Ryan Gosling is really in his element right now. Following the success of the sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary, every other piece of content on my social media is a slickly edited video of the handsome devil.

Much of his back catalogue regularly appears in our AV test room. Barbie and Drive, for instance, are both excellent test discs, and the eagle-eyed among you will have spotted us using them in our reviews.

But there's another film featuring Gosling that is a brilliant way to test your home cinema hardware, and it is celebrating its 10th birthday. Damien Chazelle's La La Land leapt onto the screen back in 2017, and blew critics and audiences away with its show-stopping score and captivating performances from Gosling and Emma Stone in the leading roles.

If you have somehow never seen the modern classic, let us fill you in. It follows Sebastian, a struggling pianist, and Mia, an aspiring actress, who fall in love. When their careers start to take off, they find themselves having to make some tough decisions.

It's a film that we see used time and time again in demos for a range of AV kit, but over the years we have not used it in our own test room as much as we would like to. So this anniversary seems like the best time to revisit the best scenes to challenge your home cinema system, and also to bring it back to the top of our shelf where it belongs.

Opening sequence

From the off, La La Land really starts all guns blazing. On a hot summer's day, a seemingly endless queue of cars stretches to the Los Angeles horizon during rush hour. And what would any of us do in this scenario? That's right, open up your car door and break into a synchronised song and dance number.

The six-minute scene is dynamic and energetic with near constant movement that challenges a TV or projector's motion handling. With the crowd weaving around the cars and dancing in every direction, keep your eyes peeled for motion blur or juddering.

On top of that, the scene puts your audio system to the test. As dancers clamber about on the roof of the cars and horns blare around the soundfield, the precision of your audio set-up will be challenged. With a convincing Dolby Atmos system, you should hear the various sounds all around the space with a sense of accuracy and immersion.

"A Lovely Night"

Even if you haven't seen the film, you will almost certainly recognise the classic iconography of this scene. After running into each other at a party, Sebastian and Mia find themselves at the top of a beautiful hill but, despite obviously having feelings, lament that they are wasting this romantic view by spending it with each other.

As the pair move from the shade under a tree to a colourful night sky, it is a good test of how your screen handles the subtle detail in the crinkles of Sebastian's white shirt and the darker areas of Mia's yellow dress.

This beautiful sky also delivers a great test on its own. It starts at the top of the screen with a bright violet, before merging to pink and then ending in a darker red. On many screens, this may reveal an issue with colour banding, which is where smooth colour gradients are instead divided into stark lines.

A dance under the stars

After admitting their feelings for each other, Sebastian and Mia take a romantic trip to the Griffith Observatory which makes for another excellent test scene.

As the scene takes a magical realist turn and the pair floats into the night sky, note the contrast between the bright twinkle of the stars and the dark of the sky. There is a danger of the deep black looking more like a dark grey, or the stars not standing out against the more cavernous black backdrop.

On top of that, the twinkling stars can go the other way to create an unwanted "halo effect" where light spills out too much. That is particularly prevalent with Mini LED TVs because they rely on a backlight with local dimming zones. This all means it is particularly useful if you want to challenge your own Mini LED screen.

What's your favourite scene in La La Land? Drop it in the comments below.

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After years of waiting, Sony has finally announced a TV with four HDMI 2.1 sockets, rather than the brand’s usual two.

That makes it the first Sony TV that can handle 4K/120Hz signals from consoles and gaming PCs across all of its HDMIs.

Unfortunately, it’s probably not the model you’re hoping for, because it’s not a flagship OLED or Mini LED set – it’s the budget-oriented Bravia 3 II.

Not that we should be sad about cheaper TVs getting improved specs, of course, but it feels as though the people most likely to have enough gaming machines to need more than two top-spec HDMIs are also the sort of people to have a premium TV.

The Bravia 3 II, though (which is, naturally, a successor to the Bravia 3), is a standard LCD set that lacks not only Mini LEDs and Quantum Dots, but also local dimming of any kind.

That isn’t to say it will be a bad TV. Sony has a strong track record of getting excellent performances out of specs that many consider to be basic, and if it pulls off the same trick again, this could be an excellent option for buyers on a budget – particularly those who are also hardcore gamers.

There’s just one further problem, though: the Bravia 3 II is not currently set to come to the UK.

Sony has given a vague explanation that mentions catch-up app certifications and left the door open to it arriving on these shores in the future, but there are no guarantees.

That’s a shame, naturally, but Blighty-based TV buyers still have reason to be pleased by the Bravia 3 II’s existence – because it’s presumably just the first Sony TV to get the four HDMI 2.1 inputs treatment.

Sony has presumably switched to MediaTek's Pentonic 800 chip for the Bravia 3 II, hence the additional HDMI 2.1 sockets, and there’s every reason to expect this chip to now appear in future Sony TVs.

That's the approach that Philips has taken with its 2026 TV range.

But what will those future Sony TVs be and when will they arrive? We honestly don’t know.

Sony has today announced just the Bravia 3 II and entry-level Bravia 2 II (which is coming to the UK), plus a couple of fairly affordable soundbars and some home cinema accessories.

Is there more to come, or is this all of the new kit that we’re getting from Sony this year? Only time will tell.

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Another Monday, another entry into our weekly Rewind column, where our team of experts once again offer the cliff notes on all the latest hi-fi and home cinema news you need to know about.

And what a week it was with not one, but two big products passing through our listening rooms and a couple of big surprise launches appearing out of the blue.

Here’s what you need to know.

Sony’s earbuds winning streak continues

Sony’s wireless earbuds and headphones have been on a hotstreak in recent years, thanks to their ability to deliver a holistically solid experience, with no serious weaknesses. That’s a key reason you’ll find four sets with Sony’s branding in our current list of What Hi-Fi? Award winners.

And, after fully reviewing the firm’s newly unveiled Sony WF-1000XM6 wireless earbuds, we’re pleased to report that trend is showing no signs of slowing. Despite strong competition, key tweaks to Sony’s Award-winning formula that improve audio, ANC and mic quality make the XM6 an easy five-star recommendation.

As we said in our review: “The premium wireless earbuds market has never been healthier, and your choices have never been wider and more varied. But just when you thought Sony might be pulled back into the chasing pack, the WF-1000XM6 push the brand ahead again with a breathtaking all-round performance.”

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM6 review

Rega’s new amp is pretty awesome

If more serious hi-fi is your game, you’ll be pleased to hear we also finished testing Rega’s spiffy new Mercury/Solis pre/power amplifier last week.

The market has some existing heavy-hitters at the Mercury/Solis’ £13,900 ($20,990 / AU$29,000) price point. A list headlined by the recently reviewed, five-star Yamaha C-5000/M-5000 (£17,198 / $21,998 / AU$25,998).

But, featuring the brand’s long-standing focus on delivering quality engineering and a design built around an analogue circuit that's clearly inspired by the brand’s first Elicit integrated amplifier – which was made all the way back in the 1990s – it’s still an easy recommendation.

During all our checks, the unit delivered a nicely dynamic performance full of rhythmic drive and sonic authority. Hence our verdict: “Rega’s statement pre/power amplifier is a hugely entertaining proposition that puts the music first.”

Read our full Rega Mercury/Solis review

Majority’s uber-cheap soundbar system

Cheap soundbars and soundbar systems carrying Dolby Atmos branding have been around for a while.

But it was only last year, after more searching than we care to remember, that we found one worth recommending, in the shape of the Award-winning Hisense AX5125H – a unit that genuinely surprised our reviewers with its atypically "good" audio and modest price tag.

Which is why we’re keeping an eye on Cambridge-based firm Majority Audio’s answer to it, the newly unveiled flagship Bowfell Halo Atmos soundbar system.

Unveiled last week, the unit is set to cost £170 and is a direct rival to the AX5125H, consisting of a main soundbar, two wireless satellite speakers and a subwoofer.

Read the full story: This brand's ultra-cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar is gunning for our five-star Award-winner

Roksan’s new “transparent design philosophy”

We all love a good chinwag, especially with old friends. Which is why, when Roksan unveiled its new Caspian 4G range of separates, our hi-fi and audio editor, Kashfia Kabir, couldn’t resist the urge to jump on the train to have a chat with the engineers and designers behind it.

During the conversation, she also had a chance to have an opening listen with some of the new hardware and get the inside scoop on how the brand plans to get more people into proper hi-fi separates with its clever “transparent design philosophy”.

Read the full story: Roksan wants to make its hi-fi separates more user-friendly with its "transparent design philosophy" – and I got an early preview

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Happy Monday, and welcome to a fresh entry into our hi-fi and home cinema news digest.

In it, our team of experts once again detail all the top stories to break over the past seven days, and as always, it was a hectic period.

We saw everything from new Temptation-level amps to affordable portable DACs launch.

Here’s what you need to know.

New Arcam hardware

Kicking us off, last week Arcam chose to unveil a wealth of new hardware, including a new set of speakers and home cinema amplifiers.

The new speakers are part of the firm’s 2024-launched Radia range and come in six varieties. These include two floorstanders (R45, R35), two bookshelf models (R25, R15), a centre speaker (R35C) and a subwoofer (R25B). As you’ve likely guessed, these can be combined to create a home cinema surround sound package.

The firm also unveiled its new home cinema amplifiers. These include the entry-level AVA15, step-up AVA25, and top-end AVA35. The amps’ specifications scale with their place in the range, but given how much we’ve loved Arcam’s older AVRs, which offer a sense of musicality missing on many rivals, we can’t help but get a little excited about the new models.

