scale – as well as how your system keeps track of those deep, rumbly bass notes, Like A Dog Chasing Cars is ideal for testing whether your hi-fi is a heroic performer, or just a bit of a Joker.

Words by Harry McKerrell

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Spotify has introduced a new 'Exclusive Mode' as a way for its Premium subscribers to access "bit-perfect" audio playback when listening using the desktop app.

According to Spotify, this new mode gives the music streaming platform's desktop app control of the audio processing on your computer or laptop, meaning you'll be listening to songs "exactly as they were mastered." This mode is available to Windows users now.

Spotify says in a community post that your multi-tasking computer "may alter audio before it reaches your DAC by resampling it, mixing other system sounds in, and changing the volume." Turing the Exclusive Mode on ensures that all other sounds from your computer are "disabled" so that the Spotify desktop app can deliver the highest quality and "most accurate version of a song possible."

That makes it better suited, says the platform, to listeners with external audio equipment like a DAC "who want the purest possible sound". Spotify still advises – as we would – that you'll need wired headphones connected to an external DAC and use the Lossless tier to ensure you are getting the highest possible audio quality without any drop in resolution.

To get access this Exclusive Mode, open the Spotify desktop app, head to settings and then scroll to the Playback tab. Under Audio output, select your device from the dropdown, and then toggle Exclusive Mode to on.

Note, however, that while Exclusive Mode is switched on, Spotify will have, as the name suggests, exclusive control of your selected audio device, so other apps will need to use a different output in order to be heard.

The Exclusive Mode is available for the desktop app (not mobile) and is available now for Windows users, with Mac roll-out expected in a future release.

Spotify has already made the earth-shattering announcement in late 2025 that it would finally be adding Lossless streaming, granting access to hi-res 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC file quality for Premium subscribers.

With the introduction of Exclusive Mode, it looks like the Swedish streaming giant is pushing harder than ever to provide higher-quality performance to head off competition from five-star rivals Tidal and Qobuz.

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Forget the Oscars, this wildly underrated western has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard

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Even if you're unfamiliar with Max Richter's name, there's a good chance you're more au fait with his music than you perhaps realise.

The German-British composer has been pouring out emotive, often minimalist compositions for the best part of two decades, while his work as a successful movie composer culminated in an Oscar nomination for his score to the much-acclaimed heartbreaker Hamnet earlier this year.

Existentially minded and a proponent of the slow, richly emotive style that you'll find mirrored in the work of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (see The Road, The Assassination of Jesse James et al.), Richter's work on Hamnet felt like the purest evocation of the man's deeply resonant style – mournful, elegiac and designed to elicit just the mildest of existential crises.

The Hamnet score is indeed made lovely by virtue of its overwhelmingly beautiful evocation of loss and despair, but if you want to go full Richter, you'll need to look back in time to a rather more hidden, but no less sparkling, musical gem.

Back in 2017, Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike fronted Scott Cooper's solemn, often grim post-western drama Hostiles, a sparse and oft-brutal work which, while reasonably well received at the time, seems incapable of fully breaking away from the shadows of its relative obscurity.

Following the story of Bale's US cavalry officer escorting a Cheyenne chief back to his home in Montana during the late 19th century, and experiencing increasing guilt and disillusionment with his nation's role in the decimation of the native population, it was exactly the sort of solemn, impactful epic to which Richter could turn his talented hand.

What's so remarkable about Richter's work on Hostiles is that, such is the man's ability to tell a convincing story with nothing but wordless instrumentation, you don't need to have even watched the movie to understand exactly what is being communicated by his accompanying compositions.

Hostiles is well worth a watch, but you can play the entirety of the soundtrack and feel, quite justifiably, that you've experienced the narrative just as fully and splendidly, albeit via the medium of music rather than screen.

Never Goodbye evidences that sublime musical storytelling in its starkest and most evocative terms. An ever-rising, continually building concoction of full, longing strings, Richter's work is its own tale in musical form, packed with the emotions and experiences of a great narrative work communicated with harrowing yet wordless wonder.

Never Goodbye is everything. It's grief and guilt, pain and sorrow, anger and frustration. It's the musical evocation of emotion itself, tracking the way that these tempestuous feelings rise from gentle embers to a raging blaze, from a trickle of water to a torrent that floods everything in its path.

Only the best speakers and headphones will fully do it justice. When those strings really swell and the composition unleashes its ground-shaking power, you need something to communicate fully the awesome emotional power of Richter's masterwork.

The Fyne F502S towers spring to mind as speakers capable of tackling this titanic task. As we said in our review at the time: "The F502S have the nous and nuance to provide the track’s opening piano and strings with the subtle delicacy they require, switching gears as the piece grows and swells to create a powerfully rich, resonant reproduction that fully brings out the music’s haunting resonance."

Never Goodbye is Hostiles' big finale, but Richter's soundtrack is peppered with gems that evoke both the minute internal workings of the film's fractured characters alongside the broader, more existential themes of the world conjured by director Scott Cooper.

The Lord's Rough Ways, for instance, trades the grandeur and scale of Never Goodbye for a quieter, more reflective composition, with fulsome strings replaced by the delicate twinkling of a solitary piano. It's not a complex affair by any stretch, yet such is Richter's talent for extracting so much from seemingly so little, the music practically drips with a sort of deep-rooted sadness that enraptures you from the very first chord.

If you do want to be more technical about things, it also makes for a strong test tune when you just want to discover how well your system or speakers are capable of handling space and subtle detail.

That piano should sit in a well of surrounding silence, and you should be able to track the rise, swell and decay of each keystroke with absolute clarity and precision via a competent set-up. When those piano keys do ebb and decay, they should fall away into a haunting void of nothingness.

If you want the full Hostiles experience – and indeed, want to go the full Max Richter – take an hour out of your day and just play the whole soundtrack from start to finish. Each track is its own mini narrative, but playing the whole composition gives you the richest evocation of Richter's emotive vision playing out before your ears.

What the soundtrack to Hostiles does, through the right system, is remind you not only of music's raw emotional power, but of its capacity as a tool of communication. So often we recommend using test scores and tracks for their pure emotional weight, but with Hostiles, you're seeking something more cohesive and comprehensive. You're going, to use that horrible cliché, on an actual journey.

You're looking for a sense of music telling a story. You're seeking a sense of character, of place, of feelings rising, burning brightly and then fading as they transform into something else entirely. You don't need to have seen the movie: you'll know just what is being said just by listening to the music.

That is the key to all of Max Richter's greatest compositions: that even without words or explanations, they can communicate the most evocative tales. Get them playing on a great system, and those stories will simply tell themselves.

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In the past few months alone, we have seen a whole army of soundbars march into our test room to compete against the class leaders. The JBL Bar 300MK2, for instance, gave the Award-winning Sonos Beam Gen 2 a real run for its money with its room-filling, bassy audio performance.

So it was only fair that its senior sibling, the JBL Bar 1000MK2, got a turn. Launching at £1000 / $1200 / AU$1600, the Dolby Atmos package is directly up against another Sonos model, the Arc Ultra (£999 / $999 / AU$1799).

Where the Award-winning Sonos Arc Ultra is an all-in-one model, though, the JBL is made up of a main soundbar, two wireless detachable surrounds (more on those in a moment), and a subwoofer.

It boasts a 7.1.4 configuration and is driven by a total power output of 960W. But does the JBL Bar 1000MK2's extra kit mean it takes Sonos’s crown?

After my colleagues and I put the package through its paces, the JBL is held back from greatness by two issues – but it is still a worthy competitor to our Award-winner.

Versatile design

First off, the soundbar’s innovative build really stands out from the crowd. It features battery-powered speakers, which can be connected to the main soundbar via a magnetic port, or used wirelessly to perform as separate surrounds.

JBL also offers a Broadcasting feature, allowing you to put the surrounds into another room while the sound from your TV or Bluetooth device continues to play, transforming it into a neat wireless speaker. This works by selecting either a mono or stereo downmix via the accompanying app, then taking one or both of the speakers to a different room to deliver the mix you have chosen.

The speakers offer a claimed 10 hours of battery life, and can be charged either by plugging them into the mains or just connecting them back to the main soundbar.

That's all quite an stand-out proposition, with the JBL model offering a versatility that most soundbars simply cannot match.

Exciting yet detailed performance

But how does it perform beyond this versatile design? Well, the JBL Bar 1000MK2 manages to deliver an energetic, exciting sound that is a massive improvement over the vast majority of built-in TV speakers.

This is helped by the soundbar’s sense of movement and precision. When watching Blade Runner 2049, for instance, futuristic drones whizz past the viewer in a way that will have you double-checking you are not sat next to a Replicant.

Thanks to the soundbar’s up-firing speakers, there are decent height effects that add to the immersive viewing experience. With Spider-Man: Homecoming, we note: “As Tom Holland’s Spider-Man clings on for dear life to a cloaked plane, we hear its engine sounds move around with precision.”

The separate subwoofer also adds an extra oomph to movies, without being distractingly overpowering.

Subwoofer lacks finesse

That being said, the subwoofer does struggle to deliver bass with subtlety and detail. When we first take it out the box, the JBL low-level frequencies are strong but distract from the rest of the frequencies. That means we reach for the JBL One app to adjust the settings, from which you can access the EQ controls.

After fiddling with the settings, we settle on a less floor-shaking bass that feels better balanced – but it’s still not as detailed as class leaders such as the Sonos Arc Ultra.

The JBL delivers more a powerful bass than the Award-winner, but the Sonos counters with a punchier and precise overall sound that is particularly impressive when we switch to music.

We note in our review when listening to the main theme from Jurassic Park with Qobuz Connect: “The low-level dynamics are delivered with excellent subtlety and finesse that build with the swell of the whole orchestra effectively.”

Surrounds fail to shine

The separate detachable surrounds also don’t pack the punch we were hoping for with the JBL model.

Despite their practical design, they don’t create as much scale as those from rival systems, and they struggle to generate a truly immersive dome of sound above us even when cranked up to their maximum volume.

We also test the surrounds when they are connected to the main soundbar to compare, but this understandably makes the sound field less immersive. Using the soundbar with this layout means it loses the benefits of its clever design, however, so we can’t imagine many people listening like this unless they are charging the surrounds.

With the Sonos Arc Ultra, however, the all-in-one model manages to create a more convincing surround-sound experience that outdoes the JBL Bar 1000MK2 even without the separate speakers. Ultimately, the extra kit cannot compete with the Award-winner's more organised and cohesive audio performance, meaning its crown remains firmly in place.

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Two things stopped this plucky Dolby Atmos soundbar from beating Sonos’s reigning champ

As if life wasn’t hard enough for musicians trying to make a living in the age of streaming, now they have AI-generated tracks to contend with too. But not on Qobuz.

The French streaming and download platform is rolling out a tool that can spot AI-generated music so it can be purged from the platform. It’s part of the firm's AI Charter which was published last month.

The aim is to protect musicians trying to make a living, and listeners who want to hear music made by actual humans.

The tool can identify and tag AI-created tracks across both new releases and the existing catalogue. This AI-generated content is then “removed upon detection” according to Qobuz.

We have asked exactly how the proprietary tool works, and whether it uses AI itself, and will update this story once we have an answer.

It’s a noble intention, looking to safeguard artists’ earnings while also giving users a more authentic listening experience. But it’s worth pointing out what Qobuz says in its AI Charter about the technological limitations of these kinds of tools.

“No reliable solution exists today to identify all AI content with certainty, especially when partial human intervention occurred,” it says. “We invest in the best available tools but remain humble about this technical reality.”

Qobuz already has tools to root out fraudulent uploads, and is keen to stress that all of its recommendations are editorial decisions made by humans.

It’s not the first streaming service to take a stance against AI. In January, Bandcamp made clear that it would not permit music that is “generated wholly or in substantial part by AI” on its platform, with a reporting tool for use by anyone suspecting that what they are listening to wasn’t made by humans.

AI is a fast evolving technology, and as it becomes more sophisticated, it could become harder to spot tracks made using it. It’s a challenge for the entire music industry – expect to hear a lot more about it in the coming years.

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Cambridge Audio has added Qobuz Connect functionality to its second and third-generation StreamMagic products.

StreamMagic is the British audio brand’s streaming platform and app for controlling its streaming products and this recent software update finally brings Qobuz Connect to its older generation network-ready products, such as the former Award-winning CXN (V2), the first-gen CXN, Azur 851N, StreamMagic 6 V2, Edge NQ, and CXR.

Cambridge Audio streaming products already have the French music streaming service integrated within StreamMagic, but the latest update means more of its product owners can bypass the app and stream directly from Qobuz's servers and use the native Qobuz app with its greater features and functionality.

This is great news for audiophiles out there that wish to stream more than 100 million songs in up to 24-bit/192kHz high resolution or lossless CD quality on their older Cambridge StreamMagic products.

It also means owners of the aforementioned products can free up their phone use, allowing it to be used purely for playback control, while notifications and calls will no longer interrupt audio streaming.

The update is available to download now via the StreamMagic platform and means only the first generation of Cambridge Audio streamers is yet to include Qobuz Connect. Last year, Cambridge rolled out support to the current, fourth-generation of StreamMagic products in October.

In recent times, Cambridge has also added Spotify Lossless, Amazon Music and QPlay functionality to its streaming products.

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Competition in the entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar category has been heating up in the last twelve months.

I know that, as I've helped review some of the most interesting challengers to our reigning champ, the multiple-Award-winning Sonos Beam Gen 2.

The JBL Bar 300MK2 came close to knocking it off its podium when we had it in our test room late last year, earning a five-star rating, but not quite having the finesse to finish the job.

More recently, the Sony Bravia Theatre System 6 also scored a coveted five-star review while offering more kit for your money with a complete soundbar package, but not quite having enough detail to outright beat the Sonos.

So many close attempts, but no knock-out blow. Hence why I was eager, even excited, when a new challenger entered the ring (our test rooms). Specifically, the Harman Kardon Enchant 900, which aims to pack a clever 5.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos experience into a tiny single soundbar package.

It originally launched at £430 / $560 / AU$800, but the price has crept up slightly at most UK retailers to £449. That’s challenging the Sonos model directly, which launched at £449 / $449 / AU$649.

In terms of connectivity, the soundbar offers two HDMI connections – one dedicated input and an output that can also receive sound from your TV via eARC. That’s better than the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which only includes a single HDMI eARC output.

But does it outdo our Sonos reference model in terms of audio? Spoiler alert – two issues mean not quite, but there is still a lot to like with the Harman Kardon entry. And if they got fixed in the next model, we may have a fight on our hands.

Starting with the positives...

Energetic, powerful sound

Right out the gate, the Harman Kardon Enchant 900 presents us with an exciting audio performance that is an immediate step up from our TV’s sound.

This sense of energy is helped massively by the soundbar’s wide and expansive audio presentation.

When watching Dune: Part Two in our test room, Timothée Chalamet’s Paul watches on as a huge sandworm leaps out of the sand. With this scene, the soundbar presents a more spacious soundstage than the TV’s speakers, offering an immersive sound that fills the room.

You can employ Harman Kardon’s surround sound processing feature, which makes the soundstage wider and more enveloping. We do find that it loses a touch of focus compared to when it is off, where we get a narrower but snappier sound.

The scale to focus compromise is worth it in this instance, as the improved sense of cinematic scale is worth the slight softening of the sound, so we leave it on.

It certainly outdoes the Sonos Beam Gen 2 in this respect, which cannot reach the same level of immersion and expansiveness.

Clear vocals

It’s a common complaint when watching TV at home that we often cannot hear what characters are saying on the screen, forcing you to crank up the volume or switch on the subtitles.

You won’t have that issue with the Enchant 900, though, as it delivers clear yet emotive vocals that make it hard to miss a word.

This is made clear when we switch to Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, when the motley ship crew is attacked by their enemies.

Despite competing with the sound of booming canons and the splintering of the ship’s wood, vocals are remarkably clear while still maintaining a good amount of character and emotion, which makes for a reasonably balanced overall performance; one of the best we've heard at this level recently.

But not the most subtle

But, even though it delivers a room-filling sound while keeping vocals balanced, the Harman Kardon Enchant 900 cannot be described as a subtle soundbar.

When switching to music via the streaming platform Qobuz, we get a good example of this. Aurora’s Churchyard starts soft and delicate, with only her ethereal vocals kicking off the track.

The soundbar manages to create a good sense of anticipation by building from the quiet vocals to the bass-heavy chorus. But the rendering of her vocals is harsher than it should be, and lacks the subtle presentation that we find in bars such as the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

This may not be a problem for those looking to deliver a bombastic home cinema experience, but those on the hunt for subtlety would be better served by the Award-winner.

Not the strongest performer with treble or bass

This slightly coarse presentation continues when it comes to its treble performance, particularly when pushed to extremes.

During Unbroken, for instance, the whining of the plane’s engines sounds coarse and can somewhat overwhelm the rest of the soundtrack at the loudest moments. This contrasts with the Beam’s more finessed and authentic overall sound that balances each frequency with more control.

You can turn down the treble via the app with the Enchant 900, but this disrupts the balance between the frequencies.

Additionally, while its bass delivery is floor-shaking and engaging, it struggles to reach the same level of precision as rivals such as the JBL Bar 300MK2. We say in our review: “What’s more, the slightly cheaper JBL Bar 300MK2 delivers a more controlled bass that offers greater impact during tense action scenes, thanks to better detail in the lower frequencies.”

This all meant that the Harman Kardon Enchant 900 scored a respectable four-star rating overall, with the JBL and Sonos models delivering a better bang for your buck.

Still, it’s a solid choice for those looking to add extra spaciousness and excitement to their audio. Here's hoping the firm fixes our two gripes with the next model!

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With a claimed 751 million users, streaming giant Spotify is by far the most popular streaming service and has become a go-to for many music lovers worldwide.

And I can see why; the vast music library, combined with its endless catalogue of audiobooks and podcasts, makes it a great hub for all your listening needs. Plus, after many years of waiting, the service finally started offering its Premium subscribers 24-bit hi-res audio quality.

Until earlier this year, I had been a loyal Spotify subscriber for about 10 years. But sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and try something new.

The streaming service that called to me the most was Qobuz – a French platform that has existed almost as long as Spotify and claims to be "the artist-first, independent streaming platform for music lovers who care".

Offering a 100 million-strong music catalogue, Qobuz offers all of its tracks in at least CD quality, plus higher hi-res audio sampling rates, which together sets it apart from Spotify.

It earned five stars when we re-reviewed it a couple of years ago. So, after taking the plunge and transferring my many Spotify playlists over to the more niche platform that's favoured by audiophiles, it was time to compare the two and see which one served my needs better.

Here are two features on Qobuz that I loved, and two that I wish it did a little better. Let's get cracking!

Qobuz's superior sound quality

There's immediately a clear difference between Qobuz and Spotify's audio quality that is hard to deny. Listening with the Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones, Qobuz delivers a more engaging, detailed and dynamically interesting music performance.

When playing Aurora's Some Type Of Skin, Qobuz offers a more impactful dynamic range than Spotify, which sounds rather flat and uninspiring by comparison. Its handling of bass is incredibly nuanced yet punchy as well, giving each track a great sense of timing that will get your toes tapping.

It just feels like Qobuz puts more care into its music sounding the best that it can, with a genuine passion for top-quality audio.

I should caveat that my daily listening experience is with Bluetooth headphones connected to my phone, so I am technically not getting full hi-res quality without using a DAC and wired headphones.

But, even with this compressed listening experience, Qobuz still stands out as the cleaner, more detailed performer. A big tick for the underdog, here.

Well-written and detailed content on albums

The French platform's sense of passion and care for music is carried on when it comes to the written content on the site. With the Magazine feature, you can access a range of thought-provoking articles that discuss the latest music events or reflect on older artists.

From features on the importance of Bad Bunny's recent Super Bowl performance to weekly round-ups of new must-listen albums, it feels like a slower, more intentional navigation experience through the service.

Even the descriptions of artists are well-researched and packed with plenty of ideas for where to start if you have yet to listen to any of their content.

Qobuz is run by a relatively small team (especially when compared to Spotify), which helps the recommended content feel more personal than its bigger rivals.

Spotify has faced a fair amount of backlash recently over its distribution of streaming income to artists, whereas Qobuz is the first streaming platform to officially disclose its average per-stream royalty rate.

That makes the smaller platform an easier pick from a music lover's perspective, in terms of access to passionate content and more transparent artist income.

Less intuitive user interface

Where Spotify still has an edge, however, is with its more intuitive user interface, which makes finding music you want that much easier.

When you use Qobuz's search feature to find a song or artist, you have to be quite precise. Misspelling just one word can skew your results completely, which can be quite cumbersome, especially when you are using the app on the go.

Spotify, on the other hand, is able to work out what you are searching for with more accurate results. So searching for artists when you don't know the precise spelling is less of an issue.

We have found a similar issue with Tidal, so it is far from just an issue with Qobuz. But it does mean Spotify is easier to navigate in this respect.

Spotify has more accurate recommendations

What's more, Spotify's algorithm-led curations (such as ‘Picked for you’ and ‘Made For’) are based on your listening habits and can recommend more accurate tracks as a result.

Music discovery mixes such as the ‘Discover Weekly’ and ‘Release Radar’ are also at the forefront of the Spotify experience and are arguably where the service still just about gains ground on its rivals.

We said in our review of the streaming service: "Generally, such playlists are pretty spot-on, offering a good mix of both old and new, and even including new remixes of songs from artists you have listened to."

As we mentioned, Spotify has a much larger team behind it than Qobuz. Its algorithm-led experience differs from Qobuz's approach which is based more on top picks from the editorial team.

Qobuz does offer its own curated playlists with a mix of tracks you listen to regularly and recommended discs. These are called the DailyQ and WeeklyQ playlists, and they do a decent job of working out what kind of music you might be in the mood for, although it is not perfect.

For instance, I've been listening to a whole lot of musical soundtracks since having Qobuz (don't judge me), but none of the tracks are included on either list.

Spotify, however, includes a specific playlist including a whole lot of musical tracks that I listen to regularly, along with similar tracks that suit my tastes better than Qobuz's recommendations.

There is the argument that Qobuz's tactic helps introduce me to more songs, but with a personalised playlist, I expect to hear a few more tracks that the service knows I listen to a lot.

Still, I'm very glad I took the leap from Spotify to the more niche Qobuz platform.

Simply put, the superior audio quality is well worth the slight compromises in terms of UI and accurate personalised recommendations.

Qobuz is available with a one-month free trial so, if you find your eyes straying from Spotify and you're wondering what other options are out there, I recommend giving it a go.

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Here is our full review of Qobuz

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When Cambridge Audio first unveiled its Evo 75 and 150 models back in 2021, streaming amplifiers weren’t quite as widespread as they are now. These premium units housed power amplification, DAC, preamp and streaming modules all in one neatly designed box – all you need to do is add speakers. Both got five stars.

Since then, plenty of established hi-fi and emerging audio brands have joined in on the action, offering a range of streaming amplifiers in all shapes and at all prices.

Cambridge has given its Evo 150 model a refresh (the cheaper Evo 75 is now discontinued), bringing purported sonic upgrades while keeping its ample feature set intact. The SE in the name might stand for ‘special edition’, but this is no limited, fleeting model with an unusual finish. It’s a full production model that aims to appeal to hi-fi and casual/lifestyle users alike. Does it succeed?

Price

At £1999 / $3299 / AU$5795, the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE is cheaper in the UK than the original Evo 150, which launched at £2249 / $3000 / AU$4299. Those in the US and Australia will unfortunately be paying more for the new model.

At this price range, our favourite streaming amplifier is the NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module), which can be yours for less at £1699 / $2199 / $3599. The NAD isn’t just a current What Hi-Fi? Award winner; it’s also the recipient of a coveted Product of the Year trophy, so Cambridge Audio has some mighty competition to reckon with.

Features & connectivity

On the whole, there is plenty about the SE version of the Evo 150 that hasn’t changed. Its amplification power rating remains the same 150W per channel (into 8 ohms), it uses the same ESS Sabre ES9018K2M DAC chip, and has the exact same set of connections as before.

That might be a disappointment to some, but the original Evo 150 was so feature-packed that it would be difficult to see what else Cambridge’s engineers could add to it. As we said in our original review, “There’s little you can’t plug into the Evo 150.”

So what has changed? Instead of superfluous changes, Cambridge’s engineers have concentrated on elements of the internal circuitry to improve performance as much as possible. Firstly, there is a new Hypex NCoreX Class D amplifier module, which has been custom-tuned by Cambridge to deliver a “warm, dynamic and controlled sound” across all inputs. Additionally, the SE model uses uprated components, and features improvements throughout the signal path.

The Evo 150 SE runs on the current, fourth-generation StreamMagic platform, which offers a well-equipped, slick and user-friendly interface for all your streaming needs. All the popular music streaming services – Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal and their Connect versions, along with Amazon Music and Deezer – are supported, as well as internet radio.

Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 and Google Cast are also on board for easy streaming from mobile devices, and you can even connect a pair of wireless headphones by choosing Bluetooth as an audio output. You can stream large digital media libraries stored on hard drives or NAS drives connected to the same network thanks to UPnP compatibility, too.

File compatibility is extensive, with the Cambridge supporting hi-res audio files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256, and streamed playback is stable across both wi-fi and wired Ethernet set-ups.

As before, there are analogue and digital connections aplenty on the Evo 150 SE, including balanced XLR alongside the usual RCA line level inputs. You get an HDMI ARC input so you can use the Evo with a TV, and there is a moving magnet phono stage built in for connecting a turntable directly.

Optical, coaxial and USB type B inputs are available so you can plug in a variety of sources (we used a CD player and a laptop), and there is a 3.5mm headphone port for plugging in your favourite pair of wired cans.

The Evo 150 SE can also function as a preamp and, unusually at this level, there are two sets of speaker terminals in case you want to run a second pair of speakers in a different room.

In short, there is little the Evo 150 SE can’t do or play. Even streaming amplifiers double the price tend to struggle to deliver such exhaustive options.

Build & design

Physically, there is even less difference compared with the original model, but it’s hard to complain when the Evo 150 SE is such a looker. It’s a well-designed streaming amp, from the appealing footprint that’s roughly the size of a vinyl record sleeve, to the clean, modern and minimalist styling – for many, this streaming amplifier will have more lifestyle appeal than many of its more traditional hi-fi rivals.

The black aluminium cabinet is well made, and the Evo’s party trick is swappable side panels that you can change up to suit your tastes or match your interior design. There are two options in the box – a real wood veneer and a (new) all-black, slatted option – that snap on magnetically.

The front of the unit is dominated by a 6.8-inch full-colour screen that’s crisp and brightly contrasted, showing off album artwork with punchy colours. We especially like how large the font is, as song and artist names, and source inputs, can be clearly read from across the room. The knurled pattern on the control dial is slightly different from the previous model, but it feels well-machined and offers good grip when scrolling through the sources.

The volume dial, in contrast, feels less precise in action, and we wish this was given as much attention as the control wheel. The small strip of buttons on the side of the screen returns, and while they still feel a little cheaper than the rest of the unit, they are handy to have.

A sleek remote control handset is also included here, and we must applaud Cambridge for how well the unit responds no matter what you use to control it. During testing, the Evo 150 SE is a joy to use; we didn’t encounter any hiccups or barriers to playing our music no matter what method we used.

Most of the music playback control will naturally be done using the StreamMagic app, which is an organised, user-friendly interface that works in perfect unison with the streaming amplifier. There is a basic slider for room compensation and a suite of EQ settings, but otherwise the Evo 150 SE is a straightforward, plug-and-play operation.

You can hide unused inputs in the StreamMagic app so only the relevant sources and favoured streaming options are at your fingertips, while saving/selecting presets and scrolling through our large music library stored on a Naim Core server are intuitive in use. It’s a smooth system.

Sound

We plug our reference Epos ES-7N speakers into the Cambridge, rev up Midnight City by M83 and are put smack in the middle of a big, shiny, neon-lit soundscape. The Evo 150 SE’s soundstage is impressively large and wide, with ample space given over to the various instrumentals. The dreamy synth track is delivered with clarity and plenty of detail, with enough headroom and shine to the sparkling synths – but never making those highs sound too bright or wince-inducing.

Play Meltphace 6 by Aphex Twin and the Cambridge eats up the ambient noises with relish; the initial sparse electronic noises bubble around in a spacious, enveloping soundscape that’s fairly easy to listen to. The stop and start of notes are clearly defined, and the punctuating, low-frequency beat thumps you in the chest with brawny physicality.

The Evo 150 SE prefers being played loudly rather than at softer volumes, and you’ll be rewarded with a clean, powerful sound with little distortion as you turn the volume up and up.

That powerful bass can sound a little overcooked when listening to more delicate pieces of music, such as Waxahatchee, Norah Jones, Nick Cave or Billie Eilish. That slightly relentless, muscle-bound lower end works with frenetic songs that require that high energy, but it does these gentler, emotive songs a disservice. Toning down the bass EQ helps mitigate this somewhat, but the more we listen, we find that while there is plenty of punch through the Cambridge, its rhythm and dynamic prowess are lagging somewhat behind.

There is a curious lack of real grip and propulsive momentum to the performance. Fat Larry’s Band’s Act Like You Know sounds big and brawny on the surface, but is lacking the gritty textures and dynamic subtlety to really get us grooving. We’d like to hear greater precision with each note that hits, along with a more tuneful, agile bassline that we can really sink our teeth into.

Play Joni Mitchell’s A Case Of You, and we find ourselves struggling to connect with her lilting vocals. The Evo 150 SE’s midrange sounds a touch reserved, with voices coming across less focused and not packing the emotional nuance and textural insight we’d normally hear. Dynamically, we find ourselves willing the Cambridge on, to gain more momentum and variation to the notes as the song ebbs and flows.

Switch to the rival NAD streaming amplifier, and all that rhythmic cohesion, the dynamic subtlety, the momentum and emotional pull come flooding back into the same tunes. Yes, the NAD is smaller-scaled, less refined and doesn’t sound as muscular, but the music hangs together better through it.

Joni Mitchell sounds sweeter, with more vocal and emotional nuance clearly and more capably delivered to capture our senses, while even the shiny, spacious ambient Aphex Twin tracks have more dimensionality and greater precision here. There’s more grip and control; there’s greater agility and fluidity; it simply makes more musical sense and sounds more engaging.

We switch back to the Cambridge and note the slightly detached and less dynamic presentation, even as more power, space, clarity and refinement are added into the mix.