Read the full story: Arcam's new Radia loudspeaker range could be the perfect match for its Award-winning electronics

Read the full story: Arcam’s Radia AV line of home cinema amps promises serious movie magic

A headphone shootout

The wireless headphones market is a noisy, chaotic mess with every man and his dog offering a pair. Which is why knowing which is best is a tricky task, even if you follow the market.

To help, last week our intrepid senior staff writer, Harry McKerrell, took the time to run all the big sets in our listening rooms head-to-head to help offer the best, most up-to-date advice possible for potential buyers.

These include top pairs from Sony, B&W, Sennheiser, Bose and more. And, while the final winner wasn’t a huge surprise, quite how competitive the battle was between each set definitely was.

Read the full story: I've heard every major pair of premium wireless headphones – and one set reigns sonically supreme

LG Sound Suite pricing

We had an early look at LG’s latest flagship Dolby Atmos system, the Sound Suite, at CES in January.

And during the demo, we found a lot to like about it, including the inclusion of Dolby’s swish new FlexConnect tech, which promises to make it much easier to optimise speakers to the specific space they’re playing in, amongst other things.

But there was one big concern the entire home cinema team shared: their very high price.

With the soundbar alone costing £1000 and its top-of-the-range M7 satellite speakers £700, Sound Suite looked set to be one of the most expensive systems on the market. Thankfully, last week, LG made moves to partially address the problem, announcing price reductions across the entire range.

Read the full story: LG's just fixed a key issue we had with its latest Dolby Atmos soundbar system – and it’s not even out yet

KEF speakers tried and tested

Finishing off this week’s digest is our review of KEF’s new Coda W standmounts. They’re an interesting set of active speakers, in that, unlike their established cousins, the KEF LSX II LT and LS50 Wireless II, they’re distinctly focused on working with vinyl and CD players, over streaming.

That’s why, instead of built-in wi-fi streaming support for Tidal Connect and the ilk, they only have Bluetooth functionality. But, to make up for that, you get a built-in moving magnet phono stage.

Has the change paid off? After thoroughly testing them, we’re happy to report that the answer is, for the most part, yes. Either via Bluetooth or with a price-appropriate turntable or CD player connected (in our case Cyrus CDi and Rega Planar 3 RS Edition) the speakers delivered a clear, detailed presentation and deep, but controlled, low end.

Hence, our verdict:

“While the phono stage could be better, listening via the other inputs is a joy. The sonic performance is a step above its smaller, Award-winning cousins, and costs you less money to enjoy, too. If you’re happy to live without the wi-fi streaming features and are looking for a neat speaker system that doesn’t cost thousands, this should definitely be on your radar.”

Read our in-depth KEF Coda W review

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I have a confession to make: I actually use my phone's speakers to listen to music sometimes. I know, I know. I'm sure there's a spot reserved for me in audiophile hell, but hear me out: I think there's a time and a place.

I'm not completely mad, I don't play music through my phone in public. And nor should anyone (that's why we have a list of the best wireless headphones.) But at home, when the situation arises, I have been known to load Apple Music and blast songs straight from the phone.

And I think that’s okay. Here’s why.

A phoney speaker

Now in case you’re worried that this is the end of What Hi-Fi? as you know it, fear not. We – I included – still passionately believe you should enjoy the best sound quality you possibly can, whatever your budget. That’s why we cover the best cheap headphones and best budget speakers alongside the best audiophile headphones and best speakers for all budgets.

And in my defence, now that phones are much bigger than they were a few years ago, their speakers are becoming more capable. In our Sony Xperia 1 VI review, we comment that the phone’s speakers are “detailed and feature good stereo separation that makes a solid attempt to position sounds in relation to what is happening on screen.”

And in our iPhone 17 review, we say the device’s speakers deliver “a spacious sound, with focused vocals and enough detail given to sound effects (such as a bustling city street) to create a surprisingly immersive experience.”

Now neither of these is going to replace a dedicated speaker (of the iPhone 17's speakers, we even said “we’d refrain from using these to listen to music out loud”). And that's even more true of my ageing iPhone 12 mini. But they’ll do at a pinch. And that's exactly the kind of situation I’m talking about.

Coming clean with a dirty secret

So why, given that I work for the world’s foremost authority on sound quality and everything audiophile, am I advocating a set of speakers that would comfortably fit on your fingertip? One word: convenience.

I don’t often get the urge to clean the house, so when I do I have to act on it. If I wanted to listen to the admittedly much more rewarding sonic performance of my Ultimate Ears Wonderboom (the original model, eights years old and still going strong), I have to dig it out, power it up and pair it with my phone. At this point I usually find the battery has died and have to find the charging cable. In which time my kids have set fire to the curtains, or my desire to clean has evaporated.

But with my phone, there’s none of that. You just press play, and get on with it.

Another benefit: stick your phone in your back pocket and the music follows you wherever you go. There’s no carting the speaker around as you search for the bathroom spray, or move to vacuuming another room. I know, I should invest in one of the best multi-room systems… but cost of living. And I’ll bet even the most ardent of multi-room devotees stops short of the bathroom.

Of course, a pair of wireless headphones would do the job admirably, while also delivering a far superior sonic experience. But I need to be able to hear my kids. If my first inkling that something might be wrong is the smell of burning curtains… well, I might miss out on that dad of the year award for yet another 12 months.

There’s a saying: the best camera is the one you have on you. And sometimes – just sometimes, mind – the same can be said of speakers.

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We did it. January and its 125 days are finally over, and while the rainy weather here in the UK isn't exactly improving, the days are getting that bit longer as we head into February.

This does mean we're spending more time in our test rooms, which is perfectly fine by us, as we have a bunch of products – spanning a variety of categories – in for testing. On the AV side, we have LG's new Sound Suite home cinema system that uses Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, as well as Xgimi's pricey Titan 4K home projector that boasts impressive specifications.

On the hi-fi side, we have in KEF's new active speakers, a striking, premium Audio-Technica turntable, and WiiM's first stab at the speaker market. Exciting stuff.

As ever, this is just a selection of the products we have in for review, and if you have any questions about them, send us an email at whathifi@futurenet.com or pop a comment below, and we'll endeavour to get back to you during testing.

LG Sound Suite

LG has revealed one of the first home cinema systems to use Dolby Atmos FlexConnect ahead of CES 2026, which aims to offer convincing Dolby Atmos sound from wireless speakers, no matter where they are placed in the room.

The Sound Suite consists of four products – an H7 soundbar, W7 subwoofer, and the M7 and M5 wireless speakers – which can be mixed and matched to suit the requirements of your room and AV needs.

The H7 soundbar is priced £100 less than the five-star Sonos Arc Ultra (which itself can be used with Sonos' subwoofer and Era speakers), and we're looking forward to comparing the two systems side by side in our test rooms, as well as finding out just how well the FlexConnect system works during our full review.

Xgimi Titan

Xgimi has dubbed its Titan 4K projector its "most premium living-room projector" – and it's quite the deviation from the Chinese brand's portfolio of budget, portable projectors we've encountered so far.

The Titan boasts a claimed 5000 ISO lumens of brightness, a mighty 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and it even supports 3D content, which will surely be good news for all the Avatar fans out there.

The Titan also supports IMAX Enhanced, Dolby Atmos, HDR10+ and Filmmaker Mode. When our intrepid staff writer Robyn Quick first saw it at a IFA 2025 demo, a clip from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gave us a taste of what to expect: "The blues of the water are vivid and bright, so even when the doors were opened in the small cinema room, there was still a vibrant overall image on display."

Costing £3499 / $3999, the new Titan rivals the Award-winning Sony VPL-XW5000ES (which now costs £3999), and we can't wait to find out how they square up against each other.

KEF Coda W

KEF's LS range of all-in-one wireless speaker systems have been a roaring, five-star, Award-winning success, but its new active speakers are a little bit different.

The Coda W are fully active speakers, meaning it has built-in amplification – total power of 200W – negating the need for many separate boxes. However, unlike their cousin, the LSX II LT, there's no hi-res streaming or internet capabilities inside. You only get Bluetooth if you want to stream wirelessly from your phone or laptop. On the plus side, it supports the hi-res aptX Lossless codec.

The Coda W speakers have a great set of connections, including a moving magnet phono stage, HDMI ARC and USB-C, so you can connect all kinds of sources for a neat, compact hi-fi system. Costing £799 / $1000 and featuring the 12th generation of its signature UniQ driver, we're excited to hear if the KEF Coda W will live up to expectations.

WiiM Sound

So far, WiiM has focused on compact, affordable electronics, but the WiiM Sound marks the first time the young audio brand has stepped into the speaker market.

The WiiM Sound isn't a traditional speaker of course; it's a smart speaker that is taking direct aim at the Apple HomePod 2. With 100 watts powering dual tweeters and a 4-inch/10cm woofer, the Sound supports 24-bit/192kHz playback from Tidal/Qobuz Connect, Spotify and a host of other streaming services and internet radio.

Along with the colourful, customisable touchscreen display and voice control-enabled remote, the WiiM Sound also features room calibration technology, and plenty of options for multi-room and even home cinema set-ups with other WiiM products. Costing £299 / $299, will it be able to succeed in the most crucial aspect: sound? We'll find out soon.

Audio-Technica AT-LPA2

It's hard not to be wowed by the transparent design of Audio-Technica's new flagship turntable. The AT-LPA2 features an acrylic chassis and acrylic platter, laying bare the belt-drive mechanism and striking a gorgeous figure. It's not just for looks, however; Audio-Technica says the material offers "exceptional" resonance control to keep pesky vibrations away from affecting the vinyl record in play.

The brand's AT-OC9XEN moving coil cartridge is fitted to a newly designed, straight carbon fibre tonearm that can be adjusted to work with a wide variety of cartridges. A separate power supply and control unit comes with the deck, which supports 33 ⅓ and 45 RPM speeds.

At £1699 / €1999, Audio-Technica has Rega's Planar 6/ND7 to compete against, but we are very much looking forward to getting our records spinning on the AT-LPA2.

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I love spatial audio, but there's one feature I can't get my head around

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of the biggest events of the year for professional shiny-things chasers, and that remains the case for 2026.

Though the year has just started, CES 2026 has already brought with it all manner of audio-visual treats for enthusiasts such as ourselves.

These include everything from new TVs from big names, including Samsung and LG, to new speakers and projectors from upstart companies you may never have heard of before.

In fact, as is always the case, the show has already brought with it so many announcements that you may justifiably be struggling to keep on top of all of them.

Eager to help, we have experts at the show reporting live on all the biggest and most exciting ones they’ve spotted.

So make sure to stay tuned on this page for all our latest first-hand reporting of CES 2026’s latest and greatest AV news.

Also, make sure to get involved with the conversation. Our experts at the show are trying to get hands-on preview sessions with as much of the new hardware as possible.

So, if you have a question about a product at the show, let us know and we’ll endeavour to get you an answer ASAP.

Meet the team

Samsung’s giant new TV

Samsung always uses CES as the launchpad for its next line of OLED TVs, and that remains the case this year.

At CES, the Korean TV giant unveiled several new sets, including its new flagship S95H OLED – which is one of its most interesting to date.

The set features a completely new design that’s more akin to the Samsung Frame range than past OLED sets, including last year’s five-star Samsung S95F.

Despite this, it still has improved specifications, with Samsung reporting its new QD-OLED panel can go brighter and offer improved colour accuracy.

While it’s too early to offer any final judgments, our experts at the show walked away impressed after a hands-on demo session, reporting:

“The S95H wants to be a statement piece, and while we have thoroughly approved of the last two iterations of this TV, in some ways we wish they stood out a bit more. The S95H is here to rectify that, but only time will tell if it will succeed in this mission.”

A load of treats from LG

Never a company to be one-upped by its Samsung arch-rival, LG also used CES 2026 as the springboard for its new OLEDs. The headline entry is its new LG C6 step-down model.

This is the first C-series we’ve seen to feature the firm’s brightness boosting RGB Tandem OLED tech, which made its debut on last year’s flagship, five-star LG G5.

We haven’t had any hands-on time with the set yet, but the tech’s appearance has piqued our interest. We’ll try to get a demo of the LG C6 at the show, so make sure to keep checking this page.

On top of that, LG also unveiled its new lifestyle set, The Gallery TV. Pitched as a direct rival to the Samsung Frame range, the set is designed to look as unassuming as possible and double as a digital art frame when not in use.

On the audio side, the biggest thing that caught our eye is LG’s new wireless Sound Suite system.

The wireless Dolby Atmos system is one of the first we’ve seen to feature Dolby’s FlexConnect technology – a custom tech designed to let you create a fully wireless Atmos set-up that doesn’t require careful placement the way most current systems do.

The tech also lets you pair the wireless LG M7 and M5 satellite speakers with a compatible TV, using the set’s speakers as its central channel rather than a soundbar.

We haven’t heard Sound Suite yet, but the idea is a compelling one, especially for home cinema fans tight on space.

It had some Bluetooth speakers too...

LG’s bright start to 2026 goes beyond the world of home cinema. The Korean brand made a big push in the world of Bluetooth speakers last year with its Xboom Bluetooth speaker range, and now it’s added four new models to the lineup in a bid to keep up with the likes of Bose and JBL.

That expanded roster boasts four new additions – the burly Blast, the compact Mini, the durable Rock and the karaoke-ready Stage 501 – all of which have once again been tuned by Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am.

We reviewed the hefty Xboom Go XG8T last year, and while we weren’t blown away by its bold yet unrefined sound, there were hints that LG could compete in this ultra-competitive market if it continues to refine its portable sonic formula.

Who knows, maybe 2026 will be the year it cracks that particular nut.

New wireless headphones and speakers from a guitar legend

In guitar circles, there are few brands as iconic as Fender. Whether it’s Jimi Hendrix shredding on a strat, The Boss armed with his iconic telecaster or Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain smashing his mustang on Smells Like Teen Spirit, its axes have been an integral part of music for generations.

But, despite dabbling in headphones, it’s never fully conquered the regular consumer audio world. Which is why we were surprised, and cautiously excited, to see it make moves to do just that at CES 2026 where Fender unveiled new consumer-focused wireless headphones and speakers.

The new Bluetooth speakers fall into a new ELIE brand and consist of two options: the E6 and E12. Fender’s making a load of bold claims about both, claiming its "world-first Waves SOC [system-on-a-chip] implementation" will let them offer much better clarity and higher volume than rivals.

With pricing starting at $300 (around £220 / AU$450) for the ELIE 6 and going up to $400 (around £300 / AU$600) for the 12, that’s a bold claim considering the strength of competition at that level.

The Fender MIX over-ear wireless headphones are similarly bold with their aspirations, being set to retail for $300 (around £220 / AU$450).

Eager to separate them from the sea of competition at that level, the headphones come with a clever FWD Tx USB-C transmitter.

This reportedly enables lossless (LHDC-V), low-latency (LC3), and Auracast transmission modes when plugged into source devices. Fender’s quoting higher quality wireless playback up to 24-bit/96kHz lossless when the headphones and transmitter are connected.

The projector market is one that’s in a state of flux right now. While cinephiles will generally insist on getting a full-fat, incredibly expensive, long-throw, many people are starting to invest in the growing “coffee table” category – and for good reasons.

Simple to set up, small in size and, when done well, surprisingly capable, they’re a great option for people looking for a unit to power impromptu, big-screen movie nights. And if that sounds appealing, you’ll be happy to hear Samsung has just unveiled a new dinky, The Freestyle+, projector designed to deliver just that.

A direct rival to the likes of the Xgimi Mogo 4, the unit is a tiny beamer with a fancy new built-in AI powers designed to let it optimise its picture to deliver a decent movie watching experience, even in sub-optimal conditions – like when it's projecting onto a naked, painted wall, not a proper screen.

Considering how much we liked the original Samsung The Freestyle, which earned a four-star rating from our reviewers, we have high hopes for the new unit despite the fact it’s still 1080p and, as requested by our staff writer Robyn Quck, doesn’t have a built-in battery.

We’ll try to get a proper hands-on preview session with the new Freestyle+ at CES, so stay tuned for further details!

The LG Wallpaper TV has finally returned – and now it's wireless

After a five-year hiatus, LG's Wallpaper OLED TV series is back in the form of the new W6, and it's got some lovely new tricks up its sleeve.

The loveliest is the switch to wirelessness. While the original Wallpaper OLEDs were tethered to a very large soundbar, which also handled the picture processing and connections, the new W6 comes with the new version of LG's Zero Connect box, which can wirelessly transmit picture and sound from a position out of sight, up to 10m away.

While the W6 isn't wafer-thin in the way that the old models were, it's still just 9mm thick, yet it boasts the same flagship panel and processor as the new G6.

That means it uses second-gen Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel tech, complete with new anti-reflection tech that apparently delivers deeper blacks and more vibrant colours in bright ambient light, plus the new Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI chip.

And while the W6 will certainly be a very premium TV, rumour has it that the price gap between it and the G6 won't be huge. We're predicting a price of about £4999 for the smallest, 77-inch model.

Expect more on this, including hands-on impressions, in the next day or so.

Read the full LG W6 Wallpaper OLED TV story

We're into day two!

We’re into day two of our CES 2026 live hub. And while we may have gotten more than a few treats yesterday, our AV experts at the show have a choker block full calendar of yet more hardware to get a hands-on look, or listen, to at the show today.

But as ever, we want to hear from you. If you’ve spotted a product launch we missed and are keen to learn more about it, or have a burning question about one we’ve already covered, let us know in the comments section of this page. Our team on the ground will then do their level best to get you an answer ASAP.

Cambridge's first-ever active wireless speaker systems land

Cambridge Audio is striding out into uncharted territory with its new L/R series. Consisting of two active wireless speaker systems, the L/R X and L/R M, alongside the L/R S powered speakers, the new range represents a first for the British brand.

Central to the L/R X and M models is Cambridge's new 'Torus' tweeter which utilises a ring-shaped design with a tapered horn inside the rear chamber. The Torus employs a dual radius configuration, with a flatter top and steeper sides, alongside a large rear chamber for better clarity and direction.

All three models offer RCA line-level inputs, while the X and M models house twin USB-C ports – one for handling audio and the other for the speaker interconnect link – as well as digital optical inputs. You also get an HDMI eARC input and a moving magnet phono stage if you go for the L/R X or L/R M models.

The L/R X and M's streaming powers are driven by the fourth generation of Cambridge’s StreamMagic platform, offering support for the likes of AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer and Qobuz Connect. The smaller, cheaper L/R S, meanwhile, still offers built-in amplification alongside standard Bluetooth streaming.

We’ve already had listening time with the largest member of the family, so check out our L/R X hands on review if you want to hear our early impressions.

Samsung's new wireless speaker range offers hi-res audio, and works with Samsung TVs

Samsung's new wireless speakers are both quite different propositions. The larger Music Studio 7 offers hi-res audio and spatial audio, but no Bluetooth, while the lower-end Music Studio 5 (pictured) does have Bluetooth for local streaming, but no hi-res or spatial audio.

The 7 can also wireless pair with other units to provide stereo sound, or Samsung TVs via the brand's Q-Symphony tech. Handy if you're considering one of Samsung's 2026 TV lineup...