Our experience with testing streaming amplifiers tells us this might well be a case of finding the right speakers to pair the unit with, and we go through some trial and error. Swapping our reference Epos and ATC speakers (both quite neutral and transparent) for the smooth and subtle Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2 doesn’t quite work to bring the Cambridge out of its shell. But pair the Evo 150 SE with the KEF LS50 Meta or PMC Prodigy 5 speakers, and suddenly, more pep, warmth and dynamism enter the fray.

It almost sounds like it’s given a new lease of life. The White Stripes’ In The Cold, Cold Night has more verve and precise footing when using either KEF or PMC speakers, while the electric guitar distorts with scuzzy edges and textures that sound more vibrant and enjoyable when using either of these speakers. Voices such as Mitchell’s or Norah Jones’ have more immediacy, and sound more tender and affecting. Altogether, music flows with greater fluidity and there is more warmth given to the Evo 150 SE’s performance.

It doesn’t quite fix all of the Cambridge’s inherent issues, however. Nina Simone has plenty of headroom when singing My Baby Just Cares For Me and the Evo 150 SE is capable enough to convey the differences between a 1950s/’60s soul jazz track and a shiny modern K-pop track with a good deal of transparency. The NAD rival, however, gets more of the spirit and personality of her singing through, regardless of what speakers it is paired with. Dynamically, the Evo is still outperformed by the less costly NAD streaming amp.

To give credit to the Cambridge, its open, refined sound character is consistent throughout every input we test. Yes, tracks played over lossy Bluetooth and AirPlay sound less refined, but it won’t make much of a fuss; feeding it higher-quality tracks (from our Naim server or through our laptop via USB type B) results in a more detailed and composed sound overall.

Plug in a pair of Grado SR325x headphones and we’re treated to much of that clear-eyed, tonally balanced sound that marks the Evo’s overall sonic characteristic. We also use a Cyrus CDi CD player to test the Evo 150 SE's DAC (good) and a Rega Planar 3 RS Edition to test its phono stage (less good). The phono stage sounds lightweight and muddy; it’s not particularly dynamic or detailed, and we’d urge anyone serious about vinyl to opt for an external phono stage.

Verdict

The Evo 150 SE proves just how important system matching is. Get the speakers right, and you’ll be rewarded with a fluid and spacious sound that is wonderfully clear and detailed. A mismatch in partnering speakers will show the Evo at its worst: lacking in dynamics and rhythmic flow.

The Evo may not be an all-rounder this time, but there’s no denying how good its design, ease of use and exhaustive features are for this kind of all-in-one unit. It has greater competition than before when it comes to sound, but its lovely, user-friendly design is worth an audition.

Review published: 18th February 2026

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Features 5

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Qobuz's updated CarPlay interface couldn't come soon enough.

As someone lucky enough to have multiple music streaming services to hand as I trek from my home to our Reading office (or anywhere else for that matter) in my increasingly road-weary Audi A1, I'm well-versed in how each major brand has integrated Apple CarPlay into their respective platforms.

For those not in the know, Apple CarPlay is simply a way of displaying some of the key features and functions of your iPhone and its iOS operating system on your car's display screen. Whether wired or wireless, (I tend to plug my phone in directly via USB-C) you'll generally get a sample rate of around 16-bit/48 kHz, a little lower than Qobuz's 24-bit/192kHz maximum.

If Spotify has been the gold standard for on-the-go enjoyment from your iPhone to your car (if you take audio quality out of the equation), hi-res service Qobuz has always lagged seriously behind.

Using Qobuz in your car felt practically medieval, with limited functionalities and poor user control seeing the experience lag well behind the likes of Spotify or Tidal. It was, to be frank, a long way off the finished article.

A recent update, however, has rectified so many of those issues. Now, you're able to delve deep into playlists, explore by genre, ask Siri to play audio and access shuffle play, while the whole arrangement and layout now feels far more intuitive and easy to navigate. It's a far smoother, cleaner experience, and a far cry from the clunky, sparse ordeal of those bad old days.

Accessing specific tracks is far easier, too. Whereas before, clicking on a playlist would just automatically play the whole roster of songs (Tidal still does this), pressing on a chosen list brings up the entire catalogue of tunes from which you can make your selection.

Fancy features such as curated playlists are also on the menu, with the whole suite of features feeling so much fuller and more personalised than before.

It's not yet perfect. There's no way, as far as I can tell, of skipping forward once a track starts playing, either by holding the skip button down or having access to a 15-second time jump, both of which are accessible with Spotify's implementation of CarPlay.

Plus, some features don't work as smoothly or reliably as you might like, although this might be down to personal experience and the fact that this is still a very recent update.

Pressing the 'radio' icon, which generates a sort of bespoke playlist based on the song you're listening to, nearly caused an entire system crash during testing, but that might rectified later down the line. Maybe my 4G connection just wasn't as strong as I thought it was, or maybe I caught the service on a bad day.

Nevertheless, Qobuz's recent overhaul in the way it implements Apple CarPlay is a vast improvement on that which preceded it, making it a genuinely viable alternative to the likes of Tidal or Spotify when you're hitting the road.

Qobuz has already dramatically reduced the gap between its own service and those of its key rivals, with this latest upgrade proving that the French brand is serious about making itself the premier hi-res service on the block.

Now that its sound and music catalogue are up to scratch, alongside this new upgrade to its in-car integration, it may be time for rivals to stand up and take notice of a service that has gained serious momentum in the past few years.

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

February is, as we all know, the shortest month of the year. Thank the gods above for that, as it's also unequivocally one of the worst. Cold weather, long nights, little to look forward to except Pancake Day and the faint hope that Spring might finally be around the corner. Honestly, we should just scrap the entire month from the calendar and jump straight into March.

How, then, do you make the unwanted runt of the yearly litter more appealing? With music, of course. There's only one sure-fire way of beating the winter blues, and that's with a top selection of tunes belting out of your hi-fi or headphones.

We've tried to keep things reasonably upbeat this time around, in a bid to stop those SAD symptoms from surfacing. So if you’re not head-bopping to Fat Larry’s Band, you’ll be getting as hyped as a pre weigh-in UFC fighter by a big old slice of Wu-Tang Clan. Take that, February!

• Discover the full playlist on Tidal

So Unusual by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions

Before Curtis Mayfield went onto commercial success with tracks such as Move On Up and the soundtrack to the film Super Fly, he was part of the Impressions, a Chicago soul band known for its dreamy, almost lullaby-like harmonies. But Mayfield’s social conscience was evident from early on, with tracks such as Keep On Pushing and People Get Ready soundtracking the early days of the civil rights movement.

Of course, this being soul, they did their share of love songs too, and So Unusual is one of their finest. Mayfield sings about being heartbroken following his other half’s affair, but how any thoughts of anger or revenge are subsumed by the love that still lingers. Misguided? Maybe, because as he sings, “What kind of fool am I?”

This is a slow plod through the wreckage of a relationship, all woozy brass and melodic backing singers, whose lush instrumentation will stretch out through a system that’s strong throughout the frequency range.

But maybe I love it most for its vulnerability. Mayfield was 26 at time of recording, and wise beyond his years. You weren’t any kind of fool, Curtis – you just weren’t a troll.

Words by Joe Svetlik

On The Nature Of Daylight by Max Richter

I must confess: I don’t think I can remember hearing this oft-used piece by Richter before, even though I’ve seen many of the films it has been used in.

But as it played over the closing scenes of Hamnet and into the credits, continuing the catharsis of collective grief from the events of the film, I knew that this time, I wouldn’t forget it so easily. It’s an achingly mournful piece that perfectly fits the mood of Chloé Zhao’s film in particular, with the strings so incredibly physical and tangible.

They take their time pulling at your heart as they gently ebb and flow in a composition that strays from being remotely flashy; it manages to elicit so much emotion with such purity and with so little artifice. Played on a system that has little distortion and a penchant for clear and fluid dynamic subtlety, the full majesty of this magnificent piece of music will shine through.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Gravel Pit by Wu-Tang Clan

I have absolutely no idea what the titular Gravel Pit from Wu-Tang’s effortless hip-hop classic refers to. Speculated theories include a slang term for a house, a drug den or a part of human anatomy (this one changes how you sing along to the chorus somewhat), yet no concrete consensus has yet been reached.

I also don’t particularly care. Gravel Pit is nothing but pure hip-hop heaven, moving from brisk, effortless flows into that smooth, ear-catching chorus courtesy of Paulissa Moorman. Not-so-fun fact: Aaliyah was originally supposed to lend her vocal talents to the track, but tragically passed away before a collaboration could be finalised.

The pleasure of Gravel Pit from a testing perspective is the myriad personalities your system has to play with, as Method Man, Ghostface Killah and U-God bring their own particular delivery to each verse. Make sure your system is picking up on every breath and syllable, all while preserving the unique style and idiosyncrasies of the key performer’s respective flows.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Trouble by Scorpio

I don’t know about you but, for me, it doesn’t get much better than blaring drum and bass bangers at excessively loud volumes. Although I would argue that such volume levels are, in fact, not excessive but completely necessary for appreciating these tracks in the correct way.

With that in mind, this 1997 release from Scorpio (an alias of legendary Bristol-based producers Roni Size and DJ Die) will have you bumping and bouncing around the room, especially if your system has enough low-end depth to relay the full scale of its wonderfully rumbly basslines.

Contrary to the name of the genre this track belongs to, there’s far more to appreciate than just snappy drums and head-bopping bass, although a system that offers plenty of clarity and detail will help you appreciate the individual beats that make up those intricate drum patterns without things becoming muddled. The initial drop will also hit so hard on a system with excellent dynamic handling that you’ll feel like you’ve been hit for six – maybe even twelve!

If you’ve got neighbours who are understanding at best and tolerant at the worst, bring out the subwoofer, load up Trouble and crank up the volume – you won’t regret it.

Words by James Cook

Follow Along by Cusp

With driving drumbeats and distorted guitar riffs blending with sweetly breezy vocals, the indie-alt-rock of Cusp sounds vaguely familiar and comforting. The Chicago-based outfit could easily share billing with Speedy Ortiz and Wet Leg, with introspective lyrics and pure candour peeking behind catchy, guitar-heavy hooks.

In Follow Along, Singer Jen Bender’s clear, melodic vocals walk a fine line that stops just short of twee, with an assured performance that transforms what could be a ’90s throwback into something a bit more distinctive, personal and honest.

It’s not a particularly refined or polished recording; instead, it’s about the layers of texture, the propulsive rhythm, and fluid, nuanced vocals all working together in a cohesive whole to deliver a somewhat hazy track that just feels good to listen to – and one that I can’t stop humming.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Act Like You Know by Fat Larry's Band

We often find that when we’re testing, one of the trickiest musical facets to get right is how a given product handles rhythms. It’s not something that a lot of listeners will consider from the outset, with preoccupations around textural detail, clarity and stereo imaging tending to take precedence over what some might consider the more esoteric or secondary requirements around rhythms and dynamics.

Ignore them at your peril. A sense of timing is essential to how hi-fi or headphones convey the essence of the music being played, and a dearth of rhythmic expression can often be the reason why a solid product fails to claim that coveted fifth star. They are the fundamental core underpinning your music’s feeling of drive and momentum, so it’s time to stop considering rhythms as an auxiliary afterthought.

Instead, shine that spotlight bright with a slice of early-80s R&B/funk courtesy of Fat Larry’s Band. Act Like You Know should snap into life with its crisp, ‘stomp-clap’ tempo, all while vibrant horns and a noodling bass strain the limits of your system’s knack for organisation and cohesion.

Put it on, crank the volume and see if your head begins to bop along to that irresistibly funky beat. A genre classic.

Words by Harry McKerrell

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“No one really makes a bad product anymore.” That’s the comment we’ve been hearing for the past couple of years when meeting with hi-fi manufacturers, and they’re not wrong. The world of hi-fi has shrunk since its glory days, but it means that brands making products on the premium side (let’s say, anything above £1000 / $1500) have little room to make mistakes, in a bid to deliver their very best in today’s challenging economic climate for those discerning souls that still value separates hi-fi.

In fact, we’d go so far as to say that most hi-fi products these days are really rather very good, and nowhere is this more evidenced by the two premium music streamers going head-to-head here. Arcam and Cambridge Audio have been around for 50 years in the hi-fi business, and each brand has pooled their audio expertise into network audio players that meet the modern demands of wireless music streaming.

The Cambridge Audio EXN100 (£1599 / $1799) came first, offering an elevated, more powerful step above the established CX range that we have regarded highly for a decade. Arcam’s impressive Radia range is a more recent rebirth for the brand, with the slightly less costly ST25 streamer (£1499 / $1650) only entering our test rooms last year.

In such a short time, both models have made a strong impression. At this price range, our expectations for a dedicated music streamer are high, especially considering that many emerging brands can offer the same features for a slice of that asking price. But it all comes down to performance, and getting the very best out of your digital music library.

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: build & design

In terms of design, both music streamers are housed in sturdy, rectangular boxes that are built to a high standard. The ST25 and EXN100 look and feel impressive in the flesh, with minimal styling and a large screen dominating both designs.

They both occupy roughly the same footprint on our hi-fi racks. Cambridge’s customary ‘lunar grey’ finish looks smart, if a little safe. We particularly like the knurled volume/control dial on the thick aluminium front panel – it turns smoothly and is a classy detail.

Arcam cuts a fresher, more striking all-black figure whose modern styling and certain details – such as the furrows cut into the top panel and the stripe of yellow along the sides – make it stand out from the crowd. As with its Award-winning amplifier siblings, it has an overhanging lip on the back panel that protects the connections from collecting dust.

In contrast, the front of the ST25 doesn’t have any controls, dials or buttons in sight, whereas the EXN100 does have a smattering of buttons for easy access to menus and playback controls. It’s worth noting that the Arcam streamer includes a slim remote control in the box; you have to buy one separately for the Cambridge.

The large, high-resolution display screen that shows off album artwork and metadata on both units is sharp, colourful and impressive in action. We said the EXN100’s screen “has a pleasing contrast” and all the information is shown “in a crisp, bright manner that’s easy to read.” Similarly on the ST25, we said the screen is also easy to read while album artwork “appears bright, punchy and colourful with good viewing angles.”

Whichever model you choose, you won’t be disappointed when it comes to the design and build of the streamer.

**Winner: Draw**

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: app and control

There’s no remote with the EXN100 because Cambridge, quite reasonably, envisions that the way you’ll be browsing and playing your music and switching between sources on a streamer will be done by the accompanying app on a smartphone or tablet.

Cambridge’s StreamMagic app is a well-organised, user-friendly interface that we’ve encountered many times with the brand’s other five-star streamers, and it’s one of the best examples in the business.

The app displays all the streaming services, local radio stations and sources available; you can set presets to your favourite stations and playlists, and you can access other features of the streamer, such as the display brightness, power-down timer, and preamp mode. It is smooth and intuitive in use.

For the Arcam ST25, users will need both the Radia app and remote control working together to access all of its options. You can access music services, podcasts, radio stations and your sources through the app, although we found that navigating through vast music libraries and playlists can be a little clunky.

It’s also a shame you can’t use the Radia app to access options like dimming or turning the display off, or selecting your favourite DAC filter (there are four options) on the ST25. To do this, you’ll need the included remote. We said in our review that jumping between the app and the remote does feel a little jarring when using the ST25. In comparison, the EXN100 is much slicker and simpler in use via the one control app.

**Winner: Cambridge Audio EXN100**

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: features

In terms of streaming features, the two streamers are neck-and-neck with their offerings. The most popular music streaming services – Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, even Deezer and Amazon Music – are baked in, as is internet radio.

Both units feature AirPlay, Google Cast and are Roon Ready certified. However, while the Cambridge EXN100 offers Bluetooth (aptX HD) for easy streaming from mobile devices, the Arcam ST25 eschews Bluetooth altogether.

The Connect versions of Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz are fully supported, meaning you can use the native music apps directly to stream hi-res tunes to the streamer, without the need to go through a separate app. Both feature wi-fi and wired Ethernet connections, and you can access and play songs stored on UPnP-compatible media libraries and NAS devices on the same home network.

Regardless of how we play our music, from Tidal Connect to our Naim Uniti Core server, both streamers play all tunes without any fuss.

One point of difference is the maximum file resolutions and format they support. Cambridge takes the lead here, with playback of up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM, DSD512 and MQA files possible. Arcam’s support extends to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files.

In our experience, the vast majority of hi-res downloads and libraries are available in 24-bit/192kHz native resolution or lower, so either streamer should be more than capable enough for most users. Only those with the most niche music collections should need to check this specification with a fine-tooth comb to ensure the streamer plays those rarer hi-res files and formats.

When it comes to physical connections, Arcam keeps things simple with optical, coaxial and line-level RCA outputs, and a USB type A port for plugging in hard drives. Cambridge goes further with additional balanced XLR outputs, digital inputs – including a USB type B port – and, most importantly, an HDMI eARC input. For those wanting to incorporate your streamer into your TV/home cinema set up, this inclusion will undoubtedly be attractive.

Both streamers offer the essentials of a modern streamer to suit most users’ needs, and we can’t imagine anyone feeling shortchanged with either. The Cambridge EXN100’s inclusion of the HDMI input and Bluetooth means it takes the win this round.

**Winner: Cambridge Audio EXN100**

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: sound

Cambridge’s EXN100 impresses straight out of the box with a clear, spacious and balanced sound. We play Alt-J’s Breezeblocks and “there’s a controlled sense of rhythm, attack and drive, while also moving with just enough fluidity to sound at ease”. The stereo imaging is stable, while the room-filling sound is composed and controlled.

We said in our review that there is “enough body to the sound that music never sounds thin but also not overly warm; it simply sounds well balanced”. Bass notes are deep, agile and tuneful, while voices – such as on Waxahatchee’s Right Back To It – are clearly defined and in solid focus.

It’s a confident, muscular presentation whose balanced character is heard regardless of what source you play. The EXN100 does perform its best when fed high-resolution tracks, but it doesn’t make a fuss when streaming music using lossy Bluetooth.

Our main complaint here is that we wish for more subtlety in the way it handles dynamic shifts, and for the EXN100 to have a bit more attitude and emotion for songs that require it.

Arcam’s ST25 also impresses us with a “crystal clear” presentation, with an “eerily quiet backdrop for the music” that allows instruments ample space to breathe and greater detail and texture to be revealed. Basslines bound along with speed, agility and power, laying a fantastic foundation for the high-energy tempo of Madonna's Sky Fits Heaven.

Shift gears down to a more contemplative Ludovico Einaudi composition (Einaudi: Experience), and here Arcam’s greater fidelity with detail and dynamic subtlety comes to the fore.

The precision and delicacy of the piano notes are beautifully replayed: “Notes hang in open space, with differences in dynamics explicitly presented. You can hear the intent and intensity behind each key strike change as the track flows gracefully along.”

As the tightly defined strings and snappy percussive elements join the fray, the “drama blossoms into a beautiful crescendo” – it’s a captivating performance that fills the ample soundstage.

Compared with the Cambridge streamer, Arcam’s quieter background allows for a greater level of insight and emotion to be revealed, while its dynamic prowess – both in the contrast between the quiet and loud moments and in the subtler shades between notes – delivers an overall more musically satisfying experience.

**Winner: Arcam ST25**

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: verdict

Cambridge Audio’s EXN100 and Arcam’s ST25 are both five-star Award winners, and truly you can’t go wrong with either. Each streamer has its many strengths, and much of your choice might well come down to personal preference of the finer details in design, use and feature set.

In our comparative tests, we do have a clear preference when it comes to sound quality, as evidenced by the trophy being handed over from one Cambridge-born company to another at the most recent What Hi-Fi? Awards.

The refined and spacious Cambridge streamer will appeal to many, but the Arcam ST25’s more insightful and dynamically subtle sound is the one that captures our attention more, and allows us to make a stronger connection to the music we’re listening to. For its greater sonic talents, we can put up with some of our niggles with the app.

If you’re after a talented, well-made premium streamer that brings your digital music library or streamed playlists to life, the Arcam ST25 is a worthy choice.

**Overall winner: Arcam ST25**

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Roksan has added two new models to its Caspian Series 4G range: a streaming preamplifier and matching power amplifier.

The Caspian Streaming Pre-Amplifier and Caspian Power Amplifier are "engineered to deliver breathtaking musicality with effortless power and control," according to Roksan.

Following the acquisition by the Monitor Audio Group in 2016, the brand says these products are designed to capture the essence of the 40-year-old Roksan brand, but take it firmly into the future. The new duo join the two Caspian 4G integrated amplifiers (one with streaming) that were launched in 2024.

The Caspian Streaming Pre-Amplifier uses the established BluOS streaming platform, bringing support for Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz (and their Connect versions) along with a host of music streaming and internet radio options.

You can also play stored music from connected NAS devices via wi-fi or Ethernet, with maximum resolution supported up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM files (but no DSD). The amp is Roon Ready certified, too.

It uses a fully balanced analogue preamplifier section, along with multiple dedicated power supplies to ensure clean current delivery with minimal noise. The ground-switching input design aims to minimise cross-talk between connected devices, too.

Additionally, it uses Roksan's bespoke 'Rapture' DAC circuit, a discrete, dual-mono, differential current-conveyor design, that the brand says should result in "precise stereo imaging and exceptional resolution".

The BluOS app can be used to control all your sources and streaming music playback, while Roksan also offers its MaestroUnite app for the initial hardware set-up and to fine-tune the sound to your environment, thanks to the preamp's DSP settings. There are four options – Intelligent Tone, Intelligent Boundary, Intelligent Speaker and Intelligent Phono – that help optimise the Caspian's sound to your speakers' placement and more.

The Caspian Power Amplifier is designed to "uncompromising drive and power" and can be used in stereo or mono-block configurations. Roksan states it offers 105 watts per channel into 8 ohms, or 200 watts into 4 ohms. It uses Roksan's advanced 'Euphoria' Class A/B amplification, which features a precision-engineered analogue circuitry to "ensure a transparent signal path that preserves every detail and dynamic nuance of the music," says Roksan.

Individual power supplies are also used for the the current and voltage amplification stages, which promises a purer, cleaner and more dynamic sound, while there is increased voltage headroom to prevent clipping.

Around the back, you'll find a combination of analogue and digital inputs, including balanced XLR inputs, optical and coaxial connections. There is also an HDMI ARC input to integrate the Roksans in a TV/AV system, and a MM/MC phono input for turntables.

A minimal OLED display strip on the front panel shows key information such as source icons and volume, as indicated with orange LEDs – similar to the ones we experienced on the Attessa Streaming Amplifier.

The single control dial on the Streaming Pre-Amplifier works for volume and selecting sources. A hybrid digital-analogue volume control is used to reduce crosstalk, distortion and ensure a stable channel balance at all settings.

Both Caspian 4G units feature extruded heatsinks, chamfered machined edges and custom-built internal antennas, and are hand-built in Monitor Audio Group's headquarters in Essex, UK.

The Roksan Caspian 4G Streaming Pre-Amplifier and Caspian Power Amplifier can be bought separately or together as part of a system, and are available now in silver or black finishes. The prices are as follows:

Caspian Streaming Pre-Amplifier: £3500 / $4500 / €4000

Caspian Power Amplifier: £3000 / $3750 / €3500

Caspian Streaming Pre & Power Amplifier System: £6500 / $8250 / €7500

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It's not even worth dwelling on how far back 1996 was. We hate to break it to you, but the twelve happy months which gave us the first-ever flip phone (the Motorola StarTAC), the first Pokémon game and the birth of Dolly the Sheep were 30 whole years ago.

Instead, distract yourself from time's relentless march forwards by looking defiantly back in the opposite direction. 1996 was one heck of a year for music – an era which served up a mix of acid house ravers, Britpop swaggerers and post-grunge sleeve-chewers, all smashed together to craft the intoxicating cocktail of those hopeful pre-Millennium days.

COVID? Social media? Economic downturn? Dude, wake up – it was all just a bad dream.

1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins are an iconic band, especially if you’re a grunge fan. Their third album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, is often viewed as a key reason why.

The album took the Pumpkins in a different direction from their contemporaries. Featuring an eclectic mix of tracks full of textured compositions and an overarching ethereal feel, Mellon Collie... was a radical departure from the raw, punk-inspired despondence the grunge movement was famous for.

So it makes sense that 1979, which frontman Billy Corgan describes as the most personally important song on the album, is pretty awesome and one of the most iconic tracks of 1996, at least for me.

Chronicling Corgan’s feelings as he turned 12 in, you guessed it, 1979, it’s a dreamy, intentionally dirge-like, slightly euphoric song that still tugs at my nostalgia strings whenever I hear it and one that I’ve loved since I was a teenager.

Like many of us of a certain age, there was a time when a copy of Mellon Collie on CD or MiniDisc was always in my bag, and I must have played the song at least once a day between the ages of 14 and 15.

Yet the thing that makes it all the more special is that it very nearly didn’t make it onto the album. Stories suggest Mellon Collie was composed and recorded at a feverish pace, and 1979 was a particularly turbulent entry to it.

Originally a demo Corgan made based on the opening melody without lyrics, the album’s producer didn’t think it was “good enough” and didn’t want it included. In response, Corgan locked himself away and worked on it overnight, crafting its lyrics and finishing it with samples and effects the band had never used before.

The result is a complex track that feels entirely different to the rest of Mellon Collie, which itself was very experimental, hinting at the more textured, synth-pop direction the band would take on its subsequent, and much more controversial among fans, album, Adore.

Hence I feel it deserves a place on this list, not just as one of my favourite songs of all time, but as a piece of music’s history.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Forty Six & 2 by Tool

Tool are a terrific provider of test tracks at the best of times, with the entirety of 1996’s Ænima stuffed to the brim with lush, hi-fi ready goodness for music keenos and sonic tinkerers to obsess over.

Forty Six & 2 is a relatively easy track to get a handle on if you’re a newbie, and while it clocks in at around six minutes long, it’s not hard to see why it’s become such a perennial favourite among headbanging stud-wearers and basement dwelling engineers.

Cohesion, organisation and detail are all up to the test, but it’s your systems sense of dynamics – both small scale and full range – that Forty Six & 2 is most adept at spotlighting. The tune’s ever-chuntering bassline will give you a keen sense of how your hi-fi is adapting to small volume changes on the go, while intermittent thumps of energy as the entire ensemble erupts are perfect for assessing those massive, thunderous swings.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine

“They don’t gotta' burn the books they just remove ’em / While arms warehouses fill as quickly as the cells”.

The ‘Rage’ part of Rage Against the Machine feels even more relevant today than it did 30 years ago. Bulls on Parade was written in 1996 to criticise the U.S. military and arms industry, and has been used as a protest song ever since, with lyrics that remain just as pertinent today worldwide.

Explosive, razor-sharp and inciting, Zach de la Rocha doesn’t mince his words and we feel every brunt of the unflinching political lyrics. It’s an incendiary track with a powerful, muscular driving rhythm and full-throttle energy that never takes its foot off the pedal.

Of course, Tom Morello’s wrangling of his guitar to make a vinyl record scratch effect is another highlight of the track – one that still sounds unique three decades later.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Midnight In a Perfect World by DJ Shadow

Back in 1996, DJ Shadow released Entroducing….., and took hip-hop in a whole new direction. The album was much more cinematic that what had come before, with a much wider range of influences than your standard “hands in the air” fare. And that was encapsulated with the lead single, Midnight In A Perfect World.

Its samples might be diverse – rock, soul, funk, spoken word, film dialogue – but they all have one thing in common: obscurity. Whether it’s that floating female vocal (taken from Baraka’s Sower Of Seeds), the main piano hook (from David Axelrod’s The Human Abstract) or spoken word from an interview about drums, you could spend hours hunting down the various nuggets that make up this track.

Yet it all gels together surprisingly well, like it was somehow meant to be. On release it was categorised as the new genre of trip-hop, along with British bands Portishead and Massive Attack, but Midnight In A Perfect World was something else entirely – the sound of a new voice that would continue to take hip-hop to new places throughout the ensuing decades.

True, with its breakbeat drums, soulful vocals and looped-up samples, it set the template for all that chillout ephemera that was farted out around the turn of the century. But as a snapshot of a bold new era of hip-hop in the 90s, it stands alone.

Words by Joe Svetlik

Firestarter by The Prodigy

It's hard to overstate the impact The Prodigy's sneering techno anthem had on 1996's musical landscape. At a time rock was making a half-arsed chart comeback via Britpop Dad-rock, watching Keith Flint tear it up on the Firestarter video on Top Of The Pops, looking every bit the living, snarling embodiment of acid-induced psychosis, was just magnificent.

And people actually complained to the BBC that the video was scaring their kids. The track itself though is the real beast; invigorating breakbeat techno infused with snarling punk attitude, ominous synths and freakish samples.

Through the right system, it's a great test of timing and your hi-fi's handling of all the frequencies, as Liam Howlett's brain-searing electronic hooks and loops, dipping and swelling to create multiple 'drop' moments, is underpinned by monstrously gut-gripping bass and body-blow beats.

And it still sounds awesome.

Words by Chris Burke

Sandstorm by Cast

Sandstorm is, perhaps, one of Britpop’s lesser-known singles, despite being released at the height of the movement and climbing as high as eighth in the UK Singles Chart. Released in January 1996 as the third single from All Change (1995), the debut album from Liverpudlians Cast, Sandstorm is another fine example of Liverpool’s rich musical history.

Like a lot of Britpop, it’s clearly taken some inspiration from the sixties. The breakdowns and guitar solo certainly have an ethereal, psychedelic quality to them, as do the backup vocals, but the rest of the song has a wonderful drive to it: piercing lead notes, crunching guitars and a bouncy rhythm section that beautifully propels you from one point to the next and eventually to the song’s striking, but not sudden, conclusion.

With a playtime of just over two and a half minutes, it definitely falls into the category of short, but it’s a track that is almost certainly sweet.

Words by James Cook

Don't Let Go (Love) by En Vogue

I have loved this song ever since I heard it as a pre-teen, even if I completely misheard some of the lyrics in the chorus when it was on repeat on MTV.

But it’s a dramatic love song that sits a mature step above the usual saccharine pop fare from that era. En Vogue were one of the defining female R&B acts of the 90s (alongside TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, Toni Braxton and Aaliyah), and Don’t Let Go is a deliciously smouldering and empowering ballad that allows the quartet to flex their considerable vocal skills and lush harmonies to the max.