Read our full Samsung wireless speaker story

Xgimi's latest 4K home cinema projector is challenging the likes of Hisense and Epson

Next up, Xgimi has announced the release of its latest 4K home cinema projector – the Titan Noir Max. This follows on from Xgimi’s Titan projector that was announced late last year, but Xgimi says this flagship model boasts, “precision-tuned optics [to] bring out the kind of depth, contrast, and colour nuance once reserved for post-production studios.”

We are still waiting to learn how much this model will cost as well as its connectivity options. But we do know that the 4K model is employing the “most advanced dynamic IRIS system to date” with a native contrast of 10,000:1.

It looks to be in direct competition with the five-star Epson EH-LS9000, as well as Hisense's new XR10 model that was announced late last year. We will have to wait to see how Xgimi's latest entry compares with such stiff competition...

Read our full Xgimi Titan Noir Max story

We've been hands-on with Samsung's new Sonos Arc Ultra rival

It's only just been announced, but we've already had hands-on time with Samsung's new Dolby Atmos soundbar. Twice, in fact!

Samsung is making no secret of the fact that it's gunning for the Sonos Arc with its new HW-QS90H model. As such, unlike the HW-Q990F system-in-a-box, the QS90H is a solo bar with all of the drivers built in.

The focus has been on the bass, and Senior Staff Writer Lewis Empson reports that the QS90H sounds very deep and weighty indeed.

Check out his Samsung HW-QS90H hands-on for his early impressions.

TCL promises to go one better than the latest crop of RGB Mini LED TVs

While most other TV makers are getting into bed with RGB Mini LED, TCL is going its own way, opting for SQD Mini LED as its technology of choice for its flagship TV this year.

SQD stands for Super Quantum Dots, and refines how light is filtered at the colour level, reducing colour crosstalk and maintaining colour accuracy.

It will feature in the X11L, which launched in China late last year and will be TCL's flagship TV in Europe and the US in 2026. Other TCL TVs with the tech will be announced later in the year.

Want to see what else it can do? Read our full story: Forget RGB Mini LED – TCL has just announced SQD Mini LED TVs

Onkyo's Muse series is great news for hi-fi fans

Onkyo is kicking off its 80th anniversary celebrations with a brand-new Muse series of streaming amplifiers, which aims to offer amplification and streaming talents in one sleek box.

All you need to do is add speakers to the Muse Y-50 or Muse Y-40, which boast Class D amplification, Spotify/Qobuz/Tidal Connect hi-res streaming, and ample connectivity including HDMI eARC and moving magnet phono stage.

The new Onkyo streaming amps feature a large display screen for track information and the compulsory VU meter display, and are due out 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.

A special edition Muse 80th model with a retro finish is also on the cards, with limited availability of 1000 units worldwide – that's due out in summer.

Read the full story here: Onkyo celebrates its 80th anniversary with all-new Muse streaming amplifiers

Vinyl fans, rejoice! There's a new Audio-Technica turntable in town

Audio-Technica has launched the new AT-LP7X record player at CES 2026, and it's a minimalist deck that hides plenty of versatile features under its matte black finish.

You get a switchable, built-in phono stage that works with both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, and an adjustable tonearm that can be updated to work with a wide variety of cartridges.

The LP7X comes fitted with a J-shaped aluminium tonearm and is pre-mounted with the AT-VM95E cartridge, but can be updated down the line should you wish.

The deck can be plugged straight into active speakers for a compact setup, or be used within a more traditional hi-fi separates system. The LP7X is yours for £679 / $999, sitting just under the £859 / $1299 AT-LP8X turntable we reviewed (and enjoyed!) last year.

Read the full details: Audio-Technica's new AT-LP7X turntable offers ample versatility in a sleek, modern design

Philips 2026 OLED TVs will have one big advantage over LG's...

Dolby Vision 2 is a funny one. Dolby Vision has proved a hit – though not with Samsung – yet the follow-up has gathered its fair amount of suspicion. Do we even need it? Have we reached the limits of what the original Dolby Vision can achieve? Is it all just a cynical ploy to make punters buy a new TV?

Philips would tell you yes, yes and no, respectively. It's just announced it will be the first TV maker to release an OLED with Dolby Vision 2. It joins Hisense and TCL as the only three brands to commit to the tech so far.

We're still awaiting news from Sony and Panasonic, but LG has confirmed it won't support the tech in 2026. That's a big surprise, given its early support for the original Dolby Vision.

So will it leave LG a step behind Philips this year? Or will most people just not care?

Find out more about Philips' decision in our Philips Dolby Vision 2 story

November is a busy time for What Hi-Fi?. For starters, we have to get into our gladrags, ascend from our test rooms and reveal the year’s What Hi-Fi? Award winners at our swanky black-tie ceremony.

Then we have to contend with Black Friday and trawl all the stores, specialist and mainstream, to find you the best hi-fi and home cinema deals to be had on said Award winners and any other five-star product we have reviewed.

*Raises fist at sky and screams “Black fudging Friday” in angry William Shatner voice*

On top of all that, we have to continue our eternal quest, reviewing new products to keep our buying advice up to date and relevant to what’s actually in stores right now.

Which is why, despite all of the above, we continued to publish reviews throughout November (11 to be precise), maintaining business as usual in our viewing and listening rooms.

During that process, however, there was one thing that was a little bit different in November for our reviewers: we found only one product worthy of a five-star rating. Which makes this, the latest edition of our regular Pick of the Month column, our shortest ever.

The Rotel Michi Q5

The vinyl revival has been a joyful thing for quite some time now – which is awesome. But if you prefer your physical media to be a little more compact and shiny – and at the same time have a surplus of serious cash – then you might want to consider the Rotel Michi Q5.

This undeniably premium CD player retails for £5499 ($7499 / AU$9499). That's a clear level above the £2995 ($3995 / AU$4999) Cyrus 40 CD we recommend as the top option in our best CD player guide.

After putting it through its paces, though, we can say that it’s certainly worth it – assuming you have the accompanying amplifier and speakers to back it up. The giant unit is packed with top-end, custom hardware designed to make the absolute most of CDs.

Highlights include a bespoke CNC-machined aluminium CD-transport mechanism and ESS ES9028PRO eight-channel DAC chip. The latter lets you play 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files via its USB input, in addition to its CD-spinning capabilities.

Most importantly, when paired with our price-appropriate reference Burmester 088/911MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, it delivers stellar audio. Whether it’s layered classical arrangements, bopping pop, or booming metal, the unit delivers audio with impressive detail resolution, expressive dynamics and a nicely taut bass.

As you will see from our reviewers' five-star rating and verdict: “Some people will baulk at the Michi Q5’s price, and that’s understandable. Given we are so far into the age of streaming, a high-end CD player certainly isn’t going to make sense for everyone. However, if you are dedicated to the original silver disc and have a collection that justifies this kind of expense, we have no hesitation in recommending the Rotel Michi Q5 highly.”

Five stars

Read our full Rotel Michi Q5 review

MORE:

Our reviewers rate the best stereo amps

Our picks of the best bookshelf speakers

We rank the best floorstanding speakers

Chord Electronics has given its much-lauded Mojo 2 DAC and headphone amplifier an upgrade with regard to its connections. The portable device now features a new 4.4mm headphone output and offers USB-C charging.

Sticking with the Mojo 2 name and its current price point of £395 in the UK, these two updates are a result of customer feedback and the demands of new devices now universally using USB-C. One of the two original 3.5mm headphone outputs will be replaced by the 4.4mm socket, which Chord says allows the Mojo 2 to be used with "a far greater range of high-performance headphones".

The 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs will now have independent volume memory, letting the user set output levels for different headphones.

The USB-C input is now switchable and can be used for both data transfer and device charging. On the updated Mojo 2, there is a small 'flash' symbol above the input to denote its new charging ability.

All other features and functions of the Mojo 2 remain the same, including the eight-hour battery life, the palm-sized casing, and multi-colour, multi-button control. It has coax and optical inputs, and the micro USB port remains so that users can continue to connect it to the Poly 2 streamer module.

Chord Electronics assures us that all the fundamentals of design and the sound quality remain unchanged, too.

The Chord Mojo 2 is a multiple (and current) What Hi-Fi? Award winner, with the portable DAC and headphone amplifier using Chord's proprietary digital audio technology, and being hailed as delivering benchmark transparency and a game-changer for boosting the sound quality of your desktop-based and headphones listening.

The existing Mojo 2 with the original connection (from 2022) will still be on sale for some months until stocks run out – at the moment, you can buy it for just £249 at Peter Tyson (down from £395) in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.

The new Chord Mojo 2 will retain the same name, but the '2' on the unit will be in bold to distinguish it from the outgoing model. The price will remain unchanged at £395 / $650 / AU$799.

MORE:

Read our full Chord Mojo 2 review

Our guide to the best DACs we've tested and rated

Check out the best wired headphones you can buy

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• Stereo amplifier: Cambridge Audio now £299
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

In all my years of testing TVs (18 and counting), the Sony Bravia 8 II is one of my absolute favourites – and undeniably the best flagship OLED you can buy right now.

We tested it against the Samsung S95F (with which it shares its QD-OLED panel), the LG G5 and the Panasonic Z95B, and our reviews team unanimously decided the Bravia 8 II was the best TV overall.

That's why it went on to win the coveted TV Product Of The Year gong at the What Hi-Fi? Awards last November.

And, despite being the best of the best, the Bravia 8 II has been the recipient of lots of lovely discounts, which is what this page is all about.

But first, some more info to help you decide if this is the right TV for you.

What makes the Sony Bravia 8 II so good?