The arrangement is fantastic, with an agile, sultry bass underpinning the track with hints of funk; but really, it’s the soaring, commanding vocals and endlessly sing-a-long chorus that will grab you from the first note and won’t, well, let you go.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Born Slippy. NUXX by Underworld

1996 will go down in history (well, my history at least) as the year I first got into dance music. My newfound thirst for bpm was predominantly powered by two things: the Ministry of Sound: The Annual II album, which, to this day it still contains its fair share of bangers, and the closing track to one of the best movies of the year: Trainspotting.

Okay, so Born Slippy. NUXX might have first appeared on a B-side in 1995, but its reissue in July ‘96 rode the wave of Danny Boyle’s cinematic masterpiece, catapulting it not only into the mainstream, but my ears, too.

The slow, synth-y start sets a thoughtful tone and sets the mood for the end of the film perfectly as Renton summons up the courage to leave his chums behind for a brand new start. Little did I know the track was about to explode into an assault on the senses, the march led by a pounding kickdrum that never fails to get my foot tapping.

A club classic.

Words by Andy Madden

Valley of the Shadows by Unknown Origin

OK, so it originally came out in 1993, but Valley of the Shadows went from underground to overground upon its re-release in 1996, and quickly became one of the biggest jungle tracks of all time. Some 30 years later, it remains instantly recognisable to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre.

The epitome of being ahead of its time, Origin Unknown (Andy C and Ant Miles) married the iconic “long, dark tunnel” vocal sample (taken from the BBC’s QED TV show) with shuffling breakbeats and a necessarily deep and ominous bass line. Eerie synths completed the magic and ultimately brought jungle to a whole new audience, kickstarting the rise in global popularity of drum and bass.

In 2026 it still provides an excellent test of rhythm and timing, while you will certainly get an idea of how well your system delivers bass. Don’t be scared; turn it up and enjoy.

Words by Joe Cox

Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai

It’s fine, not everybody likes Jamiroquai. The Jay-Kay fronted group were a major force in the the development of acid and jazz fusion across the 1990s, blending cheeky, occasionally provocative lyrics with crisp production and a keen ear for a catchy chorus, gaining notoriety from danceable, fleet-footed hits such as Space Cowboy, Cosmic Girl and Canned Heat. Oh, and let's not forget Jay Kay’s endearing disco-dad dancing and assortment of outlandish headwear.

Whatever your disposition towards one of the defining funk acts of the decade, there’s no escaping Jamiroquai’s test room credentials. Want proof? We’re the proud owners of the group’s Greatest Hits CD, regularly giving it a spin whenever we want to see how well a CD player or hi-fi setup handles rhythms, cohesion, and Jay Kay’s flighty falsetto.

As one of Jamiroquai’s biggest hits, Virtual Insanity is a great place to start, with its breezy vibes belying darker concerns regarding the creeping encroachment of digital alienation. Funky!

Words by Harry McKerrell

The Distance by Cake

There is no other band that really sounds like Cake. That mixture of college rock, alt rock and singer John McCrea’s sardonic tone is unmistakably recognisable the second you hear it, and their standout single, The Distance, from the second album Fashion Nugget (which is filled with great tracks) is a perfect testament to their musical talents.

McCrea’s deadpan delivery shouldn’t work so well with the driving, snappy rhythm section, but it all contrasts and melds together in a melodic, cohesive way. It is, quite frankly, a bop.

McCrea’s lyrics take centre stage in the verses before the crunchy guitars and trumpet flourishes kick in for the big chorus, and coupled with the backing vocals and the odd synth sounds, it creates this wonderful melange of noise that is arch, inventive, rocky and, simply, just a great tune that never loses momentum.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

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At long last, Mission has launched its 778S music streamer, and it's full of surprises.

This standalone streamer is designed to match the 778X stereo amplifier, a half-width design that marked Mission's return to the amplifier market in late 2022, after a hiatus of 40 years. It received five stars in our review for its wonderfully balanced sound and compact, versatile design for the attractive price (£549 / $549 / AU$1099).

The matching music streamer (and CD transport) for the 778X was first teased at High End Munich in May 2024, showcasing the same half-width design; but details and pricing were under wraps – until now.

We now know the Mission 778S is as well equipped as any modern network music player, and it is designed in partnership with streaming specialist Silent Angel.

This specialist streaming brand has been around since 2014, and Mission says the 778S integrates “a custom version of Silent Angel’s streaming engine with Mission’s own circuit designs” along with a specialised app for iOS and Android designs.

The 778S supports all the popular streaming features: Connect versions of Qobuz, Tidal and Spotify, TuneIn internet radio, and AirPlay 2. Wi-fi and ethernet are on board, while DLNA/UPnP compatibility ensures that the 778S will be able to stream files from any connected storage devices on the same home network, such as a laptop or NAS drive. The unit it also Roon Ready, but there is no Google Chromecast or Bluetooth on board here.

As part of the DAC stage, Mission uses the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M chip along with its proprietary clock and power supply circuitry. The brand has taken care to “eliminate noise and distortion in the signal path”, along with ensuring that clean, consistent power is sent to the digital and analogue stages.

File compatibility is extensive, with the streamer supporting up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512 – that's more than enough for the majority of digital libraries and hi-res streaming platforms.

The streamer is also able to upsample all PCM streams to 352.8kHz or 384kHz before converting to analogue, in a bid to move digital artefacts into the realms beyond audible hearing. Alternatively, users can select between five “reconstruction filters” to fine-tune the sound to your source.

There is a healthy complement of physical connections too, including USB-C and two USB-A ports for connecting to laptops and storage devices. There are balanced XLR and RCA outputs on the analogue side, along with digital coaxial, optical and USB-A outputs. It even has a 6.35mm headphone socket.

Mission stats that “every aspect of its technical design is focused on delivering sonic excellence.” We are promised a “fluid, full-bodied, detailed and dynamic” performance. The ‘mission’, according to the press release, is “to bring sonic rapture to music-loving souls on this earthly plane.” That's quite the ambition.

The 778S follows the same half-width design with anodised aluminium casing as the 778X amplifier, and features two large control dials (one for input selection, one for volume control) in a symmetrical format on the front panel.

There is no full-colour display with album artwork as we have come to expect from most modern streaming rivals; instead, the 778S has a dimmable OLED display for text-based information such as input chosen.

The Mission 778S will be available from late January in silver or black finishes, and costs £799 / $1699 / AU$1899. At this price, its main rivals are the five-star Cambridge Audio CXN100 (£799 / $1049 / AU$1899) and Award-winning Bluesound Node Icon (£899 / $1199 / AU$1949). Let’s hope Mission's first streamer has been worth the wait.

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Marantz has announced the newest additions to its home cinema range: the AV 30 Preamplifier and AMP 30 Power Amplifier.

They are taking a page from the Award-winning Marantz Cinema 30's design, featuring an "iconic porthole" screen and stylish illumination on the side. The remote controls for each model also feature backlighting to “ensure an effortless user experience in darkened rooms".

Taking a closer look at the AV 30, the 11.4-channel preamplifier is deploying “state-of-the-art processing” and “comprehensive features”, according to the brand.

The AV processor comes with the "latest and most powerful" Analogue Devices SHARC dual-core DSP chipset, which is paired with 32-bit two-channel DACs.

Marantz claims the AV 30 will be able to decode and process "all forms of incoming audio", including Dolby Atmos, IMAX Enhanced, DTS:X and AURO-3D.

And, with 11.4 channels supported by the discrete HDAM SA-2 preamplifier stage (via either RCA or XLR), it seems promising that the AV 30 will be able to deliver an immersive audio experience.

The brand is offering an impressive seven HDMI 2.1 inputs, which can support up to 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz video.

On top of that, the AV 30 is powered by the HEOS platform to give you access to a range of music streaming services. That includes Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect for hi-res tunes, as well as AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth.

You can fine-tune the product to your space with the help of Audyssey MultEQ XT32 advanced room optimisation, which automatically calibrates based on speaker size and distance via the included microphone.

Moving onto the AMP 30, Marantz has dubbed the entry “powerful and versatile”.

It delivers six channels of amplification, rated at 200W per channel, which Marantz claims is ideal for "multiple different system configurations".

It also provides the option of reconfiguring pairs of 200W amp channels into bridged-tied-load (BTL) outputs, with up to a maximum of three channels of 400W available if the chosen speaker system requires it. You can also choose to bi-amp up to three speakers.

Having 'just' six channels of amplification means that a single AMP 30 can't take full advantage of the AV 30's 14 channels of processing, but buyers can, of course, partner the AV 30 with the 12-channel AMP 20 or 16-channel AMP 10 if they prefer.

The AV 30 and AMP 30 will be available this month from select retailers, with each priced at £3500 / $4000 (around AU$7105).

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We know FiiO best for its feature-laden portable music players and affordable digital-to-analogue converters, but, as we take a look at the company’s website, the sheer breadth of its product range is astonishing. You’ll find countless headphones of all types alongside active speakers, desktop audio products, cables and even a portable cassette deck. Record player? Yes, FiiO makes one of those, too.

Clearly, this is an ambitious and adventurous company, so when it launches its first full-size music streamer, we can’t wait to have a listen. FiiO refers to the S15 as a ‘desktop high-res audio streamer’, but we aren’t sure what that actually means.

In the metal, it is a standard, full-width 43cm unit, the same as any conventional hi-fi product, and there isn’t anything in the feature set that screams out dedicated desktop audio use to us. The S15 doesn’t even have a headphone output to suit that purpose.

Design

What we have here is a generally well-equipped but fairly conventional music streamer, and as such, it does everything you would expect from such a unit. The FiiO S15 will play music files from servers attached to your home network or any memory storage connected directly into its USB-A socket. As expected, it can connect to your home network either wired or wirelessly.

The S15’s operating system is based on Android 12, and as such, it is possible to download any appropriate app from the Google Play Store. Our review sample didn’t have either Tidal or Qobuz loaded straight out of the box, but it was the work of minutes to get them downloaded and functioning.

The use of Android undoubtedly gives the FiiO a great deal of versatility compared to most conventional rivals, but its inclusion brings about some usability issues, too, as we will find out later.

Connectivity

There is plenty of connectivity here, mostly digital, of course. You will find a USB-C port on the front panel to connect a computer, alongside a USB-A socket for external memory storage. Look around the back, and there is another USB-A, the usual optical and coaxial inputs (and more unusually, mirrored outputs), plus an HDMI, HDMI ARC and a third HDMI socket that outputs an I2S digital signal to feed a suitably featured external DAC.

Then there is the less common AES/EBU balanced digital connection with separate sockets for both input and output. Two-way Bluetooth (aptX HD/LDAC compatible) is on the menu too. As for the analogue outputs, the S15 has two sets of stereo RCAs and a single stereo balanced XLR.

This FiiO can also work as a server. It has an SD card slot (a maximum of 2TB capacity) and can support an M.2 NVMe SSD drive (also a maximum 2TB capacity).

Add it all up and, in terms of features at least, there is little else we can reasonably ask for from a product such as this, bar the rather odd omission of a physical headphone output.

Take a look inside this FiiO streamer and you will find AKM’s flagship two-chip AK4191/ AK4499EX combo at the heart of its digital circuitry. The AK4191 handles all the processing while its partner is responsible for the actual conversion. The timing of the circuit is controlled by a pair of high-grade Accusilicon AS318B low-jitter femtosecond clocks. The S15’s analogue section is fully balanced to minimise crosstalk and noise levels.

Elsewhere, the power supply uses a custom-made, low noise 35VA toroidal transformer and four 4700uF ELNA capacitors in a bid to deliver a stable, pure feed to the audio circuits. The power feeds to the digital and analogue sections of the circuit are kept isolated to prevent unwanted interactions spoiling the sound.

Build & usability

General build quality is good, as you would expect at this premium level, though there are areas where this FiiO feels a little low rent. We like the crisp 7.84-inch full colour touchscreen display, and the S15’s aluminium casework feels pretty solid, but the sense of quality is let down by the rather insubstantial dual rotary controls. There is very little resistance and a bit too much wobble in their movement for our liking.

While we’re on the negatives, we don’t find the S15 pleasant to use. The Android operating system allows it to be extremely versatile, but it also makes the player feel clunky. There are slight hesitations in carrying out actions, and the touchscreen isn’t always as responsive as we would like.

Its user interface isn’t particularly intuitive, either, and even after a couple of weeks we still find ourselves wondering how to get to a specific setting or function on far too many occasions.

That isn’t the worst of it, though. The partnering FiiO Control app, the main way most users will interface with the product, is one of the poorest streaming apps we’ve come across in years. It is buggy, poorly designed and prone to crashing. Some instructions inexplicably come up in Chinese, and the placement of some of the notifications is occasionally awful.

It also looks like it is optimised for a smartphone screen, and so there are huge empty spaces when using our usual iPad.

We are shocked that a company that has so much experience with streaming products can produce such a sub-standard app and general user interface, and that is reflected in our rating for Build.

Sound

With that out of the way, we can move to the S15’s sound quality, and here it is more of a mixed bag. We spend plenty of time working through the FiiO streamer’s various sound and filter options until we feel that we’ve optimised the results as much as we can.

On the positive side, we think this FiiO makes a generally positive first impression and can certainly see it impressing on a short demo at a dealer. It also sounds pleasingly consistent across its digital inputs, including Bluetooth, which connects to our phone seamlessly.

The S15’s sonic character is smooth and full-bodied, delivering generous doses of warmth and weight that we think many will like. This is mostly an unfussy performer that tends to be kind to thin or aggressive recordings, while still offering a decent level of clarity.

Listen to something easy-going, such as Come Away With Me by Norah Jones or Sade’s Diamond Life, and you’ll find things to like; the FiiO’s tonal balance is decently even, and the midrange relatively clear. Voices come through with solidity, and there is a nice sense of boldness to the presentation. In a market where many manufacturers value agility over authority and natural warmth, the FiiO’s sonic character holds appeal.

However, its limitations soon start to show when we play a wider range of music. As we work our way from The Police’s stark but energetic Outlandos d’Amour through to TLC’s CrazySexyCool, taking in Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and Coltrane’s A Love Supreme on the way, we can help but notice that the FiiO struggles to deliver the true essence of each musical performance.

It delivers a compressed sound that fails to convey the dynamic ebb and flow of the music properly. The track Roxanne from The Police is robbed of its rawness, while the TLC set sounds oddly sanitised, with the group’s punchy beats and passion-filled vocals lacking their usual verve.

Rhythmic drive isn’t conveyed well, with the FiiO unable to deliver the innate momentum of the music properly. The presentation sounds safe and undemanding, whereas the TLC recording demands punch and attitude. It doesn’t help that lows sound overly plump and poorly defined. Those after taut and tuneful bass definitely need to look elsewhere.

The S15’s limitations are thrown into sharp relief by the similarly priced Bluesound Node Icon rival. This Award-winning streamer has become a firm favourite at What Hi-Fi? Towers thanks to its blend of exceptional sound quality, operational stability and sensible feature list (which includes dual 6.3mm headphone outputs, by the way).

We use our reference Burmester’s 088/911 MkIII stereo amplifier and the ATC SCM50 speakers for much of our testing and comparisons, but also try both the FiiO and Bluesound streamers in a more price-compatible system of the Arcam A5+ amplifier and KEF LS50 Meta stereo speakers. Regardless of set-up, the Bluesound is streets ahead when it comes to sound quality.

The Node Icon is simply more transparent. It sounds considerably more insightful and offers far more in the way of resolution and precision. We can hear deeper into the mix and pick up on low-level details that the FiiO simply ignores; the reverb around a vocal or the acoustic clues that define the recording venue are more obvious. The TLC album is now fun to listen to, while A Love Supreme grips our attention and emotions from beginning to end.

Verdict

The FiiO S15 certainly impresses on paper and offers a degree of versatility that betters most of the competition. But given its premium price, that simply isn’t enough. We feel there could be a solid product here; the raw ingredients certainly seem present, but the S15 needs further development, as does the undercooked app. Until that happens, our money would go elsewhere.

Review published: 8th January 2026

SCORES

• Sound 2
• Build 3
• Features 5

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Best music streamers: top network audio players tested by our experts

Onkyo is kicking off the new year with a bang. Not only is the Japanese brand celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, it has also announced a new series of hi-fi products at CES 2026.

The Onkyo Muse series consists of two streaming amplifiers, the Y-50 and Y-40, which combine amplification, network streaming, DAC and connectivity in one unit – you just need to add speakers.

The Muse series aims to be a "vibrant entertainment hub for today’s streaming music lovers" while also delivering "a new benchmark for uncompromising hi-fi" in a compact design.

Both models feature Class D amplification and fully digital circuits, aiming to deliver fast, precise and powerful sound with an immersive soundstage. Along with wi-fi and wired Ethernet, the Muse series supports Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Chromecast and AirPlay 2 to handle your streaming needs.

On both units, a 5.46-inch colour LCD display screen dominates the aluminium front panel, which allows you to browse all your connected streaming services, serves up track information and metadata, and can also display VU meters for that retro-analogue touch.

The minimalist chassis is available in black or silver, has heat vents on top that feature a traditional Japanese “San Kuzushi” pattern, and features an all-new volume control design.

The Muse Y-50 boasts 250W per channel into 4 ohms, and includes Onkyo's built-in Room EQ room calibration technology to optimise the amp's sound to your space.

Onkyo claims the Y-50 delivers "a dynamic, detailed soundstage that faithfully conveys the artist’s intent" and has enough grunt to drive speakers "of any size".

Physical connections include three pairs of RCA line-level inputs, a digital coaxial input, HDMI ARC input, and subwoofer output. It also has a built-in phono stage compatible with moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, and a 6.3mm headphone jack.

The Muse Y-40, meanwhile, offers 150W per channel into 4 ohms, and inputs include three RCA, coax, phono and HDMI ARC. It has the same streaming features as its bigger sibling and a 6.3mm headphone jack, but lacks the built-in Room EQ feature.

Onkyo's Muse series will be available in May 2026. The Y-50 is set to cost $1499, while the Y-40 will cost $999, with UK, AUS and other pricing TBC.

But that's not all – to mark eight decades of Onkyo and its "rebirth", there will also be a special limited edition Muse model available. Inspired by the design of the classic, high-end Onkyo M-588 stereo power amplifier, this 80th anniversary Muse streaming amplifier edition (pictured above) features a champagne-gold aluminium chassis with real-wood walnut veneer side panels.

This limited edition model is "positioned as a flagship expression of Onkyo’s past and future". We're told that 1000 units of the Muse 80th is expected to be available worldwide. We don't have details on price yet, but we're told that it will be launching in summer 2026.

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It’s the end of the year, and that means that, since you’ve been good, you can all wear casual clothes this Friday and bring in your favourite toy to share with the class. Just make sure you’ve got a label somewhere on your fire engine so we know it's yours.

It also means that it's time to share our favourite test tracks of the year in this rather special edition of our 'Now Playing' column. Each month during 2025, we have brought you the test tracks, new and old, which we feel deserve a place on your testing rotation.

Now, for one final time in 2025, we're collating the tunes that we think will get your system purring, providing it's up to the challenge. From Ghost and Deftones to Billie Eilish and Bon Iver, we're making sure this rollercoaster year goes out with a bang.

• Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal

The Package by De La Soul

Best known for their loved-up debut 3 Feet High And Rising, New York hip-hop group De La Soul have gone back to their roots with this single off their latest album. And it’s a doozy.

Like their classics The Magic Number and Eye Know, The Package is built around a catchy sample, in this case the chorus from Seven Years by Curtis Mayfield’s group The Impressions. Producer Pete Rock makes the piano loop almost hypnotic, punctuated by that irrepressible horn. Your system will need a good deal of clarity in the midrange to pick up on the finer details of some of the more obscure vocal samples (Cynthy Ruth was a new one on me).

That all said, I’m not sure about the visualiser video that accompanies it on YouTube. It’s all a bit Monty Python – I keep expecting a massive foot to appear and squash it all.

But sonically, The Package is a treat. And that’s what really matters, right?

Words by Joe Svetlik

Blue by Billie Eilish

While there are plenty of single tracks that I’ve been obsessed with this year – Doechii’s Denial Is A River, Tunng’s Didn’t Know Why, Kendrick Lamar’s They Not Like Us, Marion Black’s Who Knows – there has been an album that I have dipped into every time during testing this year.

No, it’s not KPop Demon Hunters (although that did get a lot of replay); it’s Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft. I got into Eilish a bit late, and I have to credit my colleague Ketan Bharadia for playing Blue during one review, and it has become a staple test track ever since.

The album’s recording is gorgeous: dynamic, polished, intricately layered and intimate. On Blue, there are lush details, hypnotic vocals, and a gripping, rhythmic momentum that deserve to be heard on a great sound system.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Infinite Source by Deftones

There’s a lot of nostalgia for 2000s metal and rock bands right now. Every big festival, from Download to Primavera Sound, seems to have at least a few acts from the era playing the big stage next year.

While even a greybeard millennial who survived them the first time around will admit most of them haven’t aged terribly well, or weren’t very good to begin with, Deftones are a rare exception. So much so that calling their latest album, Private Music, a comeback leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Always the cerebral card in the 2000s pack, the band has delivered a steady stream of thought-provoking bangers. Each with its famous hypnotic vocals and incredible interlinking guitar parts that create a distinctive “vibe” – one that’s instantly recognisable to any fan, no matter how long it's been since they last visited the band’s work.

This remains the case with its new 2025 album, Private Music, which is fantastic from start to finish. One track in particular stands out to me, though, and has earned a place on my most-played list this year: Infinite Source. Starting with a riff that instantly hooks you in, it mixes elements of the epic, iconic track Minerva from 2003 with the earlier, heavier work from the band’s self-titled debut album.

The result is a track that feels entirely fresh and accurately conveys singer Chino Moreno’s feelings, celebrating his sobriety while owning and taking responsibility for his chaotic past.

Whether you’re an existing Deftones fan or new to their work, it’s a fantastic song that’s well worth a listen.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Everything In Its Right Place by Radiohead

This track by Radiohead is undeniably the one I have used the most this year to test out a range of different AV kit. With its ethereal feel and synthy vocals, Everything In Its Right Place properly challenges a sound system from the first few seconds.

The glitchy audio-effects fade in slowly along with a boppy bass track that sounds like something straight of a sci-fi movie and, with a top-quality system, should create a swirling circle of sound around the listener. This is done by the various tracks flitting from one speaker to the other, immediately challenging how well the product can handle organisation and separation.

The chorus ramps this up even more as additional vocal tracks and alien-like buzzing are added to the mix, all layered over the same bass line from the beginning. After this dazzling crescendo, the track simmers down and is stripped to just fading vocals and the synth bass.

It’s a simply exquisite audio experience that makes you feel every note, as well as being a great way to give any sound system a run for its money.

Words by Robyn Quick

From by Bon Iver

I’ve been saving this song in particular for our end of the year test track round-up, because I knew it would be my favourite upon my very first listen.

Cast your mind back to our April edition of Now Playing, and you’ll find that I highlighted Bon Iver’s Walk Home as my top track of the month. In that entry, I implored readers to “keep an ear out for the full album – titled SABLE, fABLE…”. And I’m glad I did, because it turned out to be one of the best records of the year.

The highlight of the album is From, a smooth and melodic track that I’ve had on repeat ever since the album dropped eight months ago. I’ve been listening to it in and out of the test room, and it even soundtracked a week I spent in Tokyo earlier this year.

It features a soulful guitar intro from Mk.gee (whose album Two Star and the Dream Police I’d also recommend wholeheartedly), which gives way to Justin Vernon’s falsetto vocals that glide across the track with ease.

They’re backed up by harmonies that interject during the chorus, which blend with Vernon’s vocals to create a rich and textured-sounding motif throughout the song. The lyricism in this song is also rather special, with themes of acceptance and personal struggle throughout. “Don’t let it trouble your mind, just take my love in your time” are lines featured in the chorus, and I think they sum things up beautifully.

I’ve played From through a range of headphones, earbuds and speakers, and I find that the most important aspects to convey are a solid sense of timing and spaciousness. Allowing the harmonies to breathe and ensuring the percussion in the background is snappy ensures that the dreamy, airy nature of the song is preserved.

Words by Lewis Empson

Satanized by Ghost

Before the entire album from which it’s taken was fully released, I selected Ghost’s Satanized as one of my top testing picks back in June. I was fully justified in doing so – it’s been a go to banger in the intervening months for both personal and professional reasons thanks to its campy orchestral feel and ability to tease out your system's rhythmic capabilities.

Since that time, Ghost released the entirety of their 2025 record Skeletá. And, while it doesn’t hit the heights of their previous untouchable effort Impera, it continues to demonstrate a group that is capable of delighting and bemusing in near-equal measure.

Satanized is probably the standout, but there’s fun aplenty to be had courtesy of the catchy peppiness of Peacefield, the overwrought balladry of Guiding Lights and the tongue-in-cheek ridiculousness of Missoula Amori.

Rock ain’t dead, folks, and if it was, you can thank Ghost for its unholy resurrection.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Absolute Monster by Rene Lavice

As I’ve only recently joined What Hi-Fi?, I have been wracking my brain for tracks that I think would be great to use in our testing rooms. This process has taken me back to Absolute Monster, a song I hadn’t heard for about a decade but that still hits as hard as it did when it was released in 2013.

If you fancy putting the depth of your hi-fi’s low-end to the test over the Christmas period, this thumper from Canadian drum and bass artist Rene Lavice is a great way to do so.

Absolute Monster begins with pounding kick drums that almost feel like they bite. This gives you a glimpse of what is to come before a disjointed, almost terror-inducing backdrop slowly builds until you’re swallowed by a tidal wave of dark, dingy noise.

This track could easily be described as audible filth, and a system with plenty of low-end depth will allow you to bask in it. However, that build up to, and eventual crash of, that gloomy wave is an excellent way to test your system’s handling of dynamics and detail, too.

Words by James Cook

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Lumin has unveiled a new flagship network audio player, the Lumin X2, which boasts a fully custom, bespoke DAC circuit and advanced streaming features for a high-end price point.

After years of R&D, Lumin has built its first in-house DAC architecture that uses individually selected components, which allows the brand to optimise every aspect of the digital-to-analogue process to a higher degree of precision in this streamer.

Replacing the Dual ESS SABRE32 ES9038Pro DAC used in the previous X1 model, the new Lumin Discrete DAC is tailored to work with the brand's streaming engine. It sits in a redesigned system with new circuit layout, power management and more precise clocking, all of which are “carefully tuned for maximum coherence, ensuring exceptional precision in network audio reproduction.”

Designed from the ground up, this custom DAC circuit works in conjunction with a fully customised Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Dual Femto Crystal Oscillators, and promises reduced timing errors, minimised interference and preserved channel separation.

Other features include a new output-buffer for greater clarity, detail and warmth, a dual-mono power supply for the analogue circuitry, and a high-quality lossless digital volume control that means you can connect the X2 directly to a power amplifier.

The X2 carries on key technologies and specifications that were introduced in Lumin's previous X1 flagship. At its centre lies Lumin's advanced streaming platform, which gives you access to all the popular music-streaming services, including Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and their Connect versions, along with Amazon Music and TuneIn internet radio stations.

Apple AirPlay is also on board, but as with other Lumin products, they don't include lossy Bluetooth here.

File compatibility is comprehensive, with support for hi-res files up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512, and you can stream from connected music libraries and servers stored on the same network.

You can control your connected music libraries and sources using the Lumin app, and the X2 is also Audirvana and Roon Ready certified.

As for physical connections, there are balanced XLR and RCA analogue outputs, while a USB port with native full hi-res and DSD512 support sits alongside a BNC SPDIF socket for digital outputs.

There are additional USB ports for connecting hard disks, flash drives and USB storage. An RJ45 Ethernet port is provided alongside an SFP Optical Network input that offers complete isolation from the rest of the network, and there is a built-in network switch.

The new flagship Lumin X2 streamer is available from December in natural or black anodised aluminium, with a matching outboard power supply unit. It will cost a cool £12,995 / $16,800 / AU$21,500.

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When Spotify launched its long-awaited Lossless streaming quality in September, I quickly signed up for an individual Premium subscription.

A big part of this was for work reasons, of course – I need to use it, test it and hear how this higher audio quality tier compares against its key rivals Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music.

I signed up for a great two-months-for-£6 offer, with a mental note to cancel it once it ended in mid-November, as I simply couldn't justify having yet another music subscription on my monthly bill. Except, after not using Spotify for many years, I found myself rather enjoying the various playlists and recommendations as I rediscovered Spotify.

But most importantly, I got hooked on audiobooks.

Reliving the experience of reading Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels over audiobook has been an absolute joy over the past two months, and I have loved being back in the city of Ankh-Morpork and its multitude of characters and adventures, and having Pratchett's incredibly sharp wit and even sharper satire running through my brain. When it came time to either cancel or carry on with my subscription, I was still halfway through Making Money – I couldn't stop now.

But my delight was punctured. A day before my full-price individual subscription was set to renew, I got that dreaded email through: that Spotify will be increasing the price of the individual Premium subscription by £1. For me, this meant my bill would be going up from £11.99 to £12.99 per month, starting from January 2026.

And that's a shame. Unlike other streaming services, Spotify has been increasing its price nearly every year, with a £1/$1 price rise in 2023 in UK and US, and another rise in 2024 to £11.99 / $11.99 for the Premium individual plans. Music Business World reported in October 2025 – only a month after Lossless was launched – that UK and Switzerland customers would be facing yet another £1 increase in subscriptions, while noting that US customers can expect another price rise in 2026.

Spotify says in the email sent to me: “The price of Premium Individual is increasing so that we can invest in our product, develop new features and continue to bring you the best experience.”

While I acknowledge that this streaming service giant has more subscribers than its rivals, and the demands of maintaining the service as well as introducing new features have their cost, I'm not sure the frequency of its price rise necessarily reflects the new features – at least from the point of view of a music fan who prioritises sound quality.

The introduction of Spotify's Lossless quality, which offers higher-resolution file quality up to 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC across its catalogue, is a feature many years in the making. It was included as part of Spotify's Premium tier, at no extra cost – at the time of launch, on 10th September. While this is an improvement over Spotify's previous 320kbps max file quality, this Lossless tier still trails behind its rivals, which offer up to full-fat 24-bit/192kHz hi-res quality.

In our updated Spotify review, we gave the streaming service four stars at its £11.99/month subscription price, noting its many feature strengths, but also pointing out that its overall sound quality (and hi-res limits) still fall behind the class leaders Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music.

Besides Lossless, which is undoubtedly the biggest update to the streaming service for music and hi-fi fans, the service has included various other features, such as enhanced listening stats, more sharing options, an AI-driven DJ and various others. Sadly, none of these, for my personal use, seems big enough to warrant paying for a price increase yet again.

In comparison, when Apple Music introduced hi-res and lossless streaming quality across its entire catalogue, it didn't increase its standard subscription. Tidal also simplified its tiers and didn't change pricing when MQA files were swapped for FLAC files in its hi-res tier. Apple Music and Tidal both currently charge £10.99 / $10.99 per month for an individual plan. Qobuz is the only one to match Spotify with a £12.99 monthly subscription; but what Qobuz lacks in extra recommendations, stats and sharing features, it makes up for with a dedication to offering only CD-quality and higher streaming.

Spotify's plethora of recommendations, its annual Wrapped stats, and its audiobook and podcast offerings are an embarrassment of riches. But when I'm already subscribed to another (better-sounding) music subscription service, have one or two TV/film subscriptions, and I can get podcasts for cheaper elsewhere, I'm not sure I can justify sticking with Spotify in the new year when the price rise comes into place.

What about my new love for audiobooks? I'll have to simply pick up my well-thumbed Discworld novels from my bookshelf and read through them again. For free.

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As music streaming dominates the way we listen to our favourite tunes more than ever before, far surpassing vinyl's resurgence, it is perhaps no surprise that the music streamer – or network audio player – category at the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 has seen such an upheaval.

Three out of the five winners are brand-new entrants, showing just how competitive and strong the market is in this ever-growing category. That these new winners are all on the premium side also shows just how serious – and seriously good – brands are getting in terms of delivering great usability, a wide array of features and great hi-res sound quality.

All the winning streamers here tick the boxes when it comes to supporting the popular music streaming services (Qobuz, Tidal, Spotify, internet radio), playing hi-res music over a wi-fi or wired network, along with a varying array of physical connectivity. Each model has its own particulars – and some provide more features than others – but overall, each model's streaming platform is strong, covers the most popular streaming methods, and is easy to use.

Taking it from the top, our most premium winner (over £2000+) is the Cyrus 40 ST. We were impressed with its sleek, modern design – that still stayed true to Cyrus's iconic half-width chassis blueprint – and were further enamoured with its terrific sound quality. We said in our review: "Dynamically, it is impressively expressive, rendering low-level shifts in intensity elegantly, and delivering large-scale orchestral crescendos with real conviction." No matter what genre of music we play through it, the Cyrus sounds composed, organised, insightful and, crucially, heaps of fun.

We concluded that the Cyrus 40 ST has a "blend of detail, dynamics and rhythmic security that’s hard to better at the money" – it's an outstanding performer.

Arcam's new ST25 is our favourite music streamer in the £1000-£2000 price range. It's actually the only traditional full-width streamer in this category, with most other winners favouring compact forms. The ST25 naturally works a treat with its partnering A5+ and A15+ stereo amplifiers (both 2025 Award winners, too), and delivers an effortless, crystal clear sound quality.

"It sets an eerily quiet backdrop for the music, which allows all the instruments space to breathe," we said in our review. "There’s a real sense of pace, agility and power to the bassline as it pounds along, laying a robust foundation for all the electronica poured on top." There is ample subtlety and dynamics as you hear the intent and intensity changing behind each piano strike, while a bountiful soundstage allows every layer of a composition to be delivered in a cohesive, insightful manner.

And the last of our fresh new trio of winners is perhaps the one with the most features packed into a small box: the Bluesound Node Icon. We've seen Bluesound pick up Award trophies in the more affordable price ranges in previous years, but it's the brand's most premium model yet that delivers a brilliantly musical, dynamic and subtle sound that works a treat for all genres of music.

We said in our review: "It’s a lively, engaging and dynamic performer that grabs our interest at the beginning and only continues to impress us the more we listen." There is a spark to the Node Icon's sound, coupled with composure, good balance and agile rhythmic ability, that means we simply have a great time listening to it.

Taking the trophy in the £750-£1000 price bracket, the Bluesound boasts plenty of additional features that the more traditional hi-fi brands/models don't – such as an HDMI eARC input, support for Dirac Live room correction technology, and two 6.3mm headphone sockets.

The two returning winners in this category are brilliant budget gems that we are delighted to give flowers to for another year: the WiiM Pro Plus and the Cambridge Audio MXN10. Both remain superb value products at their more affordable price points, and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to gain a wealth of hi-res streaming features without spending big bucks.

Cambridge's MXN10 is a delightful compact streamer whose dynamic expression and rhythmic coherence are really rather impressive at its more budget price point, is packed with energy and detail, and is a great stepping stone into the world of separates hi-fi.

Of course, if your budget can't stretch even to the MXN10's £350 price tag, the WiiM Pro Plus remains one of the best bargains of the year, costing under £300 and delivering a detailed, organised and likeable sound for very little relative outlay.

We liked its rather natural midrange talents, "where the vocal is brimming with character and attitude", while it sounds best with hi-res tracks but is still forgiving with poor sources. It also has a well-executed app that we find is particularly user-friendly for beginners, which is always a bonus.

The well-deserved 2025 winners in our music streamers category cover a broad price spectrum, sonic tastes and specific connectivity, and no matter your budget, we think there's something for everyone here to enjoy.

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This race has already been run. When the Bluesound Node Icon arrived in the What Hi-Fi? test rooms, it went up against the established five-star Cambridge Audio CXN100 and came away from that head-to-head victorious, winning the 2025 What Hi-Fi? Award for the ‘Best music streamer £750-£1000’.

But while that spoiler somewhat gives away which has the performance edge and is our expert reviews team’s preference of the two premium streamers, it doesn’t tell the whole story of how these excellent machines compare – nor does it necessarily determine which one you should favour.

After all, one may have more suitable connectivity for your setup, one sonic character may suit your system components more than the other.

Below, our expert reviews team have put the two literally side by side to directly compare their build, features, sound, user experience and price, to help you make an informed choice over which premium streamer, if either, is right for you. Off we go…

Price

Bluesound streamers have traditionally occupied the entry-level end of the market, its original (and following generations of) Node having been the core model in the Canadian company’s range for a decade now, priced around and below the £400/$500/AU$1000 mark.

The Node Icon sees Bluesound reach higher up the market, where fellow streamer stalwart Cambridge Audio has, in contrast, years of experience. The new flagship costs £899 / $1199 / AU$1949, making its natural rival Cambridge Audio’s similarly priced CXN100 (£899 / $1049 / AU$1899).

While many five-star streamers sit on either side of this price level, as featured in our best music streamers buying guide, not much at it has genuinely impressed besides the Cambridge and Bluesound. We are also big fans of the Lindemann Limetree Bridge II (£875 / $1350 / AU$1495), but unlike the two streamers in the spotlight here, it doesn’t integrate a DAC and is therefore considered a ‘streaming transport’.

**Winner: Draw**

Features & connectivity

With DACs on board, both the Bluesound Icon Node and Cambridge Audio CXN100 are fully fledged music streamers that can connect to any stereo amplifier (digital or analogue) or active speaker via their wealth of outputs.

The Bluesound has the full output suite – coaxial, optical, RCA, XLR, sub and even two 6.3mm headphone sockets – plus an HDMI eARC for connecting the unit to a TV. If you wanted to connect a CD player, laptop or other audio device to the Node Icon, you can do so thanks to its RCA, optical, USB-A and USB-C inputs.

As far as its built-in streaming savviness goes, the Bluesound runs on the excellent BluOS platform, which is a comprehensive and easy to navigate gateway to all the streaming service and internet radio apps one would expect. It also supports AirPlay 2, aptX Adaptive Bluetooth and Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, with the only real notable omission being Google Cast.

The Cambridge Audio streamer, meanwhile, is almost as well furnished for physical connections. It just swaps the Bluesound’s USB-C port for a USB Type-B one, and forgoes its rival’s HDMI and RCA inputs and subwoofer and headphone outputs.

Its streaming skills are certainly a match for the Node Icon’s, though, and even extend to Google Cast. Both machines are Roon Ready.

While the high-resolution audio file support of the Bluesound’s twin ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M DAC chips caps out at 24-bit/192kHz PCM, DSD256 and MQA, the Cambridge’s ESS ES9028Q2M DAC can handle 32-bit/768kHz PCM, DSD512 and MQA. Both limits should be fine for most people, though anyone with particularly high-quality (and indeed niche) DSD and PCM files will naturally be better served by the Cambridge.

Besides connectivity and streaming, the Node Icon packs an extra feature that could be a real bonus for those whose listening rooms have serious acoustic issues: Dirac Live support. The room-correction software is designed to optimise the Bluesound’s performance to a listening space, although you will need to purchase separately the calibration kit (comprising a high-sensitivity microphone and USB adapter) and a Dirac license to make it all work.

**Winner: Bluesound Node Icon**

Build & design

Music streamers nowadays tend to go one of two ways when it comes to design; they are either compact, discreet boxes, with control and aesthetics largely the domain of the companion app, or they somewhat complement the app design by also leaning into physical tactility.

The Bluesound belongs to the latter category. The Node Icon is a taller, boxier unit than its ‘modem’-like siblings, though it’s still fairly compact, its 22cm width conforming to ‘half-width’ dimensions.

It’s modern-looking, too. The anodised-aluminium metal casing and shiny glass top feel, to quote our Node Icon review, “sturdy and substantial”, while the five-inch colour display and touch-capacitative controls are lovely, colourful and responsive.

Our reviewers particularly like how you can appoint five presets, allowing access to your favourite playlist or radio station with a single tap of an illuminated ‘dot’. We aren’t as taken with the fact that a clock interface shows when the unit is on standby or when the music is paused, but Bluesound says the decision was partly taken to reduce screen burn-in, and it’s a small niggle in the grand scheme of things.

The Cambridge Audio CXN100 is, in contrast, a more ‘hi-fi-looking’ full-width design that doesn’t invite as much physical interaction with the unit. Its sleek, metal chassis – almost identical to the company’s previous-gen CXN V2 – is elegant, and the 4.8-inch display is pleasingly crisp and colourful. There are simple playback/menu navigation buttons on either side of it, but we can’t imagine them being used on many occasions.

We believe both designs, while very different, have their place in the streamer market, and which you prefer will come down to personal preference and, most likely, the size and colour of your other system components.

Neither machine comes with a remote control, though you can buy one separately for the CXN100 or use the same remote you get with the company’s CX amplifiers or CXC transport.

Indeed, the main means of control for both units is the companion app, and both Bluesound’s BluOS and Cambridge Audio’s StreamMagic apps are good and evidence of the brands’ long-held expertise in the field.

**Winner: Draw**

Sound quality

The app doesn’t fall far from the tree where the streamers’ sound quality is concerned either. Bluesound and Cambridge both have a pedigree in the field, and their premium offerings here are testaments to that.

The most recent Bluesound products we have reviewed prior to the Node Icon have been capable and competent, but we felt that they were missing some kind of spark – the spark that Bluesound products of old had in spades.

Thankfully, this spark has returned in the flagship, making for, to quote our review, “a lively, engaging and dynamic performer that grabs our interest at the beginning and only continues to impress us the more we listen.”

There’s detail and clarity aplenty, and every part of the frequency range is delivered faithfully, without any embellishment. The similarly competent headphone amplifier performance really gives that bonus feature significant value, too.

The Node Icon’s lithe and musically engaging nature is satisfyingly consistent across the inputs (just expect the usual dip in power, punch and detail with Bluetooth playback), and ultimately is what gets one over on the Cambridge Audio rival. “We find ourselves willing the leaner Cambridge streamer to sound that bit more propulsive and more dynamically adept with the same songs during our comparison testing,” reads our Bluesound Node Icon review.

The CXN100 is no musical slouch, you understand – just not quite as propulsive or dynamically expressive as the Bluesound. It offers a bigger, more spacious soundstage than the Node Icon, and delivers in every other sonic respect, making it a proud silver medalist.

It’s wonderfully clear and articulate, sparklingly precise, and consistent regardless of the input or streaming method used. And its refinement spells good news for fans of heavier music genres and/or loud volume levels. “We don’t get to say this very often, but the CXN100 sounds great with heavy metal tracks, with a top end that strikes the right balance between smoothness and bite,” reads our Cambridge Audio CXN100 review.

Owners of its predecessor who may be looking to upgrade should know, however, that the CXN V2 is richer and warmer in character than the faster, cleaner CXN100, and perhaps slightly more natural in the way it delivers voices as a result – but it certainly isn’t as sophisticated when it comes to clarity, precision and spaciousness.

Both streamers show how far music streamer performance has come in recent years, and have the all-round talents deserving of their five-star verdicts – the arrival of the slightly more musically gifted Bluesound doesn’t change that for the Cambridge Audio.

**Winner: Bluesound Node Icon**

Verdict

It’s a closely fought battle, but ultimately one that sees Bluesound sticking its flag in the ground. The Node Icon’s more musically convincing manner edges things in the sound department, and its more generous physical connectivity should particularly appeal to those who want to integrate a streamer into a TV-inclusive setup.

Indeed, Bluesound’s ambition to extend further up the music-streamer chain than before has paid off for both it and streaming-savvy consumers.

Bluesound and Cambridge Audio are arguably the best brands in the music streamer business before you get to pricier offerings from the likes of Cyrus, Naim and Audiolab territory, and we can undoubtedly look forward to many more battles between them in future.

**Overall winner: Bluesound Node Icon**

MORE:

Our expert picks of the best music streamers you can buy in 2025

See our newly crowned What Hi-Fi? Award 2025 winners

The perfect hi-fi streamer exists only in our imagination – here’s how it looks

How to add a music streamer to your hi-fi system

On the face of it, Arcam has everything in place for its SA35 streaming hi-fi system to be a slam-dunk success.

It already has a What Hi-Fi? approved five-star music streamer in its lineup in the shape of the ST25. And it has not one but four five-star stereo amplifiers (the updated A5+ and A15+, and the original A5 and A15).

You would think, then, that for Arcam and the SA35, it’s going to be a relatively straightforward case of taking the best bits from its streamer and amps, adding a smattering of extra features, and just sitting back and admiring its work.

However, after years of testing products like this, we know that marrying everything together and automatically creating five-star synergy isn’t easy. There’s no doubt that Arcam potentially has a pretty solid foundation from which to build for the SA35, but can it execute?

Price

The SA35 is Arcam’s entry-level streaming amplifier and has an asking price of £2999 / $3300 / AU$6495. There is a step-up model in Arcam’s Radia range, the SA45, which costs £4499 / $5500 / AU$9995.

There aren’t a huge number of rivals for the Arcam around its price point – it’s relatively similar in terms of features and functionality to the Naim Uniti Atom £2299 / $3799 / AU$5750, although the Naim is cheaper and getting a little long in the tooth now.

Build & design

Like its ST25 streamer and A15+ stereo amplifier siblings, the SA35 is quite a chunky unit. It weighs in at 12kg, which you can definitely feel when moving the unit into position.

The black chassis hides its size well, though – we think Arcam has really nailed the styling of this Radia series of hi-fi products.

The clean-but-stealthy look combined with the yellow halo lighting around the input and volume dials, and the yellow highlights around the top vents, make for a striking piece of kit.

There’s nothing stealthy about the large 6.5-inch high-resolution display that sits right in the middle of the fascia, though. It’s bright, punchy and colourful and, from what we can tell, virtually identical to that found on the ST25.

This means album artwork generally looks great on the Arcam, offering you a few different configurations for how it and the accompanying metadata are displayed.

The display's size and clarity also make navigating the on-screen menus very straightforward when you’re carrying out functions like choosing inputs, cycling through filters and setting up Bluetooth.

The display is flanked by those input and volume dials, which give the front of the unit a neat symmetry. Both rotary controls feel good to use – they turn smoothly but, being ultra-critical, we think they could have a tiny bit more resistance to them. Otherwise, you’re treated to a tactile user experience.

The supplied remote does feel cheap and plastic in comparison, though. It’s a little small in hand, and although the volume control gets the job done, it feels on the finicky side when you’re trying to do more extensive navigating.

Depending on the streaming services and features you want to use, you’ll also be using the Arcam Radia control app, which is fine, but isn’t the last word in intuitiveness.

It also feels slightly clunky that you have to use the remote to access some features and settings, and Arcam’s Radia app for others. It would make for a more complete user experience if you could access everything through the app.

The inputs on the rear of the unit are all clearly labelled, although the hood that extends over the rear of the chassis does get in the way when you’re hooking everything up for the very first time. Thankfully, most users will only have to do this once and then forget about it.

Features

Arcam has been as thorough as possible with the spec sheet for the SA35.

The streaming section of the SA35 caters for Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music and Roon. There’s also playback from UPnP servers and the system can handle a multitude of high-res formats up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256.

There’s also two-way Bluetooth connectivity, which not only allows you to stream music to the system from a smartphone or tablet but also allows you to stream music from the Arcam to any pair of Bluetooth headphones you want to pair with the unit.

For those seeking a wired headphones connection, there’s a 3.5mm socket in the bottom left-hand corner of the front of the unit.

Connectivity also includes a pair of optical digital inputs, a pair of coaxial digital inputs (both styles of digital input support datastreams up to 24-bit/192kHz) and HDMI eARC for anyone wanting to use the Arcam to receive audio from a compatible TV.

You even get individual inputs for moving magnet and moving coil phono stages to cater for your turntable.

To help with set-up, there’s Dirac Live Room Correction; you get a mic and remote in the box to help get the system configured best for your particular room conditions.

Our test rooms have been acoustically treated and designed to minimise effects that Dirac compensates for, but in our experience the system encourages your set-up to sound more even as well as clearer, but the trade off is that you lose a bit of rhythmic drive and expression,

If your room isn’t well behaved we definitely feel there’s no harm running it to try and improve how your system sounds.

120W of Class G amplification (per channel) provides the grunt, which is more than you’ll find in any of Arcam’s stand-alone Radia amplifiers, including the 100W A25+. It’s actually Arcam’s fifth generation of Class G amplification and uses new components and materials to raise performance levels.

Similarly to Arcam’s ST25 music streamer, you have a choice of different DAC filters to choose from to help you tailor the sound to suit your own taste.

The four options are minimum phase, linear phase apodizing, linear phase slow roll-off, and minimum phase slow roll-off. We found all four very similar during testing and stick to the default on the unit, which in this case is linear phase apodizing.

To try and give us an idea of compatibility, during testing we try the Arcam SA35 with a range of different speakers from our reference ATC SCM50 to the PMC Prodigy 5 floorstanders and the Award-winning KEF LS50 Meta. The Arcam handles each pair with relative ease, and we don’t think it should have any issues driving most suitably-priced pairs.

Sound

We kick things off with a CD-quality stream of Adele’s Hometown Glory and the Arcam SA35 shows an amazing sense of control and precision with every keystroke.

The quiet background, the reverb from each string, the Arcam reveals detail effortlessly and delivers a level of intimacy that really connects with the listener. As the piano play becomes more dramatic and Adele’s voice enters the fray, you can feel the intensity pick up.

Her vocal sounds expressive and emotional, superbly reinforced by the increased intensity of the piano. When the strings seep in, they just add another layer of detail and simply add to the dynamic reach of the Arcam.

There’s a real sadness, anger and feeling of conflict with Adele’s vocal, which the Arcam captures perfectly. It’s calm, controlled and conveys emotion well.

The stereo imaging you get is clear and precisely layered. Tonally, The Arcam system is well-balanced too – there’s no coarseness at the top end, nor any bloating at the bottom end.

We turn up the sonic temperature with a stream of Mombassa from the Inception OST and the Arcam goes straight on the offensive, showcasing its agility and ability to capture the feeling and tone of a track at will.

It dispatches bass notes with confidence and efficiency – there isn’t an ounce of fat on the meat of the track. There’s ample power behind each low frequency hit and the SA35 goes deep yet still delivers detail and texture to satisfy those who want to hear the fine details in their music.

The dramatic, high-octane nature of the track is captured superbly, and as the track courses along, you’re left in no doubt as to the feeling of impending danger and action that the track is conveying. It’s a confident performance across the board.

During testing, we don’t ignore the Arcam’s phono stage options and headphone output. Arcam really has ticked all the boxes with the SA35, but it’s also ensured both the MM/MC phono stages and headphone output are up to scratch. Play Michael Jackson’s Bad on vinyl and both inputs maintain the very likeable, clean-cut, precise sound of the system. It’s effortless and expressive.

And as you’d probably expect, the Bluetooth connection is sonically more limited than the other connectivity options, but it’s good enough for general listening.

Verdict

In this modern age, where people want the convenience of a one-box solution but don’t want to make huge sacrifices where sound quality is concerned, the Arcam SA35 streaming amplifier is one of those rare do-it-all devices that does it all extremely well. Highly recommended.

Review published: 13th October 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

MORE:

Also consider the Naim Uniti Atom

Read the NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) review

Best hi-fi systems 2025: CD, vinyl and streaming music players for the home

Generally speaking, we’ve had nothing but love for Arcam’s recent Radia range of hi-fi separates. It’s delivered multiple five-star products, including a pair of Award-winning stereo amplifiers and CD player. Next up for the eyes and ears of our crack team of reviewers is its premium ST25 music streamer.

Ironically, the only blot on Radia’s copybook so far has been the Arcam ST25’s cheaper sibling, the ST5. It disappointed us with a three-star performance when it passed through our test rooms a couple of years ago.

Now it’s time for the pricier model to go on the test bench, and, to put it rather bluntly, we are hoping for bigger and better things from the step-up streamer…

Price

Priced at £1499 / $1650 / AU$2995, the Arcam ST25 is a clear step above entry-level music streamers and will need to deliver the sound performance befitting a premium model.

The closest rival we have tested is the Cambridge Audio EXN100 at £1599 / $1799, a formidable five-star rival and What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 winner.

Build & design

We’re a fan of the design language Arcam adopted for its Radia range and our opinion isn’t shifted by the ST25.

It’s a modern, clean-looking, solidly made hi-fi separate – the full-width all-black chassis makes quite the impression, especially against lighter-coloured racks and kit.

The top panel shows some nice attention to detail, with furrows running front to back that gradually get deeper as you reach the streamer’s front panel.

And, speaking of the front panel, a large chunk of it is dedicated to a 6.5-inch high-resolution display. It looks great; the album artwork appears bright, punchy and colourful with good viewing angles, while the accompanying metadata is easy enough to read too.

The front of the ST25 is also zero fuss, with not even a power button in sight.

Inside the ST25’s chassis, you’ll find a new six-layer digital audio and streaming platform. Arcam has included a ground plane through the board to keep noise and interference away from the audio components.

These components include the latest Hyperstream iV DAC topology from ESS in a balanced configuration with advanced jitter elimination to minimise digital timing errors.

The ST25 also uses a new linear, low-noise toroidal power supply and a switching power supply, which takes over when in standby for improved efficiency.

Features

While that 6.5-inch display dominates the front of the Arcam ST25, the rear of the unit is a more stripped-back and minimalist affair.

Tucked beneath the hood, which extends over the rear of the streamer (we understand it helps keep dust off the sockets, but it does get in the way a tad if you’re a hi-fi reviewer who constantly needs to keep switching between it and rival products), you’ll find a pair of analogue line-level outputs, an Ethernet connection, and coaxial and optical digital outputs.

There’s also a USB port for connecting an external drive and a control port – the latter comes into play if you want to pair the streamer with one of Arcam’s Radia stereo amplifiers (such as the A5+ or A15+) and use the two together.

Arcam’s menu of streaming support includes Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music and Roon, which should be more than enough to cater for most streaming needs.

Of course, if all your music is stored on a server on your connected home network, the ST25 can stream from there too, and it supports high-res audio up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files.

The ST25 comes with a small remote control, which you’ll need to use to carry out some functions, including selecting your favourite DAC filter and dimming or turning the display off.

When it comes to choosing your preferred DAC filter, you have four options: minimum phase, linear phase apodizing, linear phase slow roll-off, and minimum phase slow roll-off. The effects are extremely subtle, but we settle on linear phase apodizing for the bulk of our testing.

If you’re not using a streaming service like Tidal or Spotify with ‘Connect’ functionality, you’ll be using the Arcam Radia app to control the streamer. Here you can set internet radio presets, access podcasts and other services such as Amazon Music.

In an ideal world, it would be nice to be able to access all settings through the app, including the filter options mentioned above, as jumping between the app on a phone or tablet and the on-unit menu with the remote wand does feel a little jarring.

It’s also a shame Amazon doesn’t have ‘Connect’ functionality like Tidal and Spotify, because its implementation in the Radia app does feel a little clunky when trying to navigate tunes and playlists.

Similarly, accessing music stored on our review network is fine, but it could be slightly easier to navigate than having to scroll through long lists of artists, for example.

Having the ability to jump to different letters in the alphabet and navigate that way could make the experience slightly slicker.

Rival apps from the likes of Cambridge Audio and Bluesound do feel a little more intuitive, clearer and more rewarding to use.

There’s no Bluetooth functionality on the Arcam, which some users might find a strange omission, but for us, it isn’t a deal-breaker.

Sound

We carry out our testing using a variety of streaming options, including Tidal Connect, Amazon Music, internet radio and high-res tracks stored on our Naim Uniti Core server.

We start testing with a CD-quality stream of Madonna's Sky Fits Heaven from our Uniti Core server.

The first thing we notice about the Arcam is its crystal clear and clean delivery. It sets an eerily quiet backdrop for the music, which allows all the instruments space to breathe.

The track starts with rapid pulsing synths, which exhibit great texture and fine detail.

There’s a real sense of pace, agility and power to the bassline as it pounds along, laying a robust foundation for all the electronica poured on top.

The ST25 is really easy to listen to and doesn’t leave any unpleasant aftertaste. Madonna’s vocal sounds effortless and comes at you covered in texture and oozing emotion.

All the different elements mix like a perfectly crafted cocktail; drum machine, vocal and synths all move around in unison, with the Arcam really capturing the high-energy tempo of the track.

We switch over to something a little calmer, and play Einaudi: Experience by Ludovico Einaudi, as a 24-bit/48kHz stream from Tidal Connect.

The Arcam’s quietness plus attention to detail means the precision and delicacy of the piano play leaves a sonic mark on the listener.

Notes hang in open space, with differences in dynamics explicitly presented. You can hear the intent and intensity behind each key strike change as the track flows gracefully along.

While the piano remains pacesetter for the track, strings slide into view with precision – they’re tightly defined, natural-sounding strokes, and you can feel the intent behind each one.

The Arcam layers the track beautifully as more elements come together in a bountiful soundstage. The drama blossoms into a beautiful crescendo before all those extra layers fall away, leaving just the piano exposed.

We compared the Arcam to its closest rival, the Cambridge Audio EXN100, and while the Cambridge streamer sounds big, bold and confident in its own right, we think the Arcam opens up an even bigger window into the music being streamed.

The ST25 and its quieter background allow for an even greater level of insight and subtlety, which allows it to form an even stronger connection with the listener.

Verdict

If you’re looking to add a great all-round streamer to your hi-fi system, and it warrants a standalone unit at this price, the Arcam is a fantastic option.

Whether it’s internet radio or high-res audio streams, the ST25 presents them in a hugely enjoyable and musical way.

Okay, so the control app isn’t the slickest we’ve used, but the class with which it presents music, and in such a detailed and dynamic manner, needs to be heard.

Review published: 13th October 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 4
• Build 5

MORE:

Also consider the Cambridge Audio EXN100

Read our Bluesound Node Icon review

Best music streamers: top network audio players tested by our experts

Bluesound has had a run of very competent, well-featured and well-priced compact music streamers, but it’s been a while since one really stood out as a class leader when it comes to outright sound quality.

That all changes with the Node Icon.

Where the mid-range Node (2024) model conceded to the greater musicality of the Cambridge Audio MXN10, and the budget Node Nano couldn’t topple the wallet-friendly WiiM Pro Plus from its throne, the Bluesound Node Icon stands head and shoulders above its siblings in design, features and, most importantly, performance.

Price

The Bluesound Node Icon is yours for £899 / $1199 / AU$1949 and is the priciest of the current Node range of streamers. Its main competition is the five-star Cambridge Audio CXN100, which retails for a very similar price at £899 / $1049 / AU$1899.

After a time with the Icon and its many talents, you might well think it outperforms its sub-£1000 billing.

Build & design

The three members of the Node family have distinct profiles, but instead of the slimline, ‘modem’-like designs of most Nodes, the Icon is a taller, boxier unit. It’s still a fairly compact unit, taking up roughly the same footprint as the smaller Node (2024) and Cambridge Audio MXN10, but is twice the height of its younger sibling.

Its build quality is of a considerably higher quality, too – the anodised aluminium metal casing and shiny glass top feel sturdy and substantial. Altogether, it’s a classier and more premium-feeling unit, but is still discreet enough to hide away in your listening room if that’s your preference.

What stands out is the 5-inch full colour display that dominates the front panel. It’s the first Bluesound streamer to sport a screen, and it is sharp, clear and appealing. It displays album artwork, track and source information when music is playing, while a clock face is shown when the unit is on standby or, unusually, when the music is paused.

This is a quirk of the unit’s system that can’t be changed; Bluesound states that the clock display automatically slides in to prevent issues such as image burn-in on the screen, to reduce interface clutter when the unit is inactive, and simply to provide useful information – the time – when it’s in idle mode. We do sometimes wish the ‘now playing’ screen stayed on for a little longer, but it’s a pretty small niggle in the grand scheme of things. Bluesound’s reasoning is sensible, and we get used to this quirk in the course of our testing period.

It’s also worth noting that, unlike some of the screen-toting WiiM and Eversolo streamers, the Node Icon’s display isn’t a touchscreen one. But the Icon does incorporate the touch-capacitative controls that we’ve seen on its siblings. That sloped glass section on top of the unit houses this strip of touch controls, which includes basic music playback (pause, play, previous and next-track skipping) and a volume slider.

More usefully, you can appoint five presets that are readily available to you by tapping the five illuminated ‘dots’ – meaning you can play your favourite playlist or radio station with a single tap, without having to fire up your smartphone or app. Neat.

The controls are responsive, and the streamer is overall easy and uncomplicated to operate, especially when combined with the handy BluOS app. The touch controls on the highly reflective glass panel do pick up fingerprint marks easily, but we should note that this is less obvious in person than how it looks in our photos here.