The Bravia 8 II is the (overdue) successor to the awesome A95L.

It features the latest-generation QD-OLED panel, Sony's latest and greatest picture processing, an innovative audio system that involves the whole screen vibrating to make sound, very good gaming specs and a smart design.

Unusually, the TV is available in just two sizes, 55 and 65 inches. We've tested both: our original review was based on the 55-inch version, but we then also sourced the 65-inch model for a flagship OLED shootout

The Bravia 8 II goes slightly less bright than those other next-gen OLED models mentioned above, but it's still a very bright TV, and it combines that punch and dynamism with superb cinematic authenticity and some very subtle sharpening that makes the image look more solid and three-dimensional than its rivals can match.

It's better-sounding than those other sets, too, though we do recommend adding a dedicated sound system if you're able. Picture quality this superb demands equally superb audio.

My only additional note is that the Bravia 8 II has just two HDMI 2.1 sockets that support 4K/120Hz gaming. For most people, that will be of no consequence, but for hardcore gamers with multiple machines, it could be frustrating. Just something to bear in mind.

Got all that? Then simply scroll down for the latest and lowest prices on my favourite TV of 2025.

The best Sony Bravia 8 II deals

Sony Bravia 8 II 55-inch (K55XR8M2)

Launch price: £2499 / $3500 / AU$4195

The 55-inch Bravia 8 II is the first one we tested, and the primary basis of our full Sony Bravia 8 II review.

It is, as should be clear by now, an exemplary TV, and by going for the 55-inch model rather than the 65 incher, you get increased pixel density, which means you get an even sharper picture.

Sony Bravia 8 II 65-inch (K65XR8M2)

Launch price: £2999 / $4000 / AU$5295

What you lose in pixel density by going for the larger Bravia 8 II, you more than gain in cinematic scale.

There really is no accounting for size when it comes to an immersive movie or game experience, so I almost always recommend going big to people who are torn between two sizes.

Do be aware, though, that the feet of the Bravia 8 II can only be placed at the furthest points of the TV's bottom edge, so you will need a piece of furniture at least as wide as the TV (144cm / 57 inches).

This obviously isn't an issue if you're wall-mounting the TV or are willing to buy a third-party universal stand for it.

Halloween is officially over, which means we have changed gears and are firmly in deal hunting season.

But, despite Black Friday now being clear and visible on the horizon, that hasn’t stopped hi-fi and home-cinema brands flooding our team with fresh news to cover and products to review.

Over the past week we’ve checked out everything from a new premium phono stage from an iconic British brand to an awesome Sony projector.

Here’s what you need to know.

Michell’s new two-box phono stage is a winner baby (yes that’s a Ru Paul reference)

Iconic British hi-fi brand Michell Audio had a busy October. Not only did it unveil its new Revolv and the Gyro turntables, it also delivered its fancy Apollo phono stage to our listening rooms for testing.

And once we got the clever two-box unit set up and connected to our reference Technics SL-1000R turntable, Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, boy did it deliver the sonic goods!

Across every track we threw at it, the unit delivered sumptuous, insightful and fluid presentation. Hence our five-star rating and glowing conclusion:

“The competition is tough, but the Apollo’s formidable blend of talents is hard to resist. Its unfussy attitude, seductive sound and excellent build make it one of the standout options in this part of the market.”

Read our full Michell Apollo review

Technics sounded the death knell on a legend

If you’re a fan of Technics’ iconic SL-1200G turntable, we have good and bad news. Last week, the brand confirmed that, after 50 sweet years, its 'G' line is going out of production.

But, as a silver lining, it is sending the deck off with a bang, confirming it will do a limited run of new Grand Class SL-1200G/1210G Master Edition special production turntables.

Featuring a number of design and hardware tweaks, Technics described the new models as the final evolution of the iconic G-series.

Just be warned, Technics is making only a limited number of each, so you’ll have to act fast if you want either when they become available in January 2026.

Read the full story: Technics waves goodbye to the legendary SL-1200 turntable with super-exclusive Master Editions

The Sony Bravia Projector 7 continues the brand’s winning streak

Regular readers know we are big fans of Sony’s latest projectors. So much so that we gave its Sony VPL-XW5000ES and Sony Bravia Projector 8 What Hi-Fi? Awards this year.

And, while its awkward pricing puts it against some very strong competition, after putting it through its paces in our test rooms, we are pleased to report that the middle child, Bravia Projector 7, is an excellent performer.

For your money you’ll be treated to a flexible, “proper” projector capable of delivering a rich, balanced and detailed picture with a sense of three dimensionality missing on many rivals. As we say in our review:

“If you’re looking to step up to a projector that delivers an even more cinematic image with more balanced colours, even better contrast, and extra subtlety, then the Bravia Projector 7 is certainly worth the upgrade – providing your budget allows.”

Read our full Sony Bravia Projector 7 review

We ranked our favourite Bruce Springsteen songs

Last week the Bruce Springsteen bio-pic Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere hit cinemas. To help celebrate, the What Hi-Fi? team has come up with a list of the top Springsteen tracks we love, and occasionally even use for testing, from the Boss’s rich and lengthy catalogue of work.

Read the full story: eight of the best Bruce Springsteen tracks to test your hi-fi system

Triangle upgraded its Capella speakers

Finishing off this week’s Rewind column is some news from Triangle – the launch of its new Capella 2 wireless active speakers. The units are a direct follow up to the firm’s previous-generation Triangle Capella standmounts, which we awarded four stars last year.

Key upgrades include the addition of Spotify Connect Lossless and Tidal Connect support, improved wi-fi connectivity, a more modern chipset and new subwoofer output. Will they help the new units nab that oh so elusive fifth star? We’re hoping to get them into our listening rooms to find out!

Read the full story: Triangle’s upgraded Capella 2 speakers land with Spotify and Tidal support

MORE:

We rank the best bookshelf speakers money can buy

Our picks of the best projectors

Check out our picks of the best phono preamps

As Black Friday approaches, there's one question on the minds of savvy TV buyers: will there be any great deals on the LG C5?

It's little wonder there's so much interest in the C5.

• Check out all of the early Black Friday deals on Amazon

LG's C-series OLED TVs have long been the benchmark when it comes to the combination of performance, features and price, and this year's C5 is a real upgrade on last year's C4 – at least in the larger sizes.

All sizes of the C5 have already seen significant discounting and can be bought for a lot less than they launched for. But will they drop even lower for Black Friday at the end of the month?

I track the prices of the best TVs right through the year, and a look at the price history of last year's C4 suggests that yes, the C5 should get even cheaper for Black Friday.

But how low might it go? Let's break it down, size by size.

LG C5 42-inch (OLED42C5)

• Launch price: £1400
• Current price: £949
• Predicted Black Friday price: £899

The 42-inch version of the C5 isn't much of an improvement on the 42-inch C4, and that means it isn't quite as accomplished as the versions that are 55 inches or larger.

That doesn't mean the 42-inch C5 is a bad TV, though. On the contrary, it's the best TV of its size that we've tested all year, delivering balanced, consistent picture quality right out of the box, plus an unbeatable suite of gaming features.

It's a great option for smaller rooms, and is even just about compact enough to work as a desktop gaming monitor.

The 42-inch C4 dropped to £888 during Black Friday last year, so I think it's fair to expect a drop to £899 for the C5. Seeing as it's already available for £949, it could go even cheaper.

Read our full LG OLED42C5 review

LG C5 48-inch (OLED48C5)

• Launch price: £1500
• Current price: £1049
• Predicted Black Friday price: £999

Like the 42-inch model, the 48-inch version of the C5 is very similar to its predecessor. In this case, that actually means you can buy an even better TV – namely, the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B.

But the 48-inch C5 is still an excellent, five-star TV in its own right, offering the same enjoyable picture quality as the 42-inch model, but at a more engaging size.

The 48-inch C4 hit £999 during Black Friday last year, and the C5 isn't much more expensive even now. I wouldn't be surprised if this one hit £949, but £999 is still a great price.

Read the full LG OLED48C5 review

LG C5 55-inch (OLED55C5)

• Launch price: £1900
• Current price: £1199
• Predicted Black Friday price: £1099

This is where the C5 series gets really good. Despite the on-paper specs being largely unchanged, the 55-inch C5 is a solid step forward from its predecessor in terms of picture quality.

There's increased brightness, dynamism and solidity to the image, and more accurate, more consistent colours. Best of all, you get this exemplary picture without the need to dig deeply into the settings.

As with every other C5, the 55-inch model has four HDMI 2.1 sockets that all support 4K/120Hz gaming (and 4K/144Hz, for that matter), as well as VRR and ALLM. This is a gloriously good gaming TV.

The sound is a bit of a letdown, but that's par for the course with OLED TVs. Budget for a soundbar and you'll be set.

The 55-inch C5 dropped to £1099 during Black Friday last year, and I expect the C5 to go at least that low.

Read the full LG OLED55C5 review

LG C5 65-inch (OLED65C5)

• Launch price: £2700
• Current price: £1699
• Predicted Black Friday price: £1499

While we haven't published a dedicated review of the 65-inch version of the LG C5, we did look at it as part of our Awards comparisons, and can confirm that it performs just as expected.

By going for 65 inches rather than 55, you sacrifice a small amount of sharpness on account of the decreased pixel density, but gain much more in cinematic scale. Otherwise, the TVs perform the same.

If you have the room and budget for the larger set and you're serious about home cinema, I recommend going for it.

Last year's 65-inch C4 hit £1495 during Black Friday, and I think the 65-inch C5 will drop to around the same price this year.