Features

Pitched as the “audiophile” flagship option of the Node family, Bluesound has imbued the Node Icon with more advanced audio technology and tuning, and a greater spread of connections, although the streaming elements remain the same across the family.

Internally, the Icon features twin ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M DAC chips in a dual-mono DAC architecture. This means each chip can devote its full processing power to each channel, with Bluesound saying this offers a more separated and “pure” sound. The Icon has an integrated power supply design that aims to reduce noise and produce a clearer signal, while a “transparent” circuitry helps with delivering high levels of resolution, dynamism and ultra-low distortion.

As with the current Bluesound Node products, the native file resolution support here goes up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD256.

In addition to that, the Node Icon is the first to implement MQA Labs’ Qrono digital-to-analogue technology, following parent company Lenbrook’s acquisition of MQA Ltd and its technologies. The Qrono technology aims to further refine the DAC’s timing response, so that it aligns more authentically with the original recording. We always found Tidal’s MQA tracks have the upper hand when it comes to rhythmic ability, so we are hoping that this sonic trait translates here.

The Node Icon runs on the tried-and-tested BluOS streaming platform, which is smooth-running and feature-packed. The connection is stable over both wi-fi and wired Ethernet, and we didn’t encounter any issues when playing music from Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect or BBC 6 Music.

The BluOS app supports plenty more streaming services and various internet radio stations, and is overall well organised and intuitive to use, especially with large music libraries stored on connected NAS drives or media servers.

There’s no Google Chromecast support, however, which is standard for all BluOS-supported products. Some might miss this functionality, but Bluetooth (of the aptX Adaptive variety) and Apple AirPlay 2 are also on board for convenient streaming from a smartphone or tablet.

There is scope to adjust the Icon’s audio settings further in the app: there are gain options, mono/stereo playback modes, tone controls (which we preferred to leave off for a more solid, punchier sound), and the ability to toggle the fixed output level on or off, depending on whether you want to use the Bluesound streamer as a preamp.

You can also combine other BluOS-compatible wireless speakers and streaming products (from Bluesound, NAD, Cyrus, Dali, Roksan and more) into a wider multi-room system all through the app, should you wish.

Physical connections include digital coaxial and optical outputs, as well as an HDMI eARC for connecting the unit to a TV. The Node Icon is the only one of its family to include a pair of balanced XLR analogue outputs, alongside one set of RCA line level outputs. You also get an RCA line level and optical input apiece on the back panel, along with USB-A and USB-C ports for plugging in a laptop or external storage devices.

As with its streaming talents, switching between our connected TV and CD player is a smooth process, and the Icon never falters when we swap between multiple sources in quick succession to try and trip it up.

One of our favourite things about the Node Icon is that it offers not one, but two full-size 6.3mm headphone jacks, which are situated at either side of the unit. This means two people can simultaneously listen to the same music or TV show late at night. It’s a lovely touch. The headphone amplifier stage features THX AAA feed-forward error correction technology that promises low distortion levels and great clarity and soundstaging. Similarly to the Node (2024), the headphone amplifier proves once again to be of great quality in the Icon.

Another key USP of the Node Icon is that it is Dirac Live Ready, although you will have to separately purchase the calibration kit (£39, consisting of a high-sensitivity microphone and USB adapter) and a Dirac license to make it all work. Dirac Live is a room correction software designed to optimise the streamer’s performance to your listening space, especially if the room has serious acoustic issues.

There is a limited bandwidth licence ($159) and a full bandwidth license ($249); we were provided with the full kit for our review, but as we found during the NAD C 3050 with MDC2 BluOS-D module testing, this doesn’t make much of a substantial difference in our acoustically treated test rooms. However, we can see the benefit of investing in this calibration kit and software when your listening space is less than ideal, and so we will be trying the Dirac Live effect further when one of our reviewers takes the Node Icon into their home, which has zero acoustic treatment.

Sound

Despite the time it’s taken us to get to the sound quality section, getting music playing from the Node Icon takes a small handful of minutes after unboxing it. What’s even more pleasing is just how musically engaging the Node Icon sounds right from the start.

The Bluesound products we’ve recently reviewed have been capable and competent, but we felt that they were missing some kind of spark. There are no such reservations with the Node Icon. It’s a lively, engaging and dynamic performer that grabs our interest at the beginning and only continues to impress us the more we listen.

Plugged into our test room’s reference system of the Naim Nait XS 3 and Epos ES-7N speakers, the Node Icon delivers music with a pleasing richness and solidity, along with having an agile sense of rhythm and a strong handle on dynamics.

The fiery intensity and propulsive rhythm in Eminem’s The Way I Am is delivered with punch and snappy timing, while the solo drum pattern in Dave Brubeck’s Take Five is tightly and cohesively knitted together – it all makes rhythmic sense and keeps our attention hooked on the music.

This isn’t an extroverted, look-at-me presentation, but the Icon’s sound has a glimmer to it – underpinned by stellar composure and well-judged ability over the frequency range – that is so appealing to listen to that we find ourselves playing song after song through the Node Icon and having a great time.

There is clarity and detail aplenty when conveying The Unthanks’ delicate but nuanced vocals in Gan To The Kye, and there is a satisfying amount of body and twang to the shapely and taut basslines in Chaka Khan’s Ain’t Nobody. There is a lovely fluidity and precision to the way the Node Icon handles music from any source, with a nimble footing that keeps pace with whatever genre or song we throw at it.

The Node Icon sounds even more at home when paired with the price-compatible Arcam A5+. Both meld together with a deft handling of dynamics that means there is an appropriate sense of drama and excitement when listening to Fontaines D.C.’s high-octane Starburster track. The Icon is able to tidily convey the subtler flourishes and different timbres of instruments in Khruangbin’s funky, easy-going Maria Tambien, as well as the softly mournful piano notes in Ólafur Arnald’s Raein composition.

This lithe and musically engaging presentation is heard across the various inputs, too, with albums played on our Cyrus CDi player sounding clean and solid via optical, and hi-res songs from our NAS drive having that bit more depth and grip. Songs played through Bluetooth naturally dip in power, punch and detail as expected, but it’s perfectly fine as a convenient solution.

To give credit to the Node Icon, it doesn’t put a spotlight on any sonic element in particular, aiming to simply deliver music in a confident, balanced and entertaining way. The streamer is transparent enough to reveal the subtle differences in source quality or of the era in which a recording was made, such as how a 1970s soul track has such a different feel and texture from a modern, polished K-pop production.

The Icon deftly relays all these nuances in space, texture and resolution without making too much of a meal of it. It doesn’t try to embellish any frequency, nor does it try to hide any warts – this is a quietly but terrifically capable performer that simply gets out of the way and lets the music shine through.

Plug a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 990 X Pro open-back headphones in, and we’re met with vocals that are crystal clear and emotive against an impressively quiet background, while instruments and melodies retain their snap and sparkle. It’s an excellent performer, and we wouldn’t hesitate to aim higher with your audiophile headphone pairing.

The five-star Cambridge Audio CXN100 rival offers a bigger and more spacious soundstage than the Icon, but we find ourselves willing the leaner Cambridge streamer to sound that bit more propulsive and more dynamically adept with the same songs during our comparison testing. The Bluesound is more musically cohesive and dynamically subtler; it times better and has that spark that keeps our attention fully captured through the drama and message of a song.

Verdict

Sure, it could sound bigger, and pricier options from Naim, Cyrus and Audiolab raise the standards even higher and are more articulate, insightful and offer greater precision and control. That the Node Icon sounds so deft, composed and fun at this sub-£1000 level is pretty remarkable, and it does so with such ease that it puts rivals to shame.

We hope the Node Icon’s strong sonic talents are reflected in Bluesound’s future models, as its wonderfully musical, engaging quality holds our interest like no other Bluesound product has done before.

For anyone looking for a compact, feature-laden, fuss-free streamer that sounds great for a rather reasonable price, we can’t recommend the Node Icon highly enough.

Review published: 11th October 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

MORE:

Also consider the Cambridge Audio CXN100

Best music streamers: top network audio players tested by our experts

Qobuz Connect: what is it? Which products support it?

Cambridge Audio owners, rejoice: Qobuz Connect is now available on the brand's current crop of streaming products, following a software update this week.

Qobuz Connect integration comes to Cambridge Audio products running on the fourth generation of the StreamMagic platform. That includes the Evo 150 SE, Evo 150, Evo 75 and Evo One streaming systems, and the CXN100, EXN100, AXN10 and MXN10 music streamers.

Owners of these products simply need to run the latest software update and then should be able to enjoy Qobuz Connect functionality in full. While Cambridge Audio products already had Qobuz integrated in the StreamMagic app, Qobuz Connect allows you to bypass this control app entirely and stream music directly from the native Qobuz app.

Like Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect allows music to be streamed over the network directly from the music platform's servers to the compatible audio product, freeing up your phone to be used simply for playback control. It means text notifications and phone calls won't interrupt your stream, and offers a more intuitive experience overall.

Qobuz's 100 million+ catalogue is available in up to 24-bit/192kHz high resolution and in lossless CD quality, which you can enjoy in full via Qobuz Connect. Simply fire up the Qobuz app, select the compatible Cambridge Audio product as the audio output, and hit play.

What about older generation models? Qobuz Connect availability for the StreamMagic Gen 3 and Gen 2 network streamers – such as the Hall of Famer CXN (V2), Edge NQ and Azur 851N – is also being worked on, we're told, and will be available at a later date. An earlier community post says this support should arrive by the end of the year.

Cambridge Audio has recently added support for Spotify Lossless in all Gen 4, Gen 3, and Gen 2 StreamMagic products. Qobuz has also updated its Discover home page in the app to include a more personalised feed and recommendations.

MORE:

Read our Cambridge Audio EXN100 review

Qobuz Connect: what is it? Which products support it?

Our guide to the best music streaming services for sound quality

It's spooky season! The leaves have turned, the weather's getting worse (or better, depending on your perspective), and we're all getting re-acquainted with our favourite chunky sweaters. Summer, we hardly knew ye.

We haven't completely doubled down on the spooky tunes for this month's edition of Now Playing – there's a dedicated best Halloween test tracks rundown if that's your jam – but we have made a few nods to this very special time of year in the list below.

What all of the tunes have in common is that they'll shock your system into bringing its A-game, be that via brain-melting basslines or blissed-out progressive house beats.

Oh, and there's a tune from a plucky up-and-comer called "Taylor Swift", who has a new album out. Apparently, it's rather a big deal...

• Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal

Uh Uh by Thundercat

If you want a song that will make you question your life choices for just over two minutes, Thundercat’s Uh Uh will almost certainly do it to you. That’s because his fast-paced electric bass guitar playing verges on superhuman, as he effortlessly plucks the strings at an incredible speed.

This makes for excellent sound testing, as even the most premium soundbars and surround-sound speaker packages can struggle to get enough detail into every note. There’s really no hiding place here, with subtle changes in tonality and bass giving life to the track.

Quiet vocals accompany the drums and guitar, providing an extra layer of subtlety that can catch some systems out. Get it wrong, and the track will sound more like an undefined and jumbled mess.

The track's beginning also acts as a brilliant test for your surround speakers, as a distorted whooshing passes around the listener to create a dizzying tunnel of sound. While it may be short, Uh Uh will tell you everything you need to know about your speakers.

Words by Robyn Quick

The Fate Of Ophelia by Taylor Swift

In case you somehow missed it, a new Taylor Swift album has just been released, so of course I couldn’t help but highlight a track for this month's edition of Now Playing.

The Life Of A Showgirl is a lot glitzier and energetic than her previous effort, The Tortured Poets Department, which served up an onslaught of melancholic tracks, and while I still need time to assess this new album, I can already vouch for its opening salvo.

The Fate Of Ophelia opens with a deceiving bar of sombre-sounding piano that invokes the vibe of her last album, though it quickly gives way to a funky bassline which then opens up to an explosive, dangerously catchy chorus.

The track keeps up the pace from here, with a compelling storyline running throughout and a moody bridge that ramps up to one final punch of that infectious chorus.

It sets the tone for the album as a whole, leaning into the theatrics and energy that embodies The Life Of A Showgirl, and it’s an exceptional hook to get you invested into what surely must be one of the most anticipated records of the year.

Words by Lewis Empson

Zombie by The Cranberries

This month I went on a bit of a journey, revisiting Irish protest songs after watching Netflix’s latest divisive show about the Guinness family.

In doing so, I revisited one of my favourites tracks of all time, Zombie by The Cranberries, which also feels oddly appropriate given that the spooky season is upon us.

Written and delivered with fiery fury by lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, the song is a masterpiece from start to finish, full of emotive, evocative lyrics lamenting the violence in Northern Ireland at the time, in particular the tragic loss of children during an IRA bombing in 1993.

With changing dynamics, grungey, distorted guitar parts and shouted lyrics, the song is vastly different to most of the band’s other work and remains one of its best and most memorable to this day.

For hi-fi fans, O'Riordan’s incredible vocals, which rapidly alternate in both volume and pitch remain a benchmark only the best hardware will do true justice to.

Whether it’s simply to enjoy the amazing track, or give your separates a run for their money, If you haven’t heard it, I’d strongly recommend giving Zombie a listen, especially given its ongoing relevance in today’s troubled world.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Eyepennies by Sparklehorse

Eyepennies joins my list of sad/tender songs – alongside Nick Cave's Into My Arms, Elliott Smith's Between The Bars, and Tom Waits' Martha – that make truly terrific test tracks.

Why? It's less about specific musical elements and more about conveying the emotion of the song: the sombre weight of the track, the heart-achingly tender but definite piano notes, and the late Mark Linkous's whispery soft but carefully sung lyrics. PJ Harvey's guest vocals offer another dimension, but the steady repetitive beat is also a great test of a system's handling of rhythm and dynamics.

This song could easily sound monotonous or dreary through a less capable system, or not have the appropriate balance of weight and delicacy – it's a tightrope that should have your attention hooked to the song's narrative while also feeling every inch of emotion seep into your skin.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack

Some songs are just fun. There's no need to pick them apart to parse which note or instrument is faithfully conveyed through your headphones or speaker – they come through as a whole meal, concocted as a perfect pop song for pure enjoyment.

And KPop Demon Hunters has a whole soundtrack full of them.

The mega-hit animated film about a K-pop girl band fighting demons has a cracking soundtrack that I've had on repeat for the past two months – and I'm yet to tire of it. The triple threat of Takedown, How It's Done and Golden are absolute bangers that will be stuck in your head for days and weeks on end. They're propulsive, punchy, catchy and fizzing with energy. Just pure fun.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween by Muse

It's nearly Halloween, and that means it's time for scary movies, scary costumes and, if you can find then, even a few scary songs. While Werewolves Of London might be a bona fide belter, it's a little too simplistic to be labelled as test room fodder, so it's time to turn to our favourite Teignmouth trio for a scarily good time instead.

We included You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween as part of our best Halloween tracks to test your hi-fi system a couple of years back, and, like a zombie crawling from its earthy grave, it feels appropriate to resurrect it now that October is in full swing.

As far as guilty pleasures go, this is as much fun as Muse have been in a long while. A completely overdone pantomime of over-the-top guitar screeches and Psycho-inspired strings, you’ll want a system that can bring out the blend of anxiety and pure camp from the composition.

Words by Harry McKerrell

The Happy Dictator by Gorillaz

Gorillaz have been around so long they're essentially doing side quests at this point. It's not easy to keep up with the band's fictitious overarching story, a tale whose disparate plot points have included the commandeering of a piratical submarine, extended stints in prison and the establishment of a semi-Satanic cult in America.

Suffice to say that, as the title of the band's new track reveals, we're now on to the formation of a totalitarian dictatorship in an unspecified Eastern nation. It's a natural progression.

As the Gorillaz project has never been shy in bouncing around its bizarre narrative, the group has reflected such eclecticism in its musical output. This time, it's the Mael brothers, AKA Sparks, who have been recruited for The Happy Dictator, bringing their idiosyncratic, pleasingly camp electro-pop stylings to Gorillaz's latest release.

It's an odd one on first listen, a sort of airy, chirpy number that borders on the parodic. Once you can accept that's the whole point, of course, it's hard not to get it out of your head as Ron and Russell repeatedly sing, "Oh, what a happy land we live in / Oh what a happy land, oh yeah."

Faux propaganda has rarely been so catchy.

Words by Harry McKerrell

As a collective, our review team listens to a lot of music. Sometimes we rely on old favourites with which we're familiar, but we are always discovering new tracks – be they fresh releases or just songs we haven't encountered before – that give us key insights into new products we are trying out.

We also know that plenty of our readers are on the lookout for new tunes, either to assess the capabilities of a new system or simply to show off the full talents of their established hi-fi set-up. That's why we have come up with our monthly 'Now Playing' playlist, a rundown of everything we've been listening to and loving recently, whether at home with a set of headphones or at work in our fabulous test rooms.

Each instalment will bring you a handful of tracks chosen by our reviews team, detailing why we love them and what they bring out of certain products. So even if you're not looking for new tunes to play on your system, we hope you find something you'll love no matter how you choose to listen to it.

We're always on the lookout for new music, so drop a comment below to share what you have been listening to!

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Canadian hi-fi brand Moon by Simaudio has launched the 371 streaming amplifier, the debut product of its new Compass Collection.

As a stepping stone to the high-end North Collection unveiled in 2023 – which includes the 641 integrated and 681 network streamer – the new Compass Collection aims to be an entry point into the world of high-end audio, while also showcasing Moon's modern, elegant design and "industry-leading proprietary technology".

The Moon 371 streaming amplifier combines amplification, preamp, DAC, streaming abilities and "uncompromising vinyl playback" to deliver an "exceptional performance" from a modern hi-fi product.

The unit boasts 100 watts of power per channel (into 8 ohms), which should be ample enough to drive all kinds of speakers. Meanwhile, the brand's MiND 2 streaming platform forms the core of its operation, allowing you to stream files stored on the same network. Popular streaming services such as Deezer, Qobuz, Spotify and Tidal are supported, and it is also compatible with Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect.

Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay are also on the menu, and it is Roon Ready certified. File support is extensive, with the Moon able to handle hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256.

The 371 shares some technology seen in its higher-end North Collection products, mainly the MHP (MOON Hybrid Power) supply and MDCA (MOON Distortion Cancelling Amplifier) – both of which aim to deliver high performance levels.

The evolved MHP in this unit aims to provide "ultra-stable" power to the circuitry, while the MDCA claims to eliminate distortion and improve signal linearity to deliver an "exceptionally clean, dynamic and accurate sound reproduction".

You'll find a decent selection of connections, including balanced and single-ended analogue inputs, two coaxial, optical, USB-C and HDMI ARC inputs, pre-outs and a 6.3mm headphone jack.

Moon draws upon its expertise with phono preamps to include a built-in phono stage here, which is compatible with both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, and aims to "preserve the integrity and detail of every recording with impeccable accuracy".

The 371 is entirely designed and handcrafted in Canada, and features a subtly updated look that remains unmistakably Moon – discreet and elegant. It is available in the brand's distinctive two-tone finish or an all-black version.

A large 17cm colour display dominates the front panel to show album artwork, track information and settings. The streaming amplifier can be controlled by the MiND app, and it also comes with a slim remote control that is designed specifically for the Compass Collection.

Alternatively, you can use the rather fancy BRM-1 remote – a beautifully designed volume control, which has its own full-colour screen – that comes with the North Collection units, but it is at an additional cost.

Moon's chief commercial officer, Etienne Gautier says: "This model embodies our commitment to redefining how we approach audio design. By listening closely to the valuable feedback of our customers and partners, we’ve developed a fresh approach to creating a MOON product. It delivers uncompromising performance and striking aesthetics in a single component, all at a price point that opens the door to premium audio for many music lovers for the first time."

The Moon 371 streaming amplifier is set to cost £6250 / $6500. In comparison, the 'cheapest' product in the flagship North Collection starts at £11,000 / $11,000 / €12,500. We've had an initial look and listen to the 371 at Moon's HQ in Canada, and are expecting a full review sample in the coming months.

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Spotify Lossless may have grabbed the headlines in the music streaming world this month, but there are other popular streaming services and apps that have recently unveiled plenty of useful features that are designed to enhance your listening experiences.

Apple Music and Qobuz have cool new features in their respective apps – one focuses on evolving personalised recommendations, while a major software update introduces clever shortcuts, as well as a nifty lyric translation and pronunciation feature. In the hi-fi world, the BluOS control app – used with Bluesound, NAD, Cyrus and Dali streaming products – has a less showy but significant update for regular power users.

I've been exploring some of these new features this week, so here is a rundown of the most interesting updates from each platform.

Qobuz redesigns its Discover page and offers personalised Daily mixes

Qobuz has revamped its 'Discover' home page in the mobile app, which is now sectioned into 'Home' (everything), 'Editor's Picks' and 'For You' tabs.

The 'Editor's Picks' tab showcases new releases, playlists, albums of the week and more that are 100% human-curated selections by Qobuz's team of music experts. The 'For You' tab is more personalised to your listening tastes, and evolves as you listen. The Weekly Q recommendation playlist (which refreshes every Friday) is now joined by a new Daily Q playlist that is populated every day using Qobuz's recommendation engine.

Qobuz's editorial team also throws in a few surprises here, so it's not entirely algorithm-led. This means you'll get left-field suggestions that feel out of place if you're more used to Tidal and Apple Music's mixes, but it's great to see Qobuz offer more options for personalised playlists and tailored music to regular users.

You can also save Daily mixes as a playlist so that a great selection isn't lost the next day.

Additionally, there's a new Release Watch feature that highlights new releases from artists and labels you follow (Qobuz encourages you to follow more to make this more useful). And finally, a Spotlight feature focuses on one of your favourite artists, encouraging you to take a deep dive into their discography and peruse any related magazine content written by the Qobuz team.

iOS26 grants Apple Music a bundle of new features, including lyric translations

I just updated my iPhone to the latest iOS26 software and with that came a whole bunch of new Apple Music features. The menus and sub-sections have been given a fresh makeover in line with iOS26's 'Liquid Glass' concept, which results in a layered, more reactive and 'bubble-y' interface that works pretty well.

It's all rather slick, although I'm still getting used to the menu tabs disappearing when scrolling, and the search bar being at the bottom of the screen. There is also now a shortcut to open an artist's page in Apple Music Classical.

An AI-powered AutoMix feature is much hyped, which supposedly makes DJ-style smooth transitions between songs by matching beats, although I didn't find that this worked successfully in my existing (and carefully curated) playlists. The transitions between songs sounded a bit mushed, but perhaps I need to try another way.

I do like the ability to 'pin' certain albums and tracks at the top of my library, though.

One new feature that has impressed me is that you can now opt to see translations and pronunciation guides alongside the original lyrics. This means I now know exactly what they're singing, and how to pronounce the Korean lyrics, in the mega-successful KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. The font and layout are neatly done, and easy to follow along with the song.

Note that this feature isn't available for all songs – for instance, Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose and Kneecap's tracks all display their respective native French and Irish lyrics only. You'll need to look out for the little translation icon to see if it's available for any given song, and you can choose to show (or hide) either the translation or pronunciation, too.

Queue up songs and create playlists more intuitively with this helpful BluOS update

It's not just music streaming services that are offering new features; multi-room streaming and control app BluOS has added a 'Queue Builder Mode' that lets you queue up songs on the fly more easily, as well as edit, build upon and save these queues as playlists, without interrupting your music listening.

BluOS is the streaming platform for plenty of the best music streamers and hi-fi streaming systems, including models from Bluesound, NAD, Cyrus Audio, Dali and more. So if you have any one of the excellent streamers that use this platform – such as the Bluesound Node, the Cyrus 40 ST or NAD C 3050 – and enjoy building custom playlists, then this feature should be worth updating the app for.

This new mode "simplifies the way users build queues and playlists". When this mode is activated, you can add tracks as you're browsing (simply tap the plus sign to add to the queue) through connected services within the BluOS Controller app. You can even combine tracks from different streaming services here – it's a feature we are keen to try out when we next update the five-star streamers we have in our test rooms.

You can get the Queue Builder Mode in the BluOS 4.12 update, which also brings the all-important Qobuz Connect integration for supported models.

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Read our Cyrus 40 ST review

Spotify Lossless: release date, price and all the official details on the long-awaited higher-quality streams

This classic Elvis Costello tune is a great hi-fi test track – but not for the reason you might expect

When we first got wind of Spotify’s potential plans to offer a lossless streaming service, TikTok hadn’t taken off, Fortnite wasn’t yet a thing, and Taylor Swift wasn’t even one of the three biggest global superstars.

It was early 2017 and hopes were high among us audiophiles that the world’s most popular music streaming service would soon launch high-quality music streams into the mainstream. It didn’t.

In fact, it wasn’t until 2021 that Spotify officially announced it would start offering higher-quality streams by the end of that year, and infamously that didn’t materialise… until now, September 2025.

Indeed, at long last, Spotify has finally launched Spotify Lossless, allowing Premium subscribers to listen to the catalogue in audio quality up to 24-bit/44.1kHz, for no extra cost, on the mobile, desktop and tablet apps, as well as over Spotify Connect from compatible devices. Praise be.

The fly in the ointment

But hey, is that a fly I spot squirming around in the ointment? Ah yes, the 24-bit/44.1kHz thing.

You see, the quality of music streams (or any digital music file) is represented by bit rate (for example, 24-bit) and sampling rate (for example, 44.1kHz). When a recorded analogue audio signal is converted to a digital audio file, the bit rate refers to the amount of data that is processed per second, while the sampling rate represents the number of times samples of the audio signal are taken per second.

Essentially, the higher the number of both, the higher the audio quality.

Hi-res music is generally understood nowadays as that with 24 bits and a sampling rate of, most commonly, 44.1kHz, 96kHz or 192kHz. (You can get recordings beyond that quality, but it’s incredibly niche.) Again, Spotify Lossless delivers streams up to 24-bit/44.1kHz (2117kbps) – miles better than what it previously offered (320kbps).

But the quality of rival hi-res streaming services such as Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Qobuz goes all the way up to 192kHz (9216kbps).

So, have we really waited eight years for Spotify to get onboard hi-res streaming, only for it to still technically trail behind the others when it does? In a word, yes.

I don’t know why Spotify has chosen to impose this limit. To host hi-res streams, a streaming service must a) strike licensing deals with the record labels that own the music, and b) have the storage to host them, as well as the bandwidth capability to transmit them over protocols such as Spotify Connect, because hi-res files are bigger in size than lower-quality ones.

When the above can be met to host 24-bit/44.1kHz audio, how much extra legwork is really necessary to include 24-bit/96kHz and 192kHz streams? Perhaps something is eluding me here.

Either way, that technical shortcoming ultimately shouldn’t matter to most people for two reasons…

Why 44.1kHz streams are (more than) enough for most folk…

Firstly, most people listen to music streaming services on their phone. YouGov data for British streamers indicates that 52 per cent of streaming is on a phone, with laptops/computers and smart speakers together making up most of the remainder.

It’s reasonable, then, to suggest that most streaming is listened to through phones and laptops’ built-in speakers or, presumably, much more commonly, Bluetooth headphones and earbuds. In both cases, their acoustic hardware will not be sophisticated enough to reveal the extent of the sonic details in a 44.1kHz file anyway, let alone the extra details within a higher-quality one.

I would argue that this applies to every smart wi-fi speaker I’ve come across, and most mainstream audio hardware. Really, CD-quality audio (16-bit/44.1kHz) is probably enough for most devices and streamers out there.

With even the best Bluetooth headphones and speakers, it’s also important to remember that not even the highest-quality Bluetooth technology is advanced enough to transmit audio losslessly (without compression), again meaning that you won’t hear all the details within a 24-bit/44.1kHz file, let alone a 96kHz or 192kHz one.

Even with wired headphones fed by specialist digital audio gear (like a DAC), they would both have to cost several hundred pounds/dollars to be sonically transparent enough to reveal the differences between a 44.1kHz and a 96kHz or 192kHz stream.

Secondly, from what I understand and have seen myself over the years, most hi-res streams available are 24-bit/44.1kHz anyway; only the minority are available in 96kHz or 192kHz. So arguably, for much of what a Spotify Premium subscriber might listen to, they’re probably getting what a subscriber to another service is.

Are these two reasons why Spotify decided to stick with an upper limit of 44.1kHz? Maybe.

…but not everyone

That doesn’t fly for everyone, though. Many people out there, like me, will rightly be a little peeved that Spotify has shirked streaming support above 24-bit/44.1kHz, because they do have audio systems that are mature enough to reveal the extra details in the highest-quality music offered by those rival streaming services (and music download services and some SACDs).

And, therefore, why shouldn’t they be able to listen to a stream of Toto’s Rosanna (one of my favourites) in the very best possible available quality, 24-bit/192kHz?

We’re talking about a niche portion of music listeners out there, of course – but we do exist! And we remain better served by Tidal, Qobuz et al.

For everyone else, Spotify Lossless should be more than good enough. Enjoy the higher quality!

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It's around this time of year when kids go back to school and, usually a few weeks later, students head off to university. Whether it's your first time going to college or you're a seasoned veteran about to tackle your PhD in ancient Nordic runes or the effects the seed drill had on 18th-century agricultural practices, you're going to need the right audio gear to enhance your studies and, more importantly, give you a break from them.

Most students naturally won't want to spend a huge amount of money, so we've whittled down the products we feel offer the best value for music-loving students seeking great sound that won't have them living off leftover beans and stale bread for the next semester. There's a nice variety here, too, from wired headphones to wireless earbuds and even a dinky DAC to boost your smartphone or laptop's sound quality.

To everyone heading off to university: good luck, work hard... and always make time for your music!

JBL Flip 7 Bluetooth speaker

No self-respecting uni student can go without a Bluetooth speaker, it's just the law. We're not saying they're the last word in sound quality, but their convenience, portability and affordability make them the ideal choice if you've got mates round for pre-drinks and need a quick way of getting the tunes firing.

We've got the JBL Flip 7 (£130 / $150 / AU$170) as our top pick here, owing to its appealing balance of sonic punch and overall affordability. If you want something bigger and bolder, the JBL Charge 6 is a worthwhile companion that will go louder and prouder, but note that it will cost you a bit more cash at around £170 / $199 / AU$200.

For most students, the easily portable Flip 7 will do the job. It sounds dynamic and exciting, even when reaching its surprisingly loud max volume, it looks fun and funky, and it is durable and robust enough to be taken outdoors and survive rain, dirt and bumps.

Plus, with Auracast sharing, you can hook it up with your mates' compatible Bluetooth speakers, while around 14 hours of playtime will keep you partying until the sun comes up.

Read our full JBL Flip 7 review

Sony WF-C710N wireless earbuds

We know that schools and universities can be rather cliquey places, and that many of your contemporaries will likely be sporting the latest pair of pristine white AirPods as a signifier of their social status.

If you're after genuine value, though, we'd steer you towards the mighty Sony WF-C710N. There are plenty of budget buds on the market, but ignore them: the C710N deliver genuinely satisfying noise-cancelling, comfort and sonic chops for the money and leave the rest in the dust. These buds are our top pick for most people, most of the time, especially if you can catch them at a regular discount.

Their design is bold and comfortable (that transparent finish is great), while their noise-cancelling is excellent for the price paid. Plus, they really are some of the most entertaining, balanced and musical earbuds you can buy for under £100 / $120, so you'll never be bored as you hunker down for a long study session or during your journey to lectures.

Read our full Sony WF-C710N review

Qobuz Student streaming subscription

If you're serious about high-quality music, French music streaming service Qobuz is a much better shout than Spotify's more mainstream waters. It offers CD-quality sound and above, so it will be a far better audio stream than Spotify's MP3 quality. And at just £4.99 per month for students, it's something of a bargain, undercutting the £5.99 per month of Spotify's ever-popular student tier.

You don't need high-end gear for Qobuz to sound better, though you will really notice the benefit of its impressive catalogue of hi-res tunes if you're rocking a solid set of wired headphones, say. If you do have such a pair (might we suggest the Røde NTH-100, below?), then a hi-res streaming service such as Qobuz will elevate your listening beyond what the likes of Spotify can muster.

This isn't a limited catalogue of obscure Belgian jungle or avant-garde jazz, either. Qobuz has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years, with a clean interface that highlights new music, human-curated playlists and recommendations, and clear, detailed, refined sound.

Qobuz has become a genuine alternative to the more popular Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal services, offering plenty of hi-res music and latest album drops, and it even has a download store where you can purchase high-quality album files to keep forever.

Read our full Qobuz review

iFi Go Link Max DAC

Unless they're studying sound engineering or music, most of your contemporaries probably won't know what a DAC is. Frankly, that's their loss.

As a way of boosting your laptop or smartphone-based performance when using headphones, and for a reasonably small pile of cash, a DAC (combined with headphone amplifier) is a small superweapon in your musical arsenal. The iFi Go Link Max is particularly small, with the same sort of dimensions as a standard USB stick, but it's capable of giving your desktop music a real shot in the arm.

With support for hi-res audio playback up to 32-bit/384kHz, the iFi can be plugged into smartphones, laptops or portable musical players courtesy of its USB-C, Lightning and USB-A connections.

You'll certainly notice the results of your Spotify or Netflix streams if you use wired headphones, with the DAC offering a powerful boost in quality beyond what your laptop or smartphone is capable of.

Adding detail and clarity, not to mention perceptible new levels of space and openness, it's a great buy for enjoying music and videos for a pretty small price of £79 / $79 / AU$139.

Read our full iFi Go Link Max review

Røde NTH-100 wired headphones

If you're a student reading this, you might not realise just how much better wired headphones sound over their wireless counterparts. Wireless earbuds and headphones have taken massive leaps in the past ten years, but a wired connection is still the way to go if you truly care about sound – it's simply a far better way of transmitting the audio signal without any data loss.

Don't worry if you're confused about cost permutations, sound profiles, open-back versus closed-back designs, or over vs on-ears – we just have one piece of advice: just get the Røde NTH-100 wired headphones.

Why? Because, put simply, these over-ear headphones sound great without costing a packet. At this price, only the Austrian Audio Hi-X20 (£120 / $150 / AU$250) really come close, but for us, the Award-winning Rødes offer stunning sound-per-pound value.

They're eloquent and musical, with a real flair for revealing the essential character of your music, no matter the genre or style. Their sturdy, comfortable design with Alcantara earpads make them easy to wear, too, as minutes of listening turn to hours. Highly recommend.

Read our full Røde NTH-100 review

Roberts Revival Petite 2 radio

It might feel a bit retro to recommend a radio in this day and age, but hear us out. While the JBL Flip 7 Bluetooth speaker is a crowd pleaser, the Roberts Revival Petite 2 DAB radio for under £100 is an adorable, lovely-to-use design that will be your companion throughout your time studying.

Its tiny footprint is about the size of an iPhone (smaller than a current iPhone 16), and can be placed in the kitchen while you cook up a pasta bake, or you can pop it on a windowsill, a shelf or on the desk in your room – it's small enough to be placed literally anywhere.

And it will reward you not only with clear, smooth sound, but also with its cute, stylish looks that's available in a variety of fun colours. It's not just a DAB/FM radio, either – it also has Bluetooth, a headphone port and a hefty 20 hours of battery life.

It really does sound great for its size. There's solidity and weight to the music, with voices sounding clear, natural and full of personality. You won't get a lot of bass from such a small unit, but what bass there is comes over as well judged and nicely controlled. It simply sounds fun.

You can stream your own playlists from your smartphone via Bluetooth, play podcasts, listen to live sports and talk radio, or you can let experienced radio DJs regale you with curated tracks – it's a great way to discover new music without relying on AI algorithms.

Read our full Roberts Revival Petite 2 review

Ruark MR1 Mk3 powered desktop speakers

If you really are serious about music and you have a bit more cash to splash for your sound system (£399 / $579 / AU$899), we can't recommend the five-star Ruark MR1 Mk3 enough.

These are beautifully designed compact desktop speakers with amplification and Bluetooth built in, meaning you can easily stream your favourite songs directly from your phone or laptop. You can plug a CD player or TV into its aux/optical input, too. There's no separate amplification needed – and it is a genuine (and stylish) modern alternative to a hi-fi stereo system.

One of the major selling points of the MR1 Mk3 is that they have a built-in phono stage, which means you can plug a turntable directly into the speakers. No extra boxes needed. If you have been swept up in the popular vinyl craze, the MR1 Mk3 will play ball beautifully.

They sound hugely powerful, punchy and dynamic at the best of times, but their built-in phono stage is their trump card, vastly outshining that of the similarly priced Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 rival when listening to records.

However you choose to use them, the MR1 Mk3 are compact, versatile desktop speakers that deliver rich detail, superb rhythmic drive and powerful bass that's vastly superior to average computer speakers. If your budget stretches that far, these Ruark speakers are worth investing in – they will last you beyond your entire stint at college.

Read our full Ruark MR1 Mk3 review

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UPDATE 19th September, 2025: WiiM and Audio Pro have contacted What Hi-Fi? to clarify that, due to a miscommunication and to avoid any confusion, the new Audio Pro W-generation of wireless speakers launched earlier this month will no longer be described as "powered by WiiM" and will instead be referred to as "powered by LinkPlay" – LinkPlay is the parent company of WiiM. The change is to make clear that the new Audio Pro W-generation range is "not a part of the WiiM Ecosystem."

The phrasing on the W-generation speakers' rear panel will be changed accordingly, and the new control app is called the Audio Pro W app.

The notice also states: "For further clarity, the only Audio Pro speakers that are powered by WiiM and integrated with the WiiM Home app are the A10 and C10, WiiM Edition speakers, available exclusively via WiiM’s Amazon storefront."

All other details remain the same as in the original story, which is presented unchanged below.

ORIGINAL STORY 4th September 2025: Audio Pro has refreshed its entire wireless speakers range and, along with updated sound and aesthetics, the big news is that the speakers are now powered by WiiM's excellent streaming app.

We have liked many of Audio Pro's wireless speakers over the years – the C10 MkII is a long-running favourite and former Award-winner, while the multi-talented C20 impressed us last year as a Sonos Era 300 alternative. We are also big fans of WiiM's superb, user-friendly streaming interface, as evidenced by its five-star Pro Plus and Ultra streamers – so this could be a match made in audio heaven.

Audio Pro's set up, streaming and multi-room interface used to be powered by LinkPlay, which is, incidentally, WiiM's parent company. The new Audio Pro W-generation speakers – all 10 of them – now have an updated app that is powered by WiiM's current OS.

For all the revamped Audio Pro speakers, this offers a redesigned app interface, advanced EQ and room correction settings, "enhanced" multi-room and grouping capabilities, along with a more intuitive set-up and playback control experience.

Streaming service support includes Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, TuneIn internet radio and more. We imagine most of the features available on a WiiM streaming product should carry over here, but we will confirm this during testing.

Existing owners of previous Audio Pro products aren't left behind, as all new W-generation speakers are backwards-compatible with Audio Pro’s current models for seamless integration of multi-room systems.

Sound quality has also been "redefined" in the W-generation series, with Audio Pro's engineers refusing to rest on their laurels. Every product in the range has been optimised to deliver "greater clarity, lower distortion and a huge increase in loudness."

We are promised a sound profile, from all new speakers, that is "immersive, powerful and musical."

Henrik Dunér, CTO of Audio Pro, says: “Our goal wasn’t to tweak the sound. It was to rethink it from the ground up, tackling the full audio spectrum and get the most musical sound from our small form factors."

While the speakers retain their previous physical forms, small refinements to the cosmetics (such as the button panels, back plates, texture finishes, logos) aim to unify the typically minimal Scandinavian design and make the speakers look more cohesive.

The W-generation range includes single-unit wireless speakers in various shapes and sizes, small bookshelf speakers and two pairs of floorstanding speakers with integrated streaming – these are available in various shades of grey, while the A28 is available in an additional walnut finish.

The same physical connectivity options on all speakers should carry over to the updated versions, too.

To add a cherry on top of this news, most of the new speakers are set to remain very similar to their original prices, too.

The Audio Pro W-generation speakers are:

C20 W - £450 / €550
C10 MkII W - £350 / €400
C5 MkII W - £250 / €300

A10 MkII W - £220 / €250
A15 W - £350 / €400

A28 W - £500 / €600 (£540 / €650 for walnut finish)
A38 W - £700 / €800
A48 W - £950 / €1100

Drumfire II W - £600 / €700
Drumfire D-2 W - £350 / €400

US pricing will be available in October. We currently have the C20 W, C5 MkII W and A28 W models in for review – stay tuned for our verdicts in due course.

MORE:

Read our five-star Audio Pro C20 review

And our WiiM Amp Pro review

The Eversolo T8 streaming transport wants to deliver “high-end audio experience for music lovers and audiophiles alike”

Summer's almost over, or at least, it is if you live in the UK. The nights are drawing in, the leaves are turning brown (rather prematurely, it has to be said), and we're all preparing to hunker down for the long slog that is the British winter. See you in eight months, sun!

While that's bad for our tans and probably not much better for our mental wellbeing, it does mean that we'll be spending a lot more time inside, glued to our hi-fi or welded to our favourite headphones. That, inevitably, means lots and lots of listening (and lots of fodder for next months' edition of Now Playing).

Not that August's generally lovely weather stopped us from discovering lots of new test tracks, mind. You can't keep us away from a sound system, with the tunes below giving our test gear a good going over in the warmup to winter. Don't pull a muscle!

• Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal

Euro-Country by Cmat

“I think we’re gonna' diе trying, I wish we weren’t this way”.

You might think this lyric seems like something right out of a break-up song, but you would be mistaken. Instead, Euro-Country acts as a yearning to feel connected to one’s homeland and a struggle with identity.

It begins with lyrics in the Irish language, and Cmat has crafted a song that’s part love-letter, part political anthem. It’s hard to pin the genre down as well, with aspects of country, folk and pop emerging as it goes on.

Her wailing vocal performance is incredibly moving, with emotion and rage seeping through every note. As the drums reach their crescendo, for example, Cmat matches this energy with a furious cry that ends with “It was normal building houses that stay empty even now".

Cmat’s full Euro-Country album has just been released, so I’ll be strapping in for some (hopefully) excellent tunes.

Words by Robyn Quick

Won't Be A Thing To Become by Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld

This is a test track that we have used numerous times over the years, but I still can’t quite get a handle on it.

It’s a two-hander between saxophonist Colin Stetson and violinist Sarah Neufeld. The way each instrument’s distinct tone, timbre and textures remain clear and insightful while also dovetailing into each other when it comes to the rhythmic structure of the piece is something that is very difficult to get right, even with very capable hi-fi equipment.

What is important is to feel the deep, rich tones of the opening notes and layered subtleties of the strings, and to lose yourself in the otherworldly and slightly unsettling, moody composition.

The instruments should be delivered with a physical and visceral feel through the very best hi-fi, while also having a controlled, agile and dynamically expressive hold over the ebb and flow of the track. It’s a mesmerising tune, and definitely worth repeated plays.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

The Rope by Wunderhorse

Indie rock band Wunderhorse has been serving up grungy bangers for a few years now, but I’m ashamed to say that they have snuck under the radar for me until recently.

Formed in 2020, the band saw success with its 2022 album Cub, which contains the visceral track Teal – also worth a listen. Since then, they have supported some of my favourite artists, including Sam Fender and Fontaines D.C.

The group's latest offering, The Rope, leans into the edgy sound that they have established for themselves, though it's balanced out with a catchy guitar riff that cuts through the heavy track to superb effect.

It’s exciting and moves at a decent pace, with lead vocalist Jacob Slater’s lyrics piercing through with a raw and emotive quality that ties this record together perfectly.

Lyrically, The Rope feels fairly heavy. It is introspective and desperate, with the chorus hinging on Slater frantically pleading “don’t let go of the rope”, though that is swiftly followed by a reassuring and almost uplifting sentiment of “and if you’re rolling easy, go steady / You gotta' do what you do to get along”.

That's in keeping with the rest of Wunderhorse’s discography, which can be thematically weighty at times, but I think it solidifies their raw and pragmatic sound.

Play this track through a pair of earbuds or headphones that can balance the roughness without sounding abrasive or unkempt, and you’ll find plenty to like.

Words by Lewis Empson

My Mind Is A Mountain by Deftones

Has it really been five years since Deftones released their last album? It sure has. Not only was the recording of Ohms completed during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was released when the infamous ‘Rule of Six’ restrictions were in place in the UK. Crikey, what a strange time that was.

Their 10th album, Private Music, has just been released, marking the longest that the band has ever taken between albums. Perhaps that’s why it sounds so polished – and why it feels like the quintessential Deftones record.

There’s nothing envelope-pushing, genre-bending or style-mutating here. Private Music suggests that the band has done its evolving and has settled on what Deftones is. This is Deftones at their most Deftones-y, and it’s excellent.

This is typified, as you would hope, by album opener My Mind Is A Mountain. Sudden, brutal heaviness; chugging guitar riffs; propulsive percussion; soft, sweeping singing and contrasting, emotionally strained shouting – it’s everything you want from Deftones distilled into a three-minute track, and it sounds lush and dramatic through proper hi-fi.

Words by Tom Parsons

In A Silent Way by Joe Zawinul

The jazz enthusiasts among you may be looking at the artist listed here and getting confused.

Though pianist and keyboardist Joe Zawinul is the original composer of In a Silent Way, it was taken by Miles Davis, who is generally considered more famous in mainstream music, and used as the titular track of his 1969 album of the same name.

The catch? Davis thought Zawinul’s original work was a little too complex and chose to simplify the composition and cut entire sections – a move that led Zawinul to re-record the piece with a different band and his original composition a year later.

That’s the version we have here. This gives it a more haunting feeling in my mind, with the beautiful, slow-burning track alternating between modal and diatonic passages built on the E major or A major scale leaving an intentional sense of ambiguity.

On top of this, with a beautifully played soprano sax lead, that is masterfully backed up with a complex keyboard section that intertwines rumbling low and sparkling high parts, it’s a masterclass in composition that demands a decent hi-fi setup to do it true justice.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Lonely Night in the Park by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen has been on something of a streak recently, releasing a wealth of music he recorded but, for whatever reason, chose not to release, over his long and storied career.

I’ve always had a soft spot for The Boss, and found a sea of hidden gems in the releases, including Rain in the River, about which I wrote a separate feature.

But his most recent lost track release, Lonely Night Park, is by far my favourite. The wonderfully composed track was released on the 25th of August to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of his iconic Born to Run album.

According to Springsteen the track was “heavily considered” to be included on the album, but for undisclosed reasons didn’t quite make the cut. Listening to the newly released 1975 studio outtake from Springsteen’s Born to Run Record Plant sessions, I honestly can’t understand why it was cut.

Featuring an upbeat, booming backing track expertly delivered by the E Street Band along with Springsteen’s energetic, narrative-led vocals it’s a powerhouse demonstration of everything that made me fall in love with The Boss as a teenager and continue to listen to him over 30 years on.

Whether you're an existing Springsteen fan or newcomer to his work, this track is well worth a listen.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Jealous Type by Doja Cat

The complete antithesis to my rocking recommendation above, I have also been listening non-stop to the latest single from pop star/rapper Doja Cat. Jealous Type is a synth-laden dance-pop banger dripping in glittery ’80s disco influence, which appears to be the theme Doja’s upcoming album, Vie.

The funk-inspired bass riff that underpins this track is my favourite part, and it demands a pair of headphones or earbuds that can deliver taut and precise bass to make it truly shine. That strong bassline requires a system that doesn’t stumble where timing is concerned, as the song can easily lose its lustre if your audio gear isn’t striking the beat with precision.

Doja Cat’s sparkling layered vocals glide effortlessly over the densely packed melody, which contrasts said bassline rather nicely. An early section of the track that layers Doja’s lyrics over producer Jack Antonoff’s vocals is a standout, and it sounds particularly good on a pair of headphones that sonically lean on the richer side.

Spatial separation is also a must with this track, as it can otherwise sound ill-defined on a less-talented set of headphones or a middling Bluetooth speaker, ultimately resulting in its slick production being lost within a jumble of digital effects.

Done right, however, this track shines as a modern pop anthem.

Words by Lewis Empson

Mirrors by Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake might not be the hottest property in music any more – he has rarely been what you might call a 'credible' pop artist (not that kind of pop artist) in the same vein as an Elton John, say, or a Prince Rogers Nelson.

You might think NSYNC were just another generic boyband, or that Timberlake's earlier work was soft R&B fluff watered down for a mainstream audience. You may even think that 2011's Friends with Benefits was a bad movie (you'd be dead wrong on that one, you fool).

Think all of those things if you will, but don't tell me that Mirrors is anything short of a pop masterpiece. The penultimate salvo from 2013's The 20/20 Experience is outrageously well crafted, and when you've got a proper system to give it its due, the track's bold, brassy synths knock you for six before switching to snappy, Jackson-esque verses leading into that anthemic falsetto chorus.

Pop tunes can often be throwaway or breezy affairs, but Mirrors demonstrates that there's nothing wrong with genuinely orchestral bombast amid the more lightweight fluff.

Turn it up loud on a capable setup and the results are utterly breathtaking.

Words by Harry McKerrell

MORE:

Read last month's edition: 6 test tracks we've been playing in the What Hi-Fi? listening rooms this month

These are the best audiophile headphones for getting the most out of your music

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

It was teased at High End Munich earlier this year, but we now have official details and prices for the Eversolo T8. This is Eversolo's first streaming transport, i.e. a product with all the latest network streaming software and features but without a DAC built in; so you will need to plug it into an external DAC or into the digital inputs of your amplifier.

It's a neat way to add modern streaming powers to a hi-fi system that already has a great DAC. It could also prove to be a smart route for the brand, considering how we have heaped praise on Eversolo's excellent streaming software and its capability as a digital source in the DMP-A6 and DMP-A10 streamers that we have tested.

The T8 aims to deliver “clean, precise digital audio” and features carefully isolated digital outputs, an ultra-high precision clock, and all the bells and whistles that come with Eversolo's proprietary software ecosystem.

The Eversolo T8 features a 6-inch touchscreen display that lets you select the numerous music apps and services available, control playback, adjust settings and more. This display screen dominates the front of a sleek, aluminium chassis that boasts shielding from its internal circuitry as well as from outside electromagnetic interference.

Expect all the streaming features we encountered in the flagship DMP-A10 music streamer: AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Deezer, Amazon Music, internet radio, DLNA and LAN access for playing from connected storage and hard drives, as well as bit-perfect playback of Apple Music's hi-res library, internet radio and a wide variety of third-party music apps that you can download directly to the unit.

It features Wi-Fi 6 and is Roon Ready certified, too. A quad-core ARM processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage aim to provide smooth daily use and “efficient data management”.

The T8 features an ultra-high precision femtosecond clock system (a femtosecond is one quadrillionth of a second), which is responsible for maintaining the timing of every audio signal with accuracy and reducing jitter. The T8 promises to deliver “focused sound, well-defined imaging, rich detail, and natural dynamics.”

It also houses a “super-silent” linear power supply, which is further isolated from the digital circuitry. If connecting an external DAC via USB, Eversolo says the T8’s USB Audio output is further isolated from noise generated by the power stage and potential ground differences, to ensure only clean audio signals are transmitted.

There are only digital outputs on this unit: AES/EBU, optical and coaxial. The unit supports playback of hi-res files up to DSD512 and 32-bit/768kHz PCM, although the coaxial output is limited to 24-bit/192kHz.

Additionally, there are two SSD slots in the T8 to hold a sizable digital music library, supporting up to 16TB (2 x 8TB) of maximum storage capacity. Room correction software that can be used with a separate mic or your smartphone's mic is on board, and you can control all features and playback with the included remote control and by using the Eversolo Control app.

The T8 can be used with a wide variety of DACs, and it aims to provide “flexibility, depth, and a high-end audio experience for music lovers and audiophiles alike.” The Eversolo T8 streaming transport is available for pre-order now and costs £1199 / $1380 / €1380.

MORE:

Read our Eversolo DMP-A10 music streamer review

And read our Lumin U2 Mini streaming transport review

Our guide to the best music streamers you can buy

Bluesound has added two new soundbars to its ranks which the Canada-based brand says combine “audiophile-grade performance and everyday usability.”

First up is the Pulse Cinema, a “premium” 3.2.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar.

It features 16 speaker drivers including a centre channel, dual four-inch woofers and dedicated up-firing speakers. The brand claims this results in a “3D soundstage” with “more details and realism”.

With a total of 500 watts of power and a reasonably meaty width of 119 cm, Bluesound says the soundbar is best suited for TVs above 55 inches.

There is also the Pulse Cinema Mini – a more compact 84 cm soundbar which the company claims is ideal for smaller setups. It delivers 280 watts of total system power, also with four-inch woofers built-in.

You won’t find any up-firing Atmos speakers here, but there are angled drivers and Atmos 2.1-channel virtualization.

Both models support HDMI eARC, optical and analogue inputs, and come with wall mounts to give the maximum flexibility for positioning.

If you want to connect a multi-channel surround system, Bluesound’s BluOS platform is also on board. It works with more than 20 streaming services including Tidal, Spotify and Qobuz and supports hi-res audio up to 24-bit/192kHz.

In terms of design, these new 'bars are available in a black finish with a grey fabric grille, or a white finish with tan details.

Both models are up against some tough competition, however. Priced at £1149 / $1499 / (around AU$2315), the Pulse Cinema is competing with the likes of the Sonos Arc Ultra which we rate highly for its three-dimensional sound and expressive bass.

The less expensive Pulse Cinema Mini is £799 / $999 (around AU$1543). That means the five-star Sonos Arc, which launched at £799 / $799 / AU$1399, is the one to beat. The Arc snagged a What Hi-Fi? Award last year, so we are keen to see how Blusound’s latest soundbar entries will perform.

Both will be available for pre-order from the 24th of September.

MORE:

Check out our Bluesound Node review

These are the best soundbars right now

And here are the best budget soundbars on the market

NAD’s C 3050 is more than it initially seems. On the surface, it’s yet another hi-fi product that has boarded the retro design train. But, look closer and you will find real engineering substance behind those admittedly rather appealing mechanical power meters.

The headline feature, and the main differentiator between the C 3050 and excellent stereo amplifier rivals such as the Arcam A15 or the Rega Elex Mk4, is the option to add a streaming module. Called, rather catchily, the MDC2 BluOS-D, the module is based on a platform developed by NAD’s sister company, Bluesound.

Ticking this box may raise the price from the standard amplifier’s £1349 / $1699 / AU$2699, but it turns the C 3050 into an extremely neat and characterful just-add-speakers streaming system.

Features & connectivity

The NAD brand is built on good value electronics, and even in base form, the C 3050 amplifier still has a lot going for it. It is well equipped with a moving magnet phono stage, two-way Bluetooth (of the aptX HD variety), coax and optical digital inputs and a healthy power output of 100 watts per channel.

There is also a front panel-mounted 6.3mm headphone output and, rather usefully, an HDMI eARC input to help the NAD integrate into an AV set-up.

Add the optional streaming module, and the product’s functionality increases massively. A fully-loaded C 3050 can stream music files from your home network, play internet radio or access any of the usual streaming services through wired or wireless means.

The MDC2 BluOS-D module’s range of abilities should be extensive enough for most users, but we note that there are some obvious gaps in its specifications. It doesn’t play DSD files and the PCM files it does play are limited to a maximum of 24-bit/192kHz.

While we suspect neither of these will be an issue for the vast majority of users, those with more ambitious tastes in file formats may feel shortchanged here.

While Spotify and Tidal in Connect form are available, at the time of writing, Qobuz Connect isn’t. Similarly, Apple AirPlay 2 is on the menu but Google Cast isn’t. Streaming is a software-based world, and that means shortcomings such as these can be remedied with updates.

It will be interesting to find out whether NAD feels the need to do so. We can only hope.

Unusually, NAD has included Dirac Live room equalisation software as part of the MDC2 BluOS-D package. This is the limited bandwidth version of the room correction system and operates from 20Hz to 500Hz. If you want the full range, full-fat version that works up to 20kHz, you’ll have to buy it from Dirac’s online store for around £75/ $99 (around AU$154).

Whether the additional expense is worthwhile is a matter of context. In our acoustically treated listening room, the basic Dirac Live system gives a slightly more even frequency response when using Fyne Audio’s large F502S floorstanders, but it comes at the expense of a slight degradation of low-level dynamics and rhythmic drive.

However, we can certainly see benefits of using the system in rooms that have more serious acoustic issues, so in those cases, the premium version of the software may well make sense.

Build & design

Take a look inside the C 3050’s walnut vinyl-covered casework and you will find NAD’s trusted HybridDigital UcD output stage delivering a solid 100 watts per channel into both 4-ohm and 8-ohm speaker loads. The output rises to a claimed 135 watts per channel on short-term dynamic peaks.

That should be enough to drive any price-compatible speaker to decent levels in all but the largest of listening spaces. We certainly didn’t have any problems driving a range of speakers, including the Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2, the KEF LS50 Meta, the Fyne Audio F502S and the Neat Mystique Classic floorstanders (reviews coming soon).

A Texas Instruments PCM5242 differential 24-bit/192kHz DAC chip is at the heart of the C 3050’s digital circuits. NAD’s engineers chose this DAC for its dynamic performance and resistance to clock jitter.

We have no issue with the C 3050’s build and finish. It feels like a quality product with solid casework and sturdy controls. The fit and finish are good too, giving the NAD a proper premium aura. The streaming side is taken care of by the well-established BluOS app. This is one of the better pieces of streaming control software on the market and is stable, easy to use and intuitive on the whole.

It doesn’t take long to get a sound from the C 3050 once we get it out of the packaging. Our sources are the Technics SL-1000R/Nagaoka MP-200 record player to test the NAD’s moving magnet phono stage, Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer to feed the analogue and coaxial inputs, alongside a Cyrus CDi for the optical.

We have an iPhone 12 Pro Max to test the C 3050’s Bluetooth performance. Of the list of aforementioned speakers, we spend the most time with the KEF LS50 Meta connected to the NAD, as these seem the most appropriate partners in terms of price and quality.

Sound

We start by listening to the NAD using the built-in streaming module. It all works smoothly, with none of the clunkiness that a less well-engineered add-on solution could suffer from.

And you know what? The C 3050 sounds great.

As we work through a collection of music that spans a broad range from a small-scale folk group like The Unthanks (the Mount The Air album) and Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances Op.45 through to Nick Cave’s Wild God set, the NAD doesn’t skip a beat.

It has the midrange clarity and fluidity to shine with a vocal-based group such as The Unthanks. Detail levels are good, but it's the organic way in which the C 3050 arranges all that detail that draws us into the music. It captures the texture and tone of the sisters’ voices superbly and so communicates the heartfelt passion in the title track, Mount The Air, better than most alternatives we’ve heard.

The NAD doesn’t just excel with the subtleties either. It may be refined, but when the music demands, there is bite here too. The Rachmaninov piece shows the C 3050’s dynamic prowess and ability to convey the piece's power and authority. It sounds muscular, delivering lows with a richness and punch that’s enjoyable. The presentation is airy but still manages to retain the music’s exuberance.

Soundstaging is reasonably expansive and nicely focused. It stays stable even when the music becomes demanding. Our listening room is a decent size at 3 x 7 x 5m (hwd), and the C 3050 has no trouble filling it with sound.

Of course, it can be made to sound stressed if you really push things. But provided your speakers aren’t unusually insensitive (or your room isn’t massive), we think this amplifier has you covered.

Feeding Mary J Blige’s No More Drama from our Naim music streamer into the C 3050’s line level input proves that the NAD has surefooted rhythmic drive and a good degree of punch. It delivers the album’s basslines with verve, while neatly swerving the sludgy feel that such a full-bodied and rich low-end can sometimes impart.

The story remains positive when we try the NAD’s digital inputs. The sound through these retains the characteristics we so like from the streaming module and line stages, and the on-board DAC has no issue when we work our way through the various music file resolutions from 16-bit/44.1kHz to 24-bit/192kHz.

Even the phono stage is good. It is reasonably quiet but still sounds agile, informative and dynamically interesting. It's good enough to handle the likes of the Rega Planar 2/Nd3 without leaving us feeling that we need to upgrade. Considering the general standard of built-in phono stages in most rivals, it is fair to say that NAD has done a great job here.

Verdict

That applies to the complete product. The NAD C 3050 is a high achiever across the board, from the better-than-average Bluetooth performance to the capable DAC module and talented streaming section. While the basic amplifier is a fine performer, it would still struggle to topple class leaders like the Arcam A15.