LG C5 77-inch (LG OLED77C5)

• Launch price: £3800
• Current price: £2799
• Predicted Black Friday price: £2399

Again, we haven't run a dedicated review of the 77-inch version of the LG C5, but we have seen it in action at various events over the course of the year, often alongside its smaller siblings, and the performance looks perfectly consistent.

Again, you will lose a little pixel density and therefore sharpness by going up to this size, but the increase in cinematic scale is pretty massive at this level.

The 77-inch C4 dropped to £2399 during Black Friday last year, and while the 77-inch C5 has a little way to go to hit that level, I think it will get there this year.

LG C5 83-inch (LG OLED83C5)

• Launch price: £5999
• Current price: £3999
• Predicted Black Friday price: £3549

Honestly, going up to 83 inches with an OLED TV is not a great move from a value point of view. The additional six inches of screen real estate adds absolutely loads to the price – £1200 at the time of writing.

Why is that? It's all to do with the added complexity of manufacturing OLED panels this large, and the apparently high failure rate at the factory.

But while the 83-inch C5 isn't the most sensible option, it sure is the most exciting. This is the absolute largest size you can buy, and while the additional six inches doesn't sound like a lot, it makes a big difference to the cinematic spectacle of a movie night.

Prices of the 83-inch C5 are currently tracking a bit higher than they were for the C4 this time last year, but I still expect it to hit a similar level – around £3549 – for Black Friday.

FAQ

MORE:

Check out all of the best Black Friday deals we've found

Here are the best TVs you can buy, and here are the best soundbars

• These are the best floorstanding speakers we've reviewed

We know that Sony is working on a TV centred around the new RGB Mini LED panel technology that Hisense and Samsung have already incorporated into their respective ranges.

Those companies, though, have opted to dip their toes into the tech with just one TV each. A new report suggests that Sony could be taking a bolder approach by doubling down on the new display technology with two new TVs next year.

A forecast from Omidia's Research Director for Displays, David Hsieh, (via FlatpanelsHD) states that we could see a new Bravia 9 and Bravia 7 launch next year – presumably these will be the Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II if Sony sticks to the naming convention established with the excellent Bravia 8 II – which could both sport the new RGB Mini LED panel tech.

Hsieh has reportedly made this prediction based on industry insights and sources related to the research company. That being said, nothing will be official until the news comes directly from Sony itself.

Hsieh suggests that the supposed Bravia 9 II could come in 65, 75, 85 and 115-inch screen sizes. The rumoured Bravia 7 II is forecast to add 50 and 55-inch sets, with the largest screen size predicted to be 98 or 100 inches.

Samsung and Hisense, for reference, have opted to launch their RGB Mini LED sets only at 115 and 116 inches, respectively, so Sony could be the first manufacturer to introduce a wider range of screen sizes with this display technology.

Of course, to be sure, we have to wait until Sony makes an official announcement for its 2026 TV range; we expect that to come towards the beginning of next year.

It is looking very possible, though, that Sony could become the first brand to adopt the new display technology with open arms – though we are willing to bet that Samsung, Hisense and TCL also have big plans for the new tech for 2026.

MORE:

Read our full Sony Bravia 9 Mini LED TV review

And check out our picks for the best Mini LED TVs

Find the best TV deals here

I've been using the 65-inch Sony A95L at home for the last few weeks (that's it in my living room in the photo above), and I'm absolutely loving it.

It's that marrying of the brightness and vibrancy of QD-OLED technology to Sony's trademark cinematic authenticity that does it for me: it means the picture is hugely exciting and dynamic, yet also accurate and 'correct'.

It's great for gaming, too, and I'm really making use of the free, super-high-quality streams on Sony Pictures Core.

You would think, therefore, that I would be telling you to take up this A95L deal, which is the lowest price I've seen for the 65-inch model:

But I'm not going to do that, and the reason is two-fold:

The LG G4 is currently £800 cheaper

I don't like the LG G4 quite as much as I do the Sony A95L, but I do still like it a great deal.

And because LG is so much more aggressive with its pricing, the 65-inch G4 is available for vastly less, and a difference this big is too good to ignore.

The G4 has some advantages over the A95L, too: it's even easier to get the most out of (just use Filmmaker Mode and switch on the ambient light sensor and you're pretty much sorted); the webOS smart platform is better than the Sony's Google TV; and it's got four HDMI 2.1 sockets that support every gaming feature under the sun.

The G4 goes even brighter than the A95L, too, although its MLA OLED panel isn't quite as good at bright colours as the Sony QD-OLED panel is.

Still, at these prices, I would absolutely take the G4 over the A95L, and I'd spend the 'change' on a Dolby Atmos soundbar – the Sony A95L sounds good for a TV, but it's no match for even a mid-range soundbar such as the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

And the Sony A95L's replacement is now here

The second thing putting me off recommending that deal on the Sony A95L is that its successor, the Bravia 8 II, has just hit shops.

I'm not saying you should go out and buy the new model right now (I never recommend buying a TV at launch as prices are so inflated), but it's launched for less than the A95L did, and I don't think it will be too long before its hits the £2300 price point that the A95L is at now.

The Bravia 8 II's presence in shops now also means that the A95L's price is likely to drop further in the coming weeks and months.

So, while I love the A95L and would ordinarily recommend it in a heartbeat, anyone desperate for a flagship-level OLED TV right now should buy the LG G4 (and a soundbar) instead.

Those who can be patient, meanwhile, should wait either for the A95L's price to drop further or for the new Bravia 8 II (a review of which we're working on right now) to get its first discounts.

Sound+Image is Australia no. 1 mag for audio & AV reviews, news and technology. Every issue is divided between hi-fi features and reviews, audiovisual reviews and updates, plus a lashing of music and movie features to highlight the reason we need the equipment in the first place.

And in our latest issue, #362:...

MINI AMPS THAT ARE BIG ON STREAMING
Group test: Various developments have fed the rise of smaller hideaway amplifiers with app control and built-in streaming. But with such variety in power and price, how do you find your level?
- Feature: How to choose your amplifier
- Review: WiiM Pro
- Review: Sonos Amp
- Review: Denon Home Amp
- Review: Bluesound Powernode Edge
- Review: Marantz Model M1
- Review: Electrocompaniet RENA SA2

OPEN HEADPHONES
Group of three: They may annoy people on the bus commute, but for solo listening, open-backed headphones are a pathway to the airiest of hi-fi sounds. We test three new models at radically different price levels.

- Review: AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-R30x
New and attractively-priced open headphones – just A$219, yet they pretty much blew us away with their effortless and balanced presentation.

- Review: SENNHEISER HD 550
It can be hard to tell Sennheiser’s many headphones apart – yet they are invariably safe performers when it comes to the sonics, as these HD 550s confirm.

- Review: MEZE POET
Spectacular looks meet sparkling sonics in these Romanian planar-magnetic beauties. What airy wonders do they reveal, for their A$3499 pricing?

MORE REVIEWS...

- MARANTZ HORIZON wireless speaker
Luxurious materials and a remarkable design differentiate Marantz’s wireless speaker costing A$6500 (+A$1500 for the stand). Does it repay the price?

- KALEIDESCAPE TERRA PRIME + STRATO C 4K movie server + player
The premium movie server system is now ‘officially’ available in Australia, including a local movie store. We test a two-box server and player solution.

- VIEWSONIC V57-4K projector
It’s a ‘lumen king’ using a higher level of DLP projection than rivals to achieve higher brightness and overcome ambient light conditions.

- TANNOY SGM 10 stereo loudspeakers
These ‘heritage’-look speakers are developed from studio models and certainly have some quirks, but their sound can take on all modern challengers.

MORE FEATURES...

- TOP TVs & TV TECH FOR 2025
Advanced OLED panels arrive, but Mini LED has an RGB variation waiting in the wings. Is 8K coming or going? And will 3D return to TV?

- comment
ONE EAR ON THE FUTURE
The Editor looks forward to understanding whatever you’re all saying.

- show reports
HIGH-END MUNICH SHOW REPORT
From 2026, the HIGH END Show will move to Vienna, so there was much tearful sloshing of steins amid the usual collection of horns and sounds to celebrate the final Munich show.

- AUSTRALIAN Hi-FI SHOW, SYDNEY
Three days of Sydney sunshine, four floors of hi-fi and AV on song: here’s our full report of all the joys from this year’s Sydney show.

- countdown
THE BEST MOVIES OF THE 1980s!
From ‘Raging Bull’ to ‘Dogs in Space’, these are the 1980s movies that will get your home cinema back to the 1980s. Bring your own Spandex...

- classic movie scene
E.T.’s FLYING BICYCLE
Spielberg was riffing on the imaginary friend of his youth, but when Elliott’s bicycle took to the skies he created a scene that cinemas cheered.

- music stars
KATE BUSH
We look back at the original Kate Bush tour of 1979, her first and only time on the road until her residency London concerts 35 years later.

- NEWS
Marantz announces surprise two-box AV; Harman buys all Masimo Consumer brands; Electrocompaniet gets knobby; Rega goes digital with its Mk7 Brio amp; Melbourne gets a new AV experience store; Qobuz Connect debuts on loads of kit; Krix reveals its biggest ever subwoofer; Triangle effects speaker goes both ways; Blu-ray news: Pioneer stops, Sony goes...

It's all in #362 of Sound+Image, out now in print at newsagents and as a digital issue through Apple, Google, Readly, Zinio. Libby and more!

Today, Sky unveiled its Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and teased a second, more affordable Sky Glass Air set, which is set to get a proper full reveal at an unspecified point later this year.

And, to be clear, the Gen 2 features some notable upgrades on the original Sky Glass, which launched in 2021 and earned a respectable, but not quite perfect four-star rating from our reviewers at the time.