However, add the MDC2-BluOS-D’s streaming smarts into the equation and the story changes dramatically, catapulting the NAD to class-leading status as far as streaming systems are concerned.

The attractive retro appearance may be the thing that draws people to the C 3050, but it’s the product's all round abilities as a streaming package that makes it such a strong buy. Highly recommended.

Review published: 18th August 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Ruark Audio R610

Also consider the Naim Uniti Atom

Best music streamers: top network audio players tested by our experts

One of the most exciting products revealed at High End Munich show earlier this year was the Eversolo Play streaming amplifier: a neat, compact unit that combines amplification, streaming and various inputs into one box – you simply have to add speakers.

More interestingly, there is a CD Edition with a CD drive included, and it's this Eversolo Play CD Edition that we have in for review.

Our review process can take many days (sometimes weeks), but with a feature-packed product like this, there are plenty of features, settings and specs that surprise us or pique our interest when we start setting the product up. So below you'll find a handful of cool features on the Eversolo Play CD Edition that stood out to me during the first day of the testing process.

Of course, my colleagues and I on the review team will be spending plenty of more hours and days listening to the Eversolo Play CD Edition to bring you the full details of its performance, but for now, here is a small taste of what this versatile streaming amplifier offers.

1. It's not just a CD player, it's also a CD ripper!

The CD drive in the Eversolo Play CD Edition can play CDs (but not SACDs, Eversolo has confirmed). But I also learnt it doubles up as a CD ripper.

Load up your CD and you'll find an option to rip the album appear on the screen – once selected, the Eversolo goes into CD ripping mode.

It's a straightforward and pretty swift process, with the display showing you all the options and progress at every step. I particularly like the animated graphic of the CD album (in our case, Weezer's Green Album) turning alongside the progress bar.

You have the option to rip the CD in FLAC or WAV formats, while the unit can also fetch metadata such as album artwork and track names – just make sure the Play is connected to your network.

Where do the ripped CDs go? The Play has 32GB of internal storage, so once the ripping process is finished, you simply have to head to the File section, select the Music folder, and you'll find your ripped CD tracks waiting for you there, ready to be played.

Another neat trick: long-press on the ripped CD album folder (on the unit's touchscreen display, just as you would on a smartphone), and you get options to rename it or even delete it entirely from the Eversolo Play CD Edition's storage.

2. You can play hi-res and lossless Apple Music tracks natively

Apple Music (in)famously doesn't integrate its streaming service into third-party hardware, so you tend to have to rely on AirPlay (iOS only) or Chromecast (for Android) to stream your Apple Music playlists to a hi-fi streamer.

The problem is, AirPlay 2 is still a lossy protocol that doesn't support lossless or full hi-res streaming, despite Apple Music's library being full of hi-res and lossless quality tracks.

Eversolo has a solution, in that it essentially allows you to download the Android app version of Apple Music directly on to the Play (under the App section), meaning you can access Apple Music just as you would on your smartphone – and it unlocks lossless and hi-res playback.

While it doesn't display sample rate and bitrate data in detail as with Qobuz Connect or Tidal Connect streams, our review sample shows that a stream of Waxahatchee's Right Back To It is being played at PCM 96kHz, while playing They Might Be Giants' The Mesopotamians switches to PCM 44.1kHz.

At first, you do get the usual Android app pop-up information about needing an external DAC to play full-fat 192kHz files, but you can disregard this in the Eversolo Play as it will natively play up to 24-bit/192kHz. We will be exploring this further during our full review.

Make sure you select the Hi-Res Lossless tier in Apple Music's sound quality settings (you can do all of this directly from the Play's screen) to get full-fat hi-res lossless ALAC files played directly from Apple Music.

3. "Listen At Will" feature will play "randomly recommended" songs – but it really is random

Here's a fun feature I've not encountered before. The Eversolo Play (and CD Edition) has a "Listen At Will" option, which will "automatically play randomly recommended tracks from both logged-in music services and your local music library.”

I am logged into my Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal accounts on our review sample and the unit can see our local Naim server full of CD-quality and hi-res digital files.

Now, I initially took this to mean that this feature will play from our saved playlists – any favourited songs, or songs on heavy rotation – or at least, something quite familiar and oft-played.

But the selection here is truly random, and the Eversolo offers a completely different experience from the algorithm-led shuffle feature on most streaming services.

I've spoken with our Eversolo contact and they said this feature is very much designed to be fully random, to "deliver surprising musical discoveries". I quite like this novel approach, and more time with the Play will tell if this "lucky dip" feature does throw out surprise new favourites I never would've otherwise discovered.

At the moment, our sample unit keeps playing Weird Al Yankovic songs. I can't remember the last time any service has recommended his work to me – it must be years! The "Listen At Will" feature did play The Streets' Turn The Page and a few other unfamiliar tracks, but oddly, every other song – so far – has been a Weird Al parody track.

Either way, at least it has a sense of humour.

4. Its built-in phono stage works with MM and MC cartridges

Plenty of all-in-one streaming amps these days include a phono stage. Whether it's the Ruark Audio R610, the NAD C 3050 or Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE, you'll find a moving magnet (MM) phono stage built in to cater to the still-booming vinyl revival.

In the Eversolo Play CD Edition, its built-in phono stage also works with the more premium and audiophile-friendly moving coil (MC) cartridges. It's unusual to have MC compatibility in this kind of product, let alone at this kind of price point, as good MC models tend to start around £400 and above (see: Ortofon Quintet Blue and others on our best cartridges list).

The Cyrus 80 AMP coming out later this year is the only other streaming amp I can think of that offers both MM and MC support, and that's set to cost between £5000 to £6000.

For the considerably more affordable Eversolo Play to offer both MM and MC support here is quite the bonus – it's nice to have the option here for those who want it.

We haven't tried this unit's phono stage's quality yet, so stay tuned for the verdict in our forthcoming review.

5. So many display and light customisation options

The first thing I did after connecting the Eversolo Play CD Edition to our test room's network and speakers was to log into all my music streaming services.

The second thing I did was to delve into the control app and unit's settings to marvel at the multitude of display options for the large 5.5in LCD touchscreen.

There is so much to choose from. There are multiple layouts for the 'Now Playing' screen available, from minimal album artwork to detailed information about sample rate, bit depth and file type alongside the usual artist, track and album names.

You can also choose to have the popular retro VU meter displays (there are multiple styles and colours to choose from) or go very 80s with a choice of spectrum graphics.

It's not just the screen that you can customise. There is a lovely, subtle RGB light ring around the volume dial, and you can choose from over a dozen solid and gradient colours to suit your tastes and style.

It's perhaps rather superficial, but I think these customisation options allow you to have a bit of fun (or even keep things entirely minimal) when using modern streaming products like this Eversolo.

6. It's double the price of the WiiM Amp Pro – will it be double the performance?

Most of the streaming amplifiers we tested previously cost about £1000 and above, but more budget options have recently popped up.

The recently reviewed WiiM Amp Pro is the cheapest streaming amp we've tested at £399 / $379. Its clear, detailed, lively and enjoyable performance earned it four stars.

At £699, the Eversolo Play CD Edition is double the price of the Amp Pro, occupying a larger footprint than the WiiM but also retaining the appealingly compact and square dimensions.

Interestingly, both units are powered by Class D amplification and have a claimed rating of 60 watts per channel (into 8 ohms). Numbers alone aren't an indication of actual sonic performance, of course, with both brands emplyoying different DACs and their circuitry and tuning will be different – but we are curious to find out just how much of a step-up the Eversolo will be and if the Play CD Edition will require different speaker partnering to get the best out of it.

We'll investigate it further during the full review process, so stay tuned for our final verdict in the coming weeks.

MORE:

Read our WiiM Amp Pro review

Check out our guide to the best CD players

I tried Lorde’s transparent CD in 7 different disc players – but did it play on any of them?

I’ve been using Apple Music for 10 years, and this one hi-fi feature would make my listening complete

Apple Music has been my go-to streaming service for the last ten years. I started using it as soon as the streaming service launched on 30th June 2015 – our original review (five stars) went live the following month – and I've not stopped using it since.

It helped that I already had a sizeable iTunes library, and figuring out how my downloaded and ripped files would behave when moving over to a streaming-first service was useful during our original review.

In fact, Apple Music remains the only product for which I've read the T&Cs in full – as Apple was tight-lipped about certain specifications (such as the bitrate songs were streamed at), and trawling through the fine print for additional information was necessary to discover them (answer: 256kbps AAC, during launch).

Apple Music's interface, excellent catalogue and integration with iOS devices, not to mention its very intuitive algorithm for music recommendations and expertly curated playlists, have kept me in good company for the last decade.

It sounds good, too. While Tidal sounds punchier and more detailed, and Qobuz offers greater clarity, I still find that Apple Music sounds, well, musical when played through headphones, wireless speakers and hi-fi streamers. It's clear, dynamic, well-balanced and sounds particularly natural and emotive with voices.

Since launch, Apple Music has grown swiftly to compete with streaming giant Spotify in catalogue (over 100 million) and it boasts 93 million paid subscribers, while – more importantly to us at What Hi-Fi? – it also made spatial audio mainstream and introduced 24-bit hi-res lossless tiers (from 48kHz to 192kHz sample rates) – at no extra cost.

In fact, while rival streaming services have increased their prices multiple times or have different pricing for different audio quality tiers, Apple Music has only implemented one significant price rise for its main individual tier. It started at £9.99 per month; it's now £10.99 per month.

I always reach for Apple Music when I'm listening on headphones or through Bluetooth speakers, especially when at home. At work, however, I tend to use Tidal Connect and Qobuz Connect – not just because of their better sound quality (which makes testing products easier), but also because the Connect version of those streaming services makes streaming to hi-fi kit so much easier, and I get to listen in hi-res quality.

Hi-res streaming has evolved – AirPlay needs to catch up

In fact, when Apple Music celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this month, I was musing on what I'd like to see changed or improved about the platform. And I quickly realised that what I wanted wasn't anything to do with Apple Music itself, but with AirPlay. Indeed, this Apple wireless protocol is in serious need of an upgrade.

Streaming products are becoming more common these days, and the ability to stream in 24-bit hi-res quality is also becoming more widespread as music fans want better quality sound. It's not just wireless speakers that boast Bluetooth, AirPlay or internet radio; network music streamers from WiiM, Eversolo, Bluesound, Cambridge, all-in-one systems from Ruark, Naim and more do, too – and they now support Tidal Connect or Qobuz Connect, or both!

We use a Naim streamer in our hi-fi test rooms, while I use a WiiM Pro Plus in my home hi-fi system – being able to stream music from Qobuz/Tidal in hi-res quality over a network so easily, and without my phone's apps or notifications affecting the playback makes for a rewarding music listening experience.

AirPlay, in comparison, is lagging behind. AirPlay is already integrated into a huge number of third-party wireless speakers, streamers, music systems, AV receivers and more. Unlike many of Apple's iOS-only features that remain within its own ecosystem, AirPlay is widely available for all.

It's a shame, then, that it hasn't evolved into a Connect version that would allow Apple Music's subscribers to enjoy their library in a more streamlined and higher-quality way.

The most recent update, AirPlay 2, brought us multi-room playback, which was necessary for its HomePod speakers, but I hope upgrading AirPlay to a full Connect model is something Apple will consider in the near future.

A Connect version of AirPlay would elevate the Apple Music experience

AirPlay 2 is a wireless protocol that allows you to stream music (and video) content from your Apple device over your home network to supported products, and claims to deliver 16-bit/44.1kHz quality streams. It's a big step up, both technically and sonically, over super lossy Bluetooth.

Unlike other streaming apps, Apple doesn't allow for Apple Music to have integrated support in third-party hi-fi kit – so you have to rely on AirPlay to stream Apple Music tunes (especially from an iOS device; Android users can use Chromecast) in better-than-Bluetooth quality to your chosen hi-fi streamer.

(The one exception here is Eversolo, which allows you to download the Apple Music Android app directly onto its streamers, which allows you to play in full hi-res.)

However, with AirPlay, the songs streamed come via your smartphone or tablet rather than from the streaming service's servers in the cloud – so if you close the app on your phone, have a call coming in, or play a video, it will interrupt and affect playback.

In comparison, the Connect version for both Tidal and Qobuz sends music straight from their servers to the connected hi-fi product, leaving your phone free to be used as you wish and solely as a remote, with no interruptions affecting the playback. It's such a smoother experience.

This is the main upgrade I'd love to see implemented in the next iteration of AirPlay. It would make so much more sense and streamline the protocol's use when streaming my Apple Music library to hi-fi products.

Will we ever see full hi-res support over AirPlay?

The second update I'd still like to see is one that we've mentioned before. Apple Music's catalogue has songs in lossless hi-res (24-bit) quality, but there is still no way to wirelessly stream that quality, either to its own AirPods or, via AirPlay, to hi-fi or wireless systems.

Apple Music's hi-res files are in the ALAC lossless format (an alternative to FLAC). However, when streaming using AirPlay 2, this gets downsampled to the lossy AAC format (a Bluetooth standard) – which means at no point are you ever getting to enjoy the hi-res or even full CD-spec lossless quality that the 100+ million songs are available in from your Apple Music library.

You can still access it if you go wired all the way, with a DAC in between your Apple Music source and endpoint – but that defeats the point of a wireless ecosystem, and seems retrograde when hi-res wireless is now available more widely.

And while I can live with AAC quality when listening to my AirPods Pro over Bluetooth, I feel shortchanged when I'm streaming to a network player or wireless system – be it WiiM, Naim, Ruark or any other AirPlay-supporting kit – and I can't hear my well-curated Apple Music library and playlists in hi-res quality like I can with Qobuz Connect and Tidal Connect.

The advent of Qobuz Connect earlier this year made the difference all the more stark, and proved just how much a Connect version of AirPlay would bring

I understand that Apple wants to prioritise seamless connection and integration across its own devices and when using its own technology, and AirPlay does offer that with success, even if it's at the expense of dropping audio quality.

The majority of Apple users likely don't care about codecs or bitrates and would rather their products simply worked smoothly 100 per cent of the time. And I agree here, too.

As part of the smaller percentage who does also care very much about getting the best sound quality from your kit, however, I simply wish for better.

We at What Hi-Fi? are big fans of Apple's tuning and balance with its current audio products (AirPods Pro 2 and Max, HomePods, iPhones) – imagine how much better it could be if Apple pushed the needle even further and started to think about delivering true hi-res (and hi-fi) audio quality?

For those of us who use Apple Music as their main streaming source and would love to hear its full quality through our excellent hi-fi kit and catch up with rivals, we can only hope that Apple decides to get a little more audiophile when thinking about AirPlay 3, and delivers a fully Connect-style version as a proper upgrade.

Let's hope it appears before another decade passes for Apple Music, though!

MORE:

Read our full Apple Music review

What is AirPlay 2? How it works, and what speakers and devices support it

Qobuz Connect: what is it? Which products support it?

Ron Carter, Peggy Lee, Jimmy Cobb, Macy Gray, The Persuasions – if those names ignite your musical senses, then we have good news.

Chesky Records is an independent record label that specialises in high-definition recordings and whose genres span classical, jazz, soul, blues, folk and more, and its full catalogue is now fully available to stream and download hi-res music streaming platform Qobuz.

This includes tracks from jazz legend Ron Carter, R&B soulstress Macy Gray, and Rebecca Pidgeon's rendition of 1960s' Spanish Harlem.

The majority of these tracks are now available on Qobuz in 24-bit/96kHz to 192kHz hi-res quality. Many of these tracks are also used by hi-fi brands across many trade shows and demos – so you know they are highly regarded for their recording quality (and will no doubt recognise many if you are a trade show regular!)

Founded in 1986 by brothers David (also a musician) and Norman, Chesky Records prides itself in using advanced technologies, such as 128x oversampling and 96kHz/24-bit high-resolution, "to create the illusion of live musicians in a real three-dimensional space."

The aim is to capture and deliver music in its purest form, and so many of their tracks are a treat when played through talented hi-fi products. There is another audiophile link: the two brothers also founded the HDTracks download site.

To celebrate this collaboration (and Chesky's 40th anniversary next year), Qobuz and Chesky Records are also running a competition from today, that brings together hi-res streaming and vinyl: an exclusive signed vinyl copy of one of Chesky's most iconic releases, The Raven by Rebecca Pidgeon.

Only five signed copies will be up for grabs in the UK, and this collector's item is a newly reissued 180-gram vinyl record that is autographed by Pidgeon and personalised with the winner's name.

To participate in this giveaway, here are the rules:

From 25th July to 26th September 2025, Qobuz users and subscribers will be considered for the giveaway if they meet the following criteria:

• They purchase at least one title from the Chesky Records catalogue via the Qobuz download store (purchased albums can be played through the app without requiring a subscription).
• Or they stream at least one title from the Chesky Records catalogue on qobuz.com.
• And share a screenshot of their player on the social network X or Instagram, including a short comment and the hashtags #Qobuz, #CheskyRecords and #UK.

A random draw will be held after 26th September 2025, to select five winners. Winners will be contacted directly via X (formerly Twitter) by the label’s official account.

Terms & conditions available here.

Whether you're interested in the vinyl giveaway or not, it's great news for fans of high-quality recordings, who can get a taste of Chesky's offering with this Chesky Records playlist on Qobuz.

Qobuz recently launched its Qobuz Connect feature that allows users to directly and easily stream in hi-res quality across a wide variety of hi-fi products from numerous brands, including Audiolab, Eversolo, McIntosh, Naim, WiiM and many more.

MORE:

Read our five-star Qobuz review

Qobuz Connect explained: what is it? Which products support it?

A decade of Spotify's Discover Weekly has changed my musical landscape for the better – but I’m not sold on its new feature

JBL’s Tour One M3 flagship over-ear wireless headphones enter an incredibly crowded and talented market. Premium models from headphone giants and hi-fi brands alike – Sony, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Dali and Apple – all have five-star efforts in this closely-fought field, so expectations are high.

Can JBL’s premium headphones win us over?

Price

The JBL Tour One M3 come in two variants: the headphones on their own (which you can still buy in the UK for £330), or the more widely available version with the Smart Tx transmitter that we’re testing here, which costs £380 / $450 / AU$549.

We’re in decidedly premium territory here, with five-star rivals the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, Sony WF-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones all costing similar money at around the £399 / $450 / AU$699 mark.

What is the Smart Tx transmitter? It is a small device that mimics the touchscreen display we’ve seen in JBL’s wireless earbuds’ charging cases – such as the Tour Pro 3 and Live Beam 3 – that gives you quick access to plenty of features found in the app.

More importantly, it houses the Auracast and Bluetooth transmitter technologies, so you can connect it to various sources (such as your laptop, in-flight entertainment systems or older analogue products) and still enjoy your headphones wirelessly.

Build & comfort

Our expectations of build quality and luxurious feel are understandably high when faced with headphones costing north of £300 / $300. The JBLs don’t quite look or feel like expensive cans.

There’s a lot of plastic used in the build, and it’s a cheaper-feeling material than the more seamless and higher-quality build of the Sony WH-1000XM6; the B&W Px7 S3 use far more premium materials and feel more luxe, too. We find there are audible creaks when twisting the JBL headphones in our hands.

The padding around the headband and earcups is soft and plush, although the material itself around the headband feels very thin and crinkles too easily for our liking. We’re nervous it might tear easily.

However, after three weeks of the JBL being carried in our bag (with keys, cables and other detritus) and testing the material repeatedly with sharp fingernails – we’re happy to say it holds up well and we’ve seen no damage.

The lighter-feeling materials work in the JBL’s favour when it comes to actual wearing: these are comfortable and lightweight on our heads, and are great for portable use. They fold up like a ball, the ear cups have a slimmer profile that many on our review team appreciate, and they also feel comfortable slung around our necks or on our heads for long listening periods.

While they’re a tad heavier on paper (about 20g difference), we find them to be on par with the Sony XM6 in terms of weight impression in our hands (and on our heads). There is no undue hard pressure on our heads; the clamping force is nicely distributed and snug enough to feel secure when walking; and they have enough flex in the headband to fit various head sizes of our review team.

We do find that the ear padding material on the JBLs can heat our ears after a brisk walk, but so did the B&W Px7 S3. The Sony XM6s have sturdier, more breathable earpads, but overall, these JBLs are very easy to get along with.

During our three weeks of testing, we found the JBL Tour One M3 to be a very liveable pair of headphones. Despite the underwhelming perceived value, they have a very practical and easy-to-wear design.

On the controls side, JBL has opted for a mix of physical buttons and touch controls that work well in daily use. You get physical buttons for the all-important volume adjustment, ANC modes and a power switch/pairing slider. The touch controls are for music playback, call options, and summoning voice assistants.

The touch controls are housed in the right earcup and are fixed presets; it’s a bit of a shame you can’t customise them much, apart from turning touch controls off entirely.

The touch controls are easy to use, but we find they are rather sensitive and can be easily triggered by our hand brushing against the surface. The physical buttons work well in comparison; we like the certainty of the up/down volume buttons – which some might prefer over having to tap or swipe using touch controls – and the on/off switch reassures us that the headphones are fully turned off.

It’s a neater solution than, say, Apple’s AirPods Max, which have no power-off button at all.

Features

Don’t worry if you forget to push the slider to the power-off position, though, as the JBL Tour One M3 won’t drain the battery on their own. Not only can you select a timer for the headphones to automatically turn off when they haven’t been used for 30 minutes (or an hour or two), but the battery life on offer here is generous, so you won’t be cut short.

The JBLs boast an ample 40 hours of battery life when listening with ANC turned on, extending to a whopping 70 hours with ANC turned off. This beats the usual 24-30 hours total battery life stated by their rivals, and we never felt we were anywhere close to running low on juice when testing the JBLs over weeks.

The headphones have a swathe of features we’d expect at this price level: LDAC hi-res codec support alongside the standard AAC and SBC codecs; a ‘smart talk’ feature that pauses music when it detects you are speaking; and JBL’s take on spatial audio in fixed and dynamic modes.

There is scope to customise the sound using six EQ presets (we like Studio) or a 10-band equaliser and save your own settings in the app. JBL’s own deeper Personi-Fi sound tailoring is also available.

There are audio-prioritising and video modes – the latter of which minimises any sync delays with videos and games – as well as settings to further amplify sounds around you and a volume limiter to protect your hearing.

The useful Auto Play & Pause feature is present, which pauses what’s being played when you take the headphones off – although we did find that our podcasts occasionally carried on playing even when the cans were taken off and placed on a desk. It resumes playback when placed back on our heads without a hitch, though.

All these features can be toggled on or off depending on your personal preference in the JBL Headphones app, too.

Many premium wireless headphones now offer wired listening, and the JBL follows suit with the M3’s USB-C charging port doubling up for wired lossless audio if you prefer a physical connection to your music. The accessories included are generous: you get both USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to 3.5mm audio cables in the box, as well as a USB-A to USB-C adapter. It means you can plug the headphones into a variety of digital and analogue sources.

We used a wired connection with our Apple iPhone 16’s USB-C port, and the JBL headphones instantly recognised they were in wired (rather than Bluetooth) mode and songs from Tidal and Qobuz instantly sounded more stable, solid and detailed.

Where the smart display case made perfect sense in wireless earbud designs, where you will always have the charging case with you for storage and battery, the separate Smart Tx transmitter device feels less intuitive to use with over-ears. It is an extra thing to carry and yet another extra device to charge (it holds 18 hours of battery).

Still, it is small and light (only 35g) and can be chucked into your bag or a drawer until you need it. Being able to access certain features like the ANC, spatial audio and EQ modes quickly without opening the app is useful, although we still naturally go for our phone than this unfamiliar little box.

It is most useful if you’ll be using its Bluetooth transmitter and Auracast sharing capabilities often. While we weren’t able to go on a long-haul flight during our testing period, the Smart Tx box when plugged into our MacBook’s USB-C port streamed sound over to the headphones without a hitch.

ANC & call quality

JBL’s noise-cancelling abilities are decent. On full ANC mode, the low rumbles of engines and general chatter and noise around you are dimmed down so you can concentrate on the music. It doesn’t always cope very well with sudden spikes in loud sounds – we heard the full throttle of a passing motorbike – but it does the job.

You can adjust the intensity of the noise-cancelling and the amount of outside noise you let in with sliders for each mode, while there is an adaptive mode that adjusts automatically to your surroundings.

We prefer keeping the ANC on full blast simply because its effect is gentle enough that we are still aware of our environment. The Sony WH-1000XM6 shave off even more in the lower frequencies, making you feel as if you are smoothly gliding on a train, while higher frequency noises like voices melt away more effectively than on the Tour One M3.

Call quality is of a good calibre. Voices are heard clearly, albeit with a slight hard, mechanical edge to both voices at either end. Environmental noises like wind and passing cars are fairly quiet and don't impede our ability to hear our voices when outdoors.

There are settings to adjust how your and the caller’s voices sound, but we found keeping it on the ‘natural’ modes sounded best. The other modes sound far too processed and unnatural.

Sound

The JBL Tour One M3’s comfortable wearing quality is mimicked in their sound quality: their presentation is very pleasing, full-bodied and easy to get along with.

They have a cheerful disposition with very capable foundations: ample detail, a bouncy bass, clear highs and a smooth tone that we are happy to bop along to. It’s worth noting we prefer the sound when noise-cancelling is turned on; when turned entirely off, the sound is a touch thin and lacking body and punch.

The deep bass notes on Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy and You Should See Me In A Crown sound meaty and satisfyingly rich and punchy. There is no flab or lethargy to the tune, and no spikiness at the top end. The splashy ’80s synth opening bars of Phil Collins and Philip Bailey’s Easy Lover never make us wince; their shine isn’t too dulled, either.

There is a pleasing amount of space that means we never feel congested, even when rocking to some intense heavy metal or the relentlessly upbeat dance-pop of Dua Lipa at higher volumes. We spend an afternoon re-listening to the Hamilton musical soundtrack in full, with the original cast’s energy and dynamism coming through very nicely indeed.

There are times when we think the JBL could be more nuanced and have subtler textures – especially around instruments and with voices – and be more precise with timing. Voices (especially on podcasts) could be clearer and more natural-sounding, but overall the headphones have a capable, appealing sound that we find hard to poke significant holes in.

The Tour One M3’s main problem is that it is surrounded by some outstanding talent at this level. Both its Sony and B&W rivals are even clearer, more detailed, more rhythmically and dynamically proficient than the affable JBLs can offer.

The Sony XM6 dig even deeper into details – Billie Eilish’s vocals sound more nuanced and authentic, and are full of personality. The deep bass notes on her songs plunge even deeper and are pulled taut with precise control. Rhythmically, the music is more propulsive and involving; while bittersweet songs like Sparklehorse’s Eyepennies are even sweeter while pulling at your heartstrings with greater emotion.

The JBLs sound a little smoothed-out in comparison, and we wish they strayed from their typically crowd-pleasing presentation to fully let their hair down and push their own sonic boundaries further.

Verdict

The JBL Tour One M3 are headphones that are very easy to live with. They may not look as luxurious or perform as exceptionally as their fierce rivals in this premium wireless headphones space, but they are comfortable, nicely portable and perfectly pleasant to listen to.

There are some quirks in their design and features that we’d expect to be more slick for headphones at this level, and the Smart Tx transmitter’s use case is rather niche.

Still, while JBL has some catching up to do in all performance areas to trouble the best-in-class models, the Tour One M3’s friendly, rich and punchy sound will find plenty of fans.

Review published: 24th July 2025

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Features 5
• Comfort 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony WH-1000XM6

Also consider the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3

Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review

Best over-ear headphones: wired and wireless pairs tested by our in-house experts

Network transports are having a bit of a moment. It is widely understood that music streamers integrate a DAC – but what if you already have a perfectly good (or very good indeed) DAC in your hi-fi system chain and just want to add streaming powers without doubling up?

That's where a network transport, also referred to as a streaming transport or network streaming bridge, comes in. We've recently tested the Lumin U2 Mini and Lindeman Limetree Bridge II to great five-star success, and high-end streaming specialist Lumin has just announced a new flagship network transport in the form of the U2X.

Featuring key technologies derived from the company's flagship X1 streamer, the new U2X promises to "meet the demands of audiophiles seeking pristine sound quality and seamless functionality".

The U2X supposedly delivers a "significant boost" in processing power over its predecessor (U1X) thanks to its use of its most advanced, high-speed System-on-Chip processor, which was launched in 2022.

This allows for better real-time handling of high-resolution files and enhanced upsampling, as well as future-proofing.

Also included is a high-precision 10MHz clock, which allows the U2X to be used as either a master or slave clock through its 10MHz single input and two outputs.

This unusual feature (at this price level) is useful if your system includes external master clocks or multiple digital devices that require precise synchronisation, allowing one unit to dictate the timing for the other units.

Lumin says this helps to "enhance audio accuracy and fidelity," as well as minimise jitter by ensuring all devices are working with a consistent timing reference.

The Lumin U2X's file support is extensive: it supports up to 32-bit/768kHz hi-res PCM audio files and native DSD512 playback, alongside DSD256 up/down sampling; even MQA files are on the menu.

Thanks to UPnP compatibility, the U2X can access your digital audio library stored locally on connected NAS drives. Streaming features include support for Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect and KKBOX, as well as TuneIn internet radio and AirPlay. It is also Roon Ready and Audirvana certified.

In terms of digital outputs, the Lumin U2X offers a single optical, two coaxial (RCA and BNC sockets) and AES-EBU connections. Standard Ethernet and optical fibre network ports are available.

One of the three available USB ports is isolated from the noisy network, while the other two are free for music storage.

All streaming features and connected music libraries can be managed by the comprehensive Lumin app, which has also been updated to offer simpler view options on your smart device.

As with Lumin's other flagships, the U2X and its accompanying external power supply are housed in a chassis that is CNC-machined from a solid block of aluminium, with thick walls that provide ultimate rigidity and isolation from unwanted interference.

The low-noise external supply separates the digital processing elements from the analogue components, while also maintaining a clean signal path for 'optimal' sonic performance.

The Lumin U2X is available from August, priced at £8995 / $9990 / AU$18,200.

MORE:

Read our Lumin U2 Mini review

We asked hi-fi engineers what makes a music streamer sound great – and it's about much more than just chipsets

Best DACs 2025: USB, desktop and portable digital-to-analogue converters

I spent a considerable amount of time listening to KEF’s first-ever soundbar, the XIO, this past month.