In case you missed the original news, the short version is that the new Sky Glass will be available tomorrow, 12th February, with prices starting at just £14 per month. This is roughly the same price as the original and puts it in the same bracket as the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED.

The key upgrades include an improved 3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos-ready sound system that, according to Sky, will “remove the need for a separate sound system”. Yes, we’ve heard and poo-pooed this claim before, but considering the fact we flagged average audio as an issue on the original Sky Glass it’s still a welcome move.

While the QLED panel hasn’t been upgraded to having a Mini LED backlight, Sky claims it has more dimming zones and more advanced local dimming powers than the original Glass, allowing it to produce better black levels, clearer colours and generally better performance. Considering how impressive recent FALD sets (including the four-star Panasonic W90A I reviewed at the end of last year) have been, there could well be some truth to this claim – but we’ll need to get the new model in to confirm this.

Despite all of this, throughout the presentation, I couldn’t help but think, 'why didn’t Sky go for bigger upgrades to its new TV’s panel tech?' And, while many would talk about Mini LED, which is established in the mid-range market, my mind went a step further – surely Sky should make an OLED!

Sky representatives at the Glass Gen 2’s launch event, which was attended by our TV & AV Editor, Tom Parsons, made it very clear the firm is not interested in going after the OLED market. This is apparently largely due to the fact it thinks its customers care more about value and don’t want to splurge that much for a TV. Or, if they do, they’ll just buy one from LG, Samsung, Sony or Philips and connect a Sky Stream puck to it.

Specifically, a Sky spokesperson told us: “we wanted to expand the range so that everyone can afford our products. We're really, really thoughtful and want to make sure Sky is accessible and affordable for everyone”.

I agree with the primary point around value. I know plenty of people looking to consolidate and reduce their spending. For them, a holistic package including your content subscriptions, TV and sound system makes sense. But I’d argue that doesn’t rule out OLED. In fact, if anything, it makes a stronger case for it.

In my personal life, I know plenty of people who want an OLED but simply can’t justify paying the four-figure cost for even an entry-level TV with the tech, let alone a flagship model. Look at our LG G5, Panasonic Z95B, Philips OLED910 and Samsung S95F hands-ons and you’ll see that even in 2025 these will set you back a hefty amount of cash...

So, offering one on a subscription model is appealing, especially one where Sky could even potentially sell the hardware close to cost price as it would be making money on a subscription and the content services it provides.

This is why, for me, it would have actually made sense to offer an OLED option alongside the cheaper Glass Gen 2 and Glass Air. This would have given home cinema fans at every end of the market an option and an entry point to the entertainment platform.

MORE:

These are the best cheap TVs we've reviewed

Our picks of the best OLED TVs

We rate the best 65-inch TVs

August is over, and with it many of us are facing the sad reality of summer’s end and a return to work after our yearly family break.

But while many of you were recreating scenes from Wham’s Club Tropicana music video by a sunny poolside or beach front, the team of What Hi-Fi? experts were hard at work in our light controlled viewing and listening rooms in August. Over the month we reviewed a wealth of new hi-fi and home cinema hardware including everything from portable projectors to £30,000 / $30,000 speakers. 

But in that flurry of testing, only eight products impressed our reviewers enough to earn perfect marks. Here’s what you need to know about them.

Dali Rubikore 2 

The Dali Rubikore 2 may look like just another pair of high-end standmount speakers targeting the same space as the Award-winning KEF R3 Meta. But they’re actually a pretty big deal for the audio heavyweight. 

As the name suggests they’re the successors to the first generation Rubicon range that launched in 2014. Getting them into our viewing rooms it was immediately apparent a lot of work has been done in the decade since. The engineering is completely different including a brand-new hybrid tweeter design and new mid/bass driver arrangement.

Pairing them with the Arcam A15 or Naim Nait XS 3 the speakers delivered class-leading levels of insight and excellent rhythmic precision, which got our testers’ feet tapping. Hence their conclusion: 

“As entertaining as they are informative, the formidable Rubikore 2 deliver a good time, and then some.”

Score: 5/5

Read our full Dali Rubikore 2  review

Sony Xperia 1 VI 

When the  Xperia 1 VI first launched we were a little sad as many of the AV focussed features that made past Sony phones interesting had been cut. There’s no 4K resolution, and the longer 21:9 aspect ratio has similarly been retired.

Thankfully when we got it in for testing, we found the handset is still an excellent option for movie fans. A screen this size will never be able to do true justice to a movie masterpiece, but the Full HD resolution OLED panel still delivers great results for casual viewing – especially once you activate its Creator Mode picture setting, which is effectively a Filmmaker mode for phones, based on our testing.

Once done, colours look nicely accurate and the perfect black level lets it deliver an immersive experience. Our only caveat is that you will want to invest in a pair of decent headphones as, while the phone can deliver oodles of detail when paired with a good set, its inbuilt speakers lack weight and punch. 

Score: 5/5

Read our full Sony Xperia 1 VI review

YG Acoustics Carmel 3 

Is £30,000 / $29,800 a lot to spend on a pair of small, two-way floorstanding speakers? Yes. That’s an undeniable fact, and one you, our lovely readers, made clear in your forum and Facebook comments when we first published our YG Acoustics Carmel 3 review in August. 

But based on our time with them, we can safely confirm that if you do have that kind of cash to spare and want a fantastic, elaborately engineered pair of floorstanders, they are well worth considering. Though the speakers' metal finish may look a little dull for some, under the hood YG Acoustics has done painstaking levels of work improving their engineering. 

Putting them through their paces in our listening rooms, while we find they are very fussy and need to be paired with incredibly high-end hi-fi to truly shine, the Carmel 3 can deliver exceptional results. 

Matched with a Naim ND 555/555 PS DR music streamer and SME Model 20 Mk2/Series V/Ortofon Windfeld Ti MC record player feeding a Burmester 088/911 MkIII pre/power, the Carmel quickly proved this point. Hence our conclusion:

“There are so many things to praise, from the immaculate build quality to the ease of positioning, but watch out for their fussy nature.”

Score: 5/5

Read our full YG Acoustics Carmel 3 review

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 

Ever heard the saying, third time's the charm? That pretty much sums up our experience with the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8. The Pi8 are the third generation true wireless earbuds from B&W, succeeding the three-star Pi7 S2 and first gen Pi7.

They still cost a lot more than many of the entries you’ll find in our best wireless earbuds guide, but for your money you’ll get a sonically gifted, easy to use set from one of the biggest names in hi-fi.

They’re also technically accomplished, running off Qualcomm's latest wireless chipset and being among the only earbuds to support Bluetooth 5.4 – most are locked at 5.3. They also have a dedicated DAC/DSP amp that bypasses the Qualcomm chip and lets B&W have more direct control over the earbuds’ sound.

Using them in our dedicated listening rooms and out the real world, the combination works a treat, with the Pi8 delivering great audio with sensational levels of detail regardless of the test track we threw at them. This made them an easy recommendation, with our reviewers concluding:

“The Pi8 are pricier than your average wireless earbuds, but sonically they perform levels above – the detail and refinement on show are breathtaking. Add useful features, solid ANC, the fact they’re nice to use and comfortable, and you’ve got buds that rival brands should take notice of.”

Score: 5/5

Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review

SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V 

At What Hi-Fi? towers there’s an old adage that, outside of some very rare occasions, exceptional build and sound never comes cheaply. The £25,950 / $35,619 / AU$58,000 SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V is good evidence of why that is.

The review unit we tested pairs the latest iteration of the iconic SME Model 20 turntable with the now legendary Series V tonearm – and based on our testing, though it’s expensive, the combo delivers truly magnificent results.

Adding Ortofon’s Windfeld Ti moving coil cartridge and pairing the unit with our reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM 50 speakers, the player delivered an honest and insightful performance with excellent sonic authority.

If you have the money this makes the SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V an easy recommendation, with our reviewers concluding:

“We really enjoy our time with the Model 20 Mk2/Series V/Ortofon combination. It sounds at home across all musical genres, delivering the grit of Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run set as convincingly as the rhythmically dense electronic music of Four Tet.”

Score: 5/5

Read our full SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V review

LG C4 (OLED48C4)

The LG C4 is rapidly turning into one of 2024’s most impressive TVs, with every size we’ve tested earning a perfect five-star rating. The 48-inch model we put through its paces in August continues this trend.

During our testing we found the 48-inch LG C4 retains all the strengths of the 65-inch model we originally tested, but in a smaller package. Regardless of what test disc we threw at it, the 48-inch LG C4 delivered a rich engaging picture full of detail and dynamism. 

Add to this its stellar gaming features, which include 144Hz/4K support as well as four full fat HDMI 2.1 inputs – which make it the best set this size for connectivity, period – and it becomes an easy recommendation. Our reviewers said as much in their conclusion:

“Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but LG’s latest C-series OLED TV is the best 48-inch TV you can buy right now. It undercuts or matches its rivals where price is concerned, it has a flawless feature set for gamers, and its picture is a clear step up over its predecessor.”

The only downside is that, like past LG C4s we’ve tested, the 48-inch model’s audio is terrible, even by in-built TV speaker standards. So you will 100 per cent want to invest in a soundbar to pair with it if you want the best experience possible. 

Score: 5/5

Read our full LG C4 (OLED48C4) review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6  

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the second phone to appear in this month’s column. It’s also the latest folding phone from Samsung, designed to work as both a handset and tablet. Thankfully the sixth generation has proved to be a great step forward for Samsung’s folding phone offering.