The 5.1.2 single soundbar is quite the proposition on paper, boasting Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive surround sound support, a relatively compact design (at least compared to soundbars of similar ambition that come with separate subwoofers and/or satellite speakers), and a comprehensive companion app that acts as a gateway to plenty of streaming connections, including Amazon Music, Qobuz, Tidal Connect, Deezer and Spotify Connect.

There’s a lot to like under the hood as well. KEF’s trademark Uni-Q drivers – a staple of the company's stereo speakers – are present, albeit perhaps not in the form you are familiar with, where a tweeter and mid/bass fit into a single assembly.

The Uni-Q MX drivers in the XIO – three forward-facing and two upwards-firing – instead have a dual diaphragm arrangement that features a mechanical crossover to allow the high-frequency central section to operate separately.

But what did I learn about KEF's debut 'bar throughout my days of testing it alongside my colleagues? Well, ultimately – and excuse the spoiler for those who have yet to read our full KEF XIO review – that it is a huge success, so much so that it has overtaken the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max as the best high-end model in our best soundbars buying guide.

It also has trumped the Sennheiser as the best premium model in our best Dolby Atmos soundbars page.

That said, it isn't perfect. Here are three areas in which the XIO stands out, and a couple of things that me and my colleagues aren’t as keen on.

Like: exciting yet precise sound

'Exciting' and 'precise': two words that can rarely be confidently used when describing a soundbar's sound. But the XIO is not your average ‘bar in terms of sonic performance.

KEF has clearly put a lot of effort into ensuring its debut soundbar is tough competition for its rivals, producing an overall sound that is thrilling yet balanced.

When watching John Wick 2 on 4K Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos during testing, for example, we noted in our review: “The deep revving of engines feels textured with the rhythm of the vehicle throbbing, but it does not overpower the lighter soundtrack.

“One car leaps over a bump in the distance and then moves into the forefront, displaying the soundbar’s sense of precision. You can really feel the three-dimensionality of the sequence as the vehicle moves across the screen.”

Like: clear and tight bass

Moving on to the XIO’s performance with lower frequencies, we are not disappointed here either.

This is partly down to the four ‘P185’ bass drivers housed within the soundbar.

The P185 is a rectangular design, 51 x 180mm in size. KEF claims that each of these has the same radiating area as a traditional circular 10cm driver unit, but that the rectangular shape allows the soundbar chassis to be considerably slimmer than would otherwise be the case.

Directly comparing the KEF model to the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max, we find that both soundbars take very different approaches to the bass.

While the Sennheiser better succeeds in spreading the sound around the room and providing a better floor-shaking bass than the XIO, the KEF “counters with more clarity, greater precision in the way sounds are rendered and notably more finesse in the way low-level dynamics are delivered," to quote our review.

Despite the XIO not having the biggest bass sound in this product category, then, we find it is the best all-round bass performer we have seen so far at this price point.

Dislike: no HDMI passthrough

This may not seem like a big deal considering the huge array of streaming capabilities the XIO offers, but the absence of HDMI passthrough could be a drawback for many.

In terms of connectivity, the XIO features one HDMI 2.1 eARC socket, one optical connection and Bluetooth. This is a common offering in the budget-to-mid-market soundbars that pass through our test rooms, so it comes as a surprise not to see a more generous spread on the XIO's rear panel.

Having more HDMI 2.1 inputs or 4k/120Hz passthrough would allow users to connect their sources – their games console, Blu-ray player and/or set-top box – to the soundbar rather than the TV, with simply one cable then going from the bar to the telly.

If KEF decides to produce a second model down the line, we hope more HDMI connections will be on the menu.

Like: amazing music performance

It's not a given that a soundbar is as good with music as it is with movies, so it came as a pleasant surprise that the XIO delivers excellent musical expression.

With Music mode activated, the delivery is more direct but still just as compelling. Each frequency feels distinct and crisp on its own, while still coming together into one overall cohesive presentation.

When listening to Radiohead’s Codex, for example, we found during testing that “the mellow bass feels well separated from the midrange but still melds together well”.

We added that “vocals sound natural, but the slightly echoing effect baked into the track is still picked out”.

Indeed, the XIO stands out in the soundbar realm for being a capable music system too.

Dislike: no display

While the XIO’s look is pleasing overall with its flat and compact dimensions, we were disappointed to find there is no display on the soundbar itself.

This would not be as big an issue if the buttons on the ‘bar were a little more tactile and you could therefore be more assured that the product has received a command. But the buttons blend in with the chassis, making it a little fiddly.

On the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max, for example, there is a small text display that visualises which EQ mode is activated or what the volume has changed to.

While not a deal-breaker by any means, it is a user-friendly feature that makes the setup process that bit easier.

MORE:

Check out the full KEF XIO review

And here's our review of the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars we recommend

KEF was one of the first specialist hi-fi manufacturers to get into home cinema speaker packages back in the early nineties, and it has continued to operate in the market since then.

It may come as a surprise, therefore, that the brand is only now releasing its first soundbar.

Enter the KEF XIO, a 5.1.2 premium soundbar that the company says is designed to excel with music as well as movies.

This is a tough ask considering most soundbars struggle to achieve this duality. KEF is equipped to do this better than most, though, given its expertise in both fields.

Price

The XIO launches at £1999 / $2500 / AU$3600, placing it firmly in the high-end premium soundbar category.

That pits it firmly against the Award-winning Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max, which was originally priced at £2199 / $2500 / AU$4000 when we first tested it back in 2019. Now, though, we are seeing regular discounts down to £1999 / $1999, although the Australian price has remained mostly unchanged.

The Sennheiser currently holds the crown as the best high-end model in our best soundbars guide, and is our current benchmark at this price.

Build

The XIO comes in a choice of two finishes, black or silver, with cloth grille panels covering the ends, front and back.

Unlike its Sennheiser rival, which has a bulky design that really needs to be wall-mounted, the XIO (which can also be wall-mounted) fits nicely under a TV with its shallow height. It has an overall mature and premium appearance, too, which we think will blend well into most living rooms.

This relatively thin design is quite a feat considering the XIO houses an impressive 12 drive units, each with a dedicated Class D power amplifier. Added together, KEF claims the complement of amplifiers delivers a meaty 820 watts of peak power.

There are six Uni-Q MX drivers, three of which are on the top of the soundbar for upward-firing sound, but with the one in the centre employed only when the soundbar is wall-mounted. That leaves the remaining three facing forward.

The MX isn’t like a traditional Uni-Q design. Rather than having two separate drive units, a tweeter and mid/bass, that fit into a single assembly, this new MX driver has a dual diaphragm arrangement that features a clever mechanical crossover to allow the high-frequency central section to operate separately.

Then there are four ‘P185’ bass drivers. The P185 is a rectangular design that is 51 x 180mm in size. KEF claims that each of these has the same radiating area as a traditional circular 10cm driver unit, but the rectangular shape allows the soundbar to be considerably slimmer than would otherwise be the case.

That’s not all. KEF has arranged the four P185 drivers into two pairs that face in opposite directions, so that any vibrations generated by each driver are cancelled by the opposite reaction of its partner. This layout should result in appreciably less vibration being generated by the soundbar and fed into its support, which bodes well for the XIO’s bass performance.

The P185 is an interesting design for more than its shape. It has a distinctive indented surround that KEF calls ‘P Flex’ to allow the cone greater freedom of movement and control.

Perhaps even more unusual is the Velocity Control Technology (VECO) built into the drive unit. Here, a flexible PCB printed with a sensing coil takes the place of a traditional former (the component that the main coil wraps around) and measures the speed of movement. This allows the soundbar’s ‘brain’ to compensate for any errors detected.

Finally, there are two conventional full-range drivers on either side. Given that they are only 50mm in diameter, maybe ‘full range’ is pushing it, but what they do is push the soundfield wider.

You can wall-mount the soundbar or keep it flat on a table. When it is wall-mounted, the orientation changes so the forward-facing drivers now point upwards. In this guise, what was the central driver is now activated and pointed at the listener. The bulk of our testing was done with the soundbar facing forward sitting on our rack.

On one side of the XIO, you will find a panel with indented touch buttons for power, output and volume. Sometimes these are not as precise in use as we would like. When we press a button, it is not entirely clear whether the unit has registered the command. If we had an on-unit display, this would be less of an issue.

The XIO comes with a lightweight remote that is simple to use with a clear layout. While the remote covers the basic commands, the KEF Connect app has a more comprehensive range of controls, which we suspect most people will lean towards.

Features

In terms of inputs, the XIO has HDMI 2.1 eARC, optical and Bluetooth.

It is also possible to connect an outboard subwoofer either through a standard line-level analogue output or via wireless transmission. Alongside the XIO, KEF has launched the KW2 RX adapter (costing £149 / £160 / AU$280) to allow this wireless sub connection.

At this level, we really expect a soundbar to have dedicated HDMI inputs as well as an HDMI eARC port. The XIO’s main rival, the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max, has three HDMI inputs. Largely due to its age, they're not 2.1 spec, so won't support 4K/120Hz from a games console, but they are still useful.

The Samsung HW-Q990F, which is more affordable than the KEF XIO and a full system in a box to boot, has two HDMI 2.1 inputs and full 4K/120Hz passthrough.

With these extra HDMI inputs, you can connect everything to your soundbar rather than going through the TV. KEF's approach in having all of your sources running into your TV is far from uncommon, but is something we expect more from mid-range and budget models.

In terms of 3D sound formats, the XIO supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Sony 360 Reality Audio, and when it comes to music, there’s plenty to choose from, including Amazon Music, Qobuz, Tidal Connect, Deezer and Spotify Connect.

The KEF Connect app is simple to set up and use, with easy-to-navigate sections at the bottom. From there, you can select the XIO’s output, see the exact volume setting, and control all the streaming services.

There is also the useful ability to change the speaker volume sensitivity. You can make one press of the plus button increase the volume by multiple or single steps, for example. There’s the option to set a maximum volume limit as well, which is handy for young and sensitive ears.

In the KEF’s EQ settings, there are different sound profiles to choose from. Default has a great sense of balance and naturalness. Movie, on the other hand, projects the audio to fill the room, giving a more spacious sound field and a greater feeling of movement to sounds. However, there are losses in terms of focus and impact at lower frequencies. This leads us to use Default more often.

As you would expect, there is a Night mode that compresses dynamic peaks and bass impact, which is handy for those times when you don’t want to disturb the other people in the house. Understandably, it also removes much of the tension from the sound, and voices sound less natural than in Default or Movie, so it should only be used when it’s really needed.

Music mode, meanwhile, creates a more cohesive and directed sound that is, as the name suggests, best reserved for stereo music.

Finally, there’s a Direct setting with minimal processing and equalisation. This mode is noticeably quieter and reduces the impact of the surround effects. While we’re normally fans of such ‘pure’ sound modes, on this occasion we find the sonic performance loses too much in the way of entertainment.

The XIO also features ‘Intelligent Placement Technology.’ This allows the soundbar to detect if the orientation changes, and you can calibrate it to further adjust its performance based on the space.

Built-in microphones allow it to measure your room, including being able to detect walls and furniture.

Once it’s set up, it produces balanced results in our test room. Turn the EQ modes off, and the sense of immersion is much reduced.

Sound

We begin our full sound testing with Jurassic World on 4K Blu-ray with DTS:X sound.

As the unwitting children get a first glimpse of the park, the expressiveness of the score is immediately portrayed with a pleasing musicality. The sparkle of the brass feels crisp but not sharp, while the midrange is full-bodied and solid.

We move to later in the film, where things have turned south and our protagonists are being chased by hyper-intelligent raptors. The tension of the pursuit is really heightened by a tight bass with plenty of punch.

As the raptors run after a moving truck, the pounding of their feet on the ground has the right balance of being muffled yet impactful.

Despite the XIO’s slim and relatively compact dimensions, it still manages to produce an impressively wide and immersive soundstage.

When watching Labyrinth on 4K Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos, this becomes apparent. As our protagonist, Sarah, is stuck in the Bog of Eternal Stench and attempts to escape, the sound of the rocks rising surrounds the listener and makes the impact feel palpable as they come to the surface.

The XIO’s ability to spread sound around the space feels incredibly natural, all while keeping each frequency clear and unmuddled.

Take the opening scene of John Wick 2 on 4K Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos, as Keanu Reeves’ rugged character embarks on a hair-raising car chase. The deep revving of engines feels textured with the rhythm of the vehicle throbbing, but it does not overpower the lighter soundtrack.

One car leaps over a bump in the distance and then moves into the forefront, displaying the soundbar’s sense of precision. You can really feel the three-dimensionality of the sequence as the vehicle moves across the screen.

We test the XIO against the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max and find that the two have very distinct strengths and weaknesses.

The Sennheiser certainly has a bassier and bigger overall sound, managing to spread the audio around the room more. As objects move across the screen, it is able to project the movement of the sound in a more emphatic way, wrapping us in the sound field a little more convincingly.

But the KEF counters with more clarity, greater precision in the way sounds are rendered and notably more finesse in the way low-level dynamics are delivered. It’s the more transparent performer, and it ultimately gives us greater insight into the soundtrack being played.

The XIO certainly produces less bass than its rival, but those lows are better formed and more controlled. If you do want greater low-end heft, however, then there is always the option of adding a dedicated subwoofer.

When we switch to Music mode to test out some tunes, Tidal Connect and Qobuz Connect work seamlessly.

With Radiohead’s Codex, the mellow bass feels well separated from the midrange but still melds together well. Vocals sound natural, but the slightly echoing effect baked into the track is still picked out.

In fact, the XIO can easily serve as a standalone music system, which is more than we can say for the vast majority of soundbars that come our way.

Overall, this is an effortlessly organised sound that captures the excitement of what you are listening to, whether that’s movies or music.

Verdict

The XIO is supremely easy to listen to, creating an impressively wide sense of space for a soundbar while maintaining balance and expressiveness.

With a comprehensive app and plenty of streaming connectivity, it also works as an excellent sound system for music alone.

KEF says that it wants the soundbar to effectively act as a hi-fi package wrapped up in one product, and it has achieved that. Put simply, it is one of the best soundbars we have heard.

SCORES:

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 4

MORE:

Also consider the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max and Samsung HW-Q990F

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now

In these turbulent and uncertain times, it's nice to have a constant in your life. Something you can always rely on to be there for you, through the good times and the bad, through peace and through unrest, through sunshine and rain.

That's what Now Playing is for! This month's edition, like those which preceded it, is an excuse to bury your head in the musical sand and discover, or simply enjoy, some tasty test tunes.

We're not getting any less eclectic as time goes on. Wolf Alice, A$AP Rocky, Muse and Alice Cooper all on the same bill? You'd have to go to Glastonbury if you wanted to see such a diverse array of talent all in one place.

• Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal

Didn't Know Why by Tunng

Tunng's signature 'folktronica' sound is on full display in this track from their latest album, Love You All Over Again, 20 years after the band's studio debut.

Blending soft, textured English folklore tones with crisp electronica noises, Didn't Know Why is full of shape-shifting sonic surprises. The initial few seconds of crunchy, taut electronic noises that flit across the soundscape are gorgeous – heard on speakers that are particularly open, detailed and clear, these are sounds and textures put together in a way I haven't heard before. It is delightful and unexpected.

This gives way to a beautifully warm and melodic acoustic guitar, with nursery rhyme-like soft singing that tells a darkly pagan story – all further enhanced by the lush textures of the vocals. It may sound fairly simple at first, but the repeated refrain of "Wake up in the morning / Everybody eat your lungs and heart" needs a system with excellent rhythmic ability to maintain the momentum without ever losing interest.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Bloom Baby, Bloom by Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice have returned with a punchy, edgier new sound that trades their sweet and nostalgic indie ballads for a rockier and shoutier direction, and I, for one, think it's a magnificent shift in tone.

As sceptical as I initially was, lead singer Ellie Rowsell commands this track with growling, snarling vocals, underpinned with a funky bassline and crashing drums, making for a raucously good time. The angsty verses give way to a harmonic, crooning chorus that juxtaposes beautifully, resulting in a technical showcase of Roswell’s superb vocal capabilities.

I have been using this track to test a range of soundbars recently, as it requires a clear, dynamic and punchy sound to truly capture its potent energy. A product needs enough low-end weight to capture the thunderous drums throughout, while a capable handling of dynamics is required for the pre-chorus transition into Roswell’s rapturous “I’m so sick and tired of trying to play it hard” motif.

Bloom, Baby Bloom is also a permanent fixture on my summer playlist. It's the perfect track to blast out of a Bluetooth speaker at a social gathering. It’s got soul and catharsis at its heart – just try not to sing your heart out after a couple of listens.

Words by Lewis Empson

Am I Dreaming by Metro Boomin, A$AP Rocky, Roisee

Most of the time when the lights go up at the end of a film in the cinema, I am one of the first out the door. During the end credits for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, however, I was seated until the very end.

This was down to an excellently animated sequence playing alongside Am I Dreaming, which recaps the plot of the whole film. I won’t spoil it if you have somehow not seen this movie, but the trippy visuals combined with the toe-tapping track are quite a treat.

After I had seen the movie multiple times in the cinema, the song slowly became a regular test track for me.

Starting with a solo violin accompanied by Roisee’s distorted vocals, the song eases you in with a slow and mellow pace, before Metro Boomin’s entrance shatters that illusion with a fast-paced rap verse.

Because of this mish-mash of styles and personalities, it’s a great test of dynamics for any sound set-up.

Words by Robyn Quick

More Than Enough by Universal Togetherness Band

If you’re thinking that the music video looks like it was shot 30 years earlier than this track’s 2014 release date, that’s because it was. Universal Togetherness Band originally recorded this in 1983, but it sat unreleased in the vaults until 2014, when independent record label Numero Group dug it out, dusted it off and dumbfounded everyone as to why they had never heard of this band.

Want to get up to speed? This great 8-minute documentary tells the story pretty well.

And if you’re thinking it sounds familiar, it was sampled by Hot Chip for Down in 2022. You can see why – it’s quite a hook, especially coupled with that infectious drum beat. Your system will need the full suite of skills to do it justice, from a solid low end for the bass to crisp mids and highs for the vocals.

But we can’t leave without a word on that music video. Talk about vintage charm – from the fuzzy VHS visuals to the literal acting out of the lyrics to the song, it would be raw and amateurish were the track not up to scratch. As it is, it makes the perfect accompaniment, especially 30 years on.

Words by Joe Svetlik

In the House - In a Heartbeat by John Murphy

With 28 Years Later out, I took the opportunity to revisit the iconic original, 28 Days Later. And while the film hasn’t aged terribly well, thanks to the poor quality of the digital recording and camera technology used, its original soundtrack has stood the test of time remarkably well.

Composed by John Murphy, the instrumental track is an absolute banger start to finish. As well as accurately portraying the slow, increasingly desperate tone of the film, it’s a great example how decent composition can truly instil a sense of dread in its listener.

Starting with a minimalist riff in D-minor, the track creeps into your psyche before blasting you with distorted guitars and a growling bass that gets your heart pumping and the hairs on the back of your neck standing to full attention.

Which is why this month, after revisiting director Danny Boyle’s dark, zombie-filled film universe, I haven’t been able to stop listening to the track

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Yellow Mellow by Ocean Alley

One of the leading lights of Australia's indie scene in the past decade, Ocean Alley revels in funkadelic rock, blending psych with reggae, mellow melodic hooks with '70s-inspired noodling instrumentals.

Their breakthrough song, Yellow Mellow, from their eponymous EP is a doozy of a test track, leading with a bluesy cymbal- and keyboard-led jam before breaking into a groove that's impossible not to bop along to, with frontman Baden Donegal's soulful vocal belting out lyrics just as playful ("She put too much sugar on her cereal this morning, just to get her out of bed").

A revealing system will convey the track's poignant pace change and the energy of the funk-infused rhythm, while keeping the unrelenting cymbals in check and the soundscape organised as the guitar riffs come in.

Words by Becky Roberts

Unravelling by Muse

Typical Muse, doing about four songs in one. Everyone’s favourite genre-warpers are back with a brand-new single, Unravelling, their first proper release since the debut of 2022’s generally rather decent Will of the People.

It’s tricky to know what to expect whenever a new Muse track lands, though this one seems to have fallen on the right side of the barmy spectrum. Synthy staccato choruses build to a typically operatic climax as Matt Bellamy wails about “a hymn for our love with no God and no throne” (no idea), but it’s the crunchy, wall-of-sound metal breakdown before the chorus hits that will have your heart thumping and your head banging.

We don’t know when Muse’s next full-length record is scheduled to drop or even what it will be called, but we are tentatively hoping the band cuts free from the leash and lets those metal impulses run wild and free.

Words by Harry McKerrell

MORE:

Read last month's edition: 8 tracks we have been using to test in the What Hi-Fi? listening rooms this month

These are the best audiophile headphones for getting the most out of your music

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

Streaming amplifiers are always a compromise. They have to combine amplification, DAC, preamp, multiple wireless streaming protocols and support for dozens of different music apps – all in one box. To make all these elements work seamlessly and deliver a great sound is a hard task.

Ruark Audio, however, has decades of experience in combining multiple functions in one box, to great success.

From powered desktop speakers with Bluetooth (MR1 Mk2), smart radios with streaming features (R1S, R2 Mk4) and all-in-one music systems (R410) – Ruark has already proven it can juggle multiple features while delivering great sound, stylish design and ease of use.

The Ruark Audio R610 streaming amplifier, then, should be a walk in the park, shouldn’t it?

Build & design

Unusually for a Ruark product, the R610 doesn’t include any speaker elements. It’s all electronics.

Inside, the R610 features Class D amplification with 75 watts of power per channel, and a Burr Brown DAC that supports hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz.

High-quality components are used, as well as a switch mode power supply that delivers efficient and optimised power to the system. It even sports a moving magnet phono stage, while the streaming platform is identical to the one we experienced in the five-star R410 all-in-one system.

Not unusually for a Ruark product, the R610 looks stunning. A classy design with a high standard of build quality, this “music console” (as Ruark calls it) wouldn’t look out of place in any interior.

The handcrafted slatted wood grilles and metal details on the front – also seen in fellow R100 series products, including the matching Sabre-R speakers – are elegant, and the whole unit is beautifully made.

The large, five-inch, full colour TFT display screen is gorgeous to behold – clear, informative, easy to read and use, with good contrast for displaying album covers.

It’s not a touchscreen interface, but it gives the R610 that harmonious balance of modern and retro aesthetics in either of its two finish options.

The compact footprint is also appealing. Coupled with the Sabre-R speakers that you can buy as a bundle, it is well-suited to smaller spaces.

The R610 is topped off with Ruark’s iconic RotoDial controller, a design which is also mimicked in the separate remote control you get in the box. This identical RotoDial handheld remote fits particularly neatly into our palms and is a well-designed, tactile way to use the R610.

Even better, it connects to the main unit via Bluetooth, not infrared, meaning you don’t need to have a direct line of sight to the unit to control it.

It takes a while to get used to all the icons and what each button does, but once you familiarise yourself with all the functions, it’s all plain sailing.

The buttons are swift and work smoothly, and the circular dial makes it very intuitive to scroll through all the sources and menu options.

Another great touch from Ruark is that a pair of 3m speaker cables are included in the box. This is unusual but wholly welcome – we don't normally see such premium-looking speaker cables included with a product.

It makes setting up your system, especially if this is your first hi-fi set-up and you aren’t au fait with traditional separates, quicker and easier as you don’t have to shop separately for speaker cables (which can start to get expensive).

The cables are nicely braided, are terminated with banana plugs and work well. This does also offer a good upgrade path as the R610’s performance did improve when we swapped them for a step-up set of speaker cables.

Features & connectivity

The R610 streaming amplifier is bursting at the seams with features. In terms of wireless streaming, all the popular protocols and latest apps are supported.

We started testing the R610 when Qobuz Connect launched in May, and the new feature worked without a hitch. Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect are also on the menu, as is support for Amazon Music and Deezer.

You can also opt to stream from your smart device using AirPlay 2, Chromecast or Bluetooth (connection is swift and simple), while DLNA and UPnP compatibility means you’ll be able to play through your digital music collection stored on media servers or NAS devices on the same network.

We tried both wi-fi and wired Ethernet connections, and they proved stable throughout our testing duration.

The Ruark R610 wears its radio heritage proudly, with FM and DAB/DAB+ radio tuners included alongside the usual internet radio stations. There is even built-in support for the BBC Sounds app.

You can save up to 20 presets on the R610, making your favourite playlists and stations easier to access.

It’s worth noting at this point that there is no dedicated app here. This is unusual for a streaming amplifier, but the Ruark R610 is perfectly usable without one.

If using Qobuz, Tidal, Apple Music or BBC Sounds, the native app serves as your natural playback controller, while the R610 auto-senses if you want to stream via the Connect mode or AirPlay, for instance.

It’s when dealing with large music libraries that a tablet or smartphone interface feels necessary, so a third-party app such as M-Connect is recommended.

The R610 also isn’t laden with myriad settings and customisation options, as offered on the BluOS or WiiM streaming platform – so there isn’t much need for an app, really.

The R610’s menu settings are simple and offer straightforward options that are easy to select with the physical control buttons.

Ruark has also confirmed to us that new features should be added in October, which include the ability to hide sources that you don’t use, alarm clock functionality, and support for Bluetooth headphones playback.

That’s it for the streaming side, but the R610 also packs plenty of physical connections. There is a rather good moving magnet phono stage for your turntable, an HDMI ARC input for connecting to TVs, along with digital optical and RCA analogue inputs.

There is also a UBC-C input that supports audio playback; this is also where you would plug in Ruark’s dedicated R-CD100 CD drive.

We didn’t have the R-CD100 at hand, but we used our reference Cyrus CDi CD player with both analogue and optical inputs, and our Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable was connected to the phono input as part of our listening.

The only hiccup we encountered during testing was when the two analogue inputs didn’t make a sound at first. A factory reset fixed this problem promptly, and we haven’t had any issues with the analogue section since.

Sound

We start our R610 testing by connecting it to our reference Epos ES-7N standmount speakers, and we're met with a smooth, spacious and open sound.

It’s a dynamic and detailed presentation, allowing high frequencies to soar while keeping basslines in check. There is ample punch and impact to the low end, while a taut and agile sense of rhythm gets us fully in the groove of the song being played.

The bite and shine in the sharper edges of Fontaines D.C.’s Starburster is crisp and full of attitude, but it never sounds thin or harsh.

There is textural depth and body to the cello and piano in Agnes Obel’s The Curse, while the soundscape is layered. The R610 delivers a pleasing breadth of scale as orchestral pieces ebb and flow, with the sense of build-up towards a rousing crescendo coming through with a good amount of drama and weight.

We play through a little bit of everything from ’60s Dusty Springfield to ’70s Bowie, ’90s grunge rock to modern shiny pop, and the R610 takes it all in stride.

Piano notes glide across fluidly but with enough intent when fingertips hit ivory; Outkast’s frenetic energy in B.O.B. is relayed with verve and propulsive momentum; voices are conveyed with clarity and dynamic subtlety.

In terms of speaker matching, we do get a sense that the R610 is holding back a touch with our reference pair; that it isn’t sounding quite as free and lively as we would expect.

We swap our Epos speakers for the mid-priced Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3 – all of the R610’s positive qualities still remain, but this combination still sounds rather reserved.

It isn’t until we plug in the Ruark Sabre-R speakers that the R610 truly shines.

The R610 comes to life now. There is a greater spring in its step, the mid to high frequencies have greater shine and sweetness, and we notice a clear step up in rhythmic agility and fluidity.

Vocals in particular sound far more immediate and natural – you can hear greater nuance in the emotion and inflections in voices when listening through the Sabre-R speakers.

Overall, it’s a more engaging and dynamic sound. The Sabre-R speakers are clearly tuned to match the R610, so it makes sense that they sound their best when paired together.

Our dedicated Sabre-R review goes into greater detail about these small speakers, but don’t be deterred by their four-star rating – they and the R610 fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. They flow together in perfect harmony, highlighting each other’s strengths and delivering a cohesive performance.

If you are considering buying the R610, then the Sabre-R should be considered its most natural pairing.

If space is tight and you need an even smaller pair of speakers, then the titchy Neat Iota II are a good fit – their energy and dynamism suit the R610 well, although they’re perhaps not quite as refined as the Ruark pairing.

Luckily, you can buy the Sabre-R and R610 as a bundle in the UK, while you can purchase them separately in other territories.

The Sabre-R speakers cost £699, so together with R610, the total system will set you back £1899. We just wish there was a little discount when you bought the pair as a bundle.

Elsewhere, the R610’s sound is consistent throughout the various source inputs. The built-in phono stage is of decent quality, which isn’t always a guarantee in streaming amplifiers. We would recommend the Rega Planar 2/Nd3 or Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 as good options for the R610.

The streaming amplifier is sympathetic to different recording qualities but doesn’t make too much of a fuss about it, either. It conveys hi-res albums streamed from our Naim server with the same care and attention as with lossy Bluetooth streams from an iPhone.

Regardless of how you listen, the R610 doesn’t rob you of experiencing the shifting mood and feel of a song. Ruark simply tries to deliver the music as authentically as possible, so we can enjoy the core intent of the music.

For this type of product, which juggles so many different jobs, it’s a very capable performer. The R610 is a clear step up in performance over the Award-winning Technics SA-C600 (now available for around £760).

There are many streaming amplifiers across the price ranges that get close to offering great performance alongside ample features and specifications, but can’t quite hit the spot in every aspect.

With the R610, Ruark makes it look – and sound – easy. There is an effortless quality with which it delivers music, especially when paired with the Ruark Sabre-R speakers, that is wonderfully pleasing to listen to.

Verdict

If you want a substantial step up that gets closer to the sound of separates hi-fi, we would recommend the pricier Naim Uniti Atom (£2300 / $3799 / AU$5750).

But the Ruark R610 streaming amplifier is a fine example of what can be accomplished in such a compact, multi-faceted form, and at this price.

The R610 is a gorgeous piece of design, it’s lovely to use and however you listen to music – vinyl, streaming, CD, radio – it delivers an engaging, convincing performance.

Review published: 27th June 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

MORE:

Read the Ruark Audio Sabre-R speakers review

Also consider the Technics SA-C600

Cambridge Audio takes one of our favourite streaming amps to the next level with its fully featured Evo 150 SE

Best hi-fi systems 2025: CD, vinyl and streaming music players for the home