Most sites will focus on updates to the chipset and camera, but for What Hi-Fi? it’s the phone’s screen and movie watching upgrades that matter most. The headline here is that the Fold 6 features a 6.3-inch exterior cover screen with a thin 22.1:9 aspect ratio for use in phone mode that folds open to reveal a 7.6-inch interior display with a 20.9:18 aspect ratio. 

Though the folded out aspect ratio is distinctly square by TV screen standards it still yields a nicely immersive viewing experience on Netflix, based on our testing.

As well as being bigger than a traditional phone display, the Fold 6’s OLED screen delivers excellent colours and a sharpness that makes it a solid entertainment station when on the go, or when stuck on a long train or plane ride. Hence its five-star rating and our reviewers’ conclusion:

“The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 can best be described as an OLED TV that will fit into your pocket. Its cinematic picture performance has truly won us over, and we’re convinced that this would be an ideal AV companion for a long-haul flight or road trip.”

Score: 5/5

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review

Philips OLED809

The OLED809 is Philips latest step down OLED TV and a direct rival to the LG C4. What’s the difference? For starters the TV features Philips Ambilight bias lighting system, which uses coloured LED lights around the frame to help reduce eye strain and increase immersion – doing things like throwing up a green hue when watching football. Second, it uses an 8th Gen P5 AI processor, and third, it runs using the Google OS operating system. 

But onto the important topic, does it provide a decent home cinema experience? After hours upon hours of testing in our viewing rooms, our reviewers’ answer is a definitive yes. For movie and sports fans after a TV that provides a 'blow your socks off' experience, the Philips OLED809 is a fantastic option, featuring wonderfully high peak brightness levels that help it deliver a punchy dynamic picture.

We said as much in our review, where our testers concluded:

“Though it retains Philips’ 'blow your socks off' goal, once you tone down its out-of-the-box picture settings the TV gives great results, particularly during bright scenes. Here it delivers a wonderfully wide colour palette and brilliantly high max brightness, which leads to a truly immersive viewing experience.” 

Score: 5/5

Read our full Philips OLED809 review

MORE:

The best OLED TVs rated

Our picks of the best wireless earbuds

We rate the best record players

When Burmester said it had something special lined up at the start of its demo at High End Munich 2024, it wasn’t kidding. Little did I know, but a legend was about to be brought back from the dead before my eyes.

But first, a bit of scene-setting. For those who haven’t been to Munich High End, it’s an audiophile’s dream. One of the best parts of the show is walking around and every so often taking a few minutes to listen to one of the systems being demoed at the show.

There must be hundreds of different set-ups on display – virtually every room you stumble into has music playing either on headphones or speakers – and before you know it, you’re in your listening groove and the whole day has flown by.

And there really is a system for everyone at the show from relatively affordable set-ups (at least by the standards of some of the brands there) to absolutely mind-blowing combinations that can cost a million or two.

Burmester brought the goods

In 2024, my personal highlight came courtesy of Burmester and its demo room. The German high-end hi-fi giant always has a significant presence at the show, and this year was no exception, with the company showcasing its brand new BX100 floorstanding speakers.

In the flesh, they look stunning, whether you’re lucky enough to be able to opt for one of the standard finishes (such as white, matte black or gloss black) at €75,700 per pair, or you can stretch that budget to €80,000 and one of the special paint options.

They are four-way speakers with a front-facing midrange driver, woofer, and two side-mounted woofers. An AMT (Air-Motion-Transformer) tweeter is mounted within its own dedicated, isolated section, which looks like an ‘X’.

The BX100 were driven by quite a collection of Burmester electronics and sources. The system comprised the 111 Music Centre (£14,500 / $55,000), which was ably assisted by the company’s 218 power amplifiers (£34,6000 / $50,000 each). The other source on display was Burmester’s 175 (approx €40,000 / $60,000) reference turntable.

I sat down and was introduced to the set-up by a Burmester representative who played five tracks to give the small audience a flavour of what it was capable of. It was a textbook demonstration with each one aimed at highlighting the strengths of the speakers. So far, so Munich.

Long live the King

But it was the sixth and final track that blew me away. Our Burmester host switched playback duties from the 111 Music Centre to the 175 turntable and announced he had something special to play for us.

It was a record, but not just any old record – a direct-cut disc, created using a master tape of a recording of Fever by the King himself, Elvis Presley. 

And wow. From the first bass note and finger snap, I was captivated. The system oozed class and sophistication out of every polished pore. The sense of immersion was next-level and closing my eyes it felt like the King was giving us a private performance in his blue suede shoes.

The recording was very simple, but this just highlighted how good the system and speakers were at painting a believable picture. There was no room for error and Burmester didn’t miss a beat. The set-up created a fantastic atmosphere. The lack of background noise in the track helped give an unbelievable amount of space around the different elements. In turn, this gave the track a next-level feeling of intimacy and it felt like you were right there in the recording studio.

It peeled back the layers of detail in Elvis' voice and the finger clicks with impressive precision. The track’s swaggering bassline bounced along keeping the rhythm flowing. My fingers and feet couldn’t help but tap along in time.

Okay, so the stereo imaging was slightly trickier to get a feel for because I was sat behind several bodies that disrupted the sound waves on their way to my ears. However, I spent about 25 minutes in the demo, which left me wanting another 25 minutes. In fact, I could have stayed there all day listening to tracks from my own personal playlist. And that’s all you can ask for from any hi-fi system at any level, right?

MORE:

7 of the best hi-fi separates at High End Munich 2024

7 weird and wonderful pieces of hi-fi we saw at High End Munich 2024

9 of the best stereo speakers at High End Munich 2024

How to build the perfect hi-fi system

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the UK launch of Samsung's new 2024 TV range in Kings Cross, London. While the event was designed to show off the latest AV products from the Korean tech titan, of which a handful we've already reviewed or spent some hands-on time with, it was another TV in Samsung's KX Experience showroom store that really caught my eye.

Samsung had a selection of new models on show, including the QN900D, QN95D and S90D, and they all looked like promising performers (although we'll have to wait until they make their way into our AV testing lab to confirm that). However, I kept catching Samsung's The Wall MicroLED TV out of the corner of my eye. Bearing in mind that this TV was towards the other side of the building, it was still drawing my attention away from these brand-new models.

The pin-sharp picture quality and dazzling brightness impressed me from quite a distance, and as the chances I get to spend with MicroLED sets are few and far between, I took the opportunity to take a closer look. Much like my previous experiences at Samsung TV events in South Korea and Germany, my time with the MicroLED set was fleeting and conditions weren't optimal to make any sort of conclusive judgement, but the impact of the MicroLED screen is easily felt in practically every instance.

The 110-inch set I saw in action at Samsung KX has a 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160, yet it looked even sharper than traditional 4K, and even 8K sets to my eye. The Micro LEDs also allow for stunningly deep blacks with no sign of blooming when bright and bold colours are side by side with black backgrounds. 

This technology truly gives OLED a run for its money in this way, and while Mini LED TV sets of today are certainly getting better in that regard, they can't quite compete yet. 

There are some limitations, of course. The 110-inch set on show in Samsung KX is the smallest one available (for now), although Samsung also offers a gargantuan 146-inch model too. Therefore, you'll need a wall large enough to mount this set. You'll also need some fairly deep pockets if you want one of these TVs. The 110-inch model I saw will set you back a truly humungous £150,000 (around $190,000 / AU$285,000).

If a 110-inch TV isn't quite gargantuan enough for you, Samsung will sell you a 146-inch modular MicroLED set called The Wall for a price believed to be $220,000 (around £176,000 / AU$333,000). A single-body 146-inch MicroLED model was also displayed at IFA last year, though we're told this was a proof of concept rather than a final product.

If the price isn't enough to put you off, there was one other very minor flaw that I noticed during my brief time with the MicroLED TV at KX. It also may just be my critical eye that's used to studying TV, tablet and phone screens daily, but at times I felt that I could almost see the grid pattern where the MicroLED panels connect. I'm willing to bet this might differ on a person-by-person basis, and that not everyone will experience this, but it's something to note if you were considering dropping around 200 grand on a MicroLED TV.

We've asked time and time again when we can expect this TV tech to come down in size and price, but we've never been given a definitive answer. Samsung still seems set on using Neo QLED (Mini LED) for its flagship 4K and 8K sets, as well as its popular QD-OLED sets, so it doesn't look like Micro LED will become mainstream any time soon.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best Samsung TVs

Samsung 2024 TV lineup: everything you need to know

Record Store Day, the annual celebration of all things vinyl, celebrated its 17th year this year, bringing with it a predicted £10 million boost to the indie record store industry in the UK alone.

A large part of that is down to the incredible number of limited edition records released for Record Store Day. There were 443 special releases in 2024, with many of them packing striking designs and limited edition album art that only make them all-the-more collectable.

Starting from 2009 (RSD started in 2008 with fairly slim pickings), we have picked out some of our favourite (and occasionally bonkers) limited edition picture disc designs, which make buying vinyl and never listening to it a more understandable viewpoint than ever.

Did you pick any of these up? Do you have another favourite picture disc from the archive? Let us know in the comments.

The Killers – Spaceman (RSD 2009)

After a relatively quiet first year for picture disc releases, Record Store Day was really finding its feet in 2009, with artists and labels realising the potential the event had for sales.

For RSD 2009, The Killers jumped on the bandwagon and released their single Spaceman on a limited edition 12" picture disc. It also included the previously unreleased Four Winds on the B side.

Them Crooked Vultures – Mind Eraser, No Chaser / HWY 1 (RSD 2010)

For RSD 2010, Them Crooked Vultures released a limited edition 10" record with recordings of Mind Eraser, No Chaser and HWY 1, both played live at Hordern Pavilion. 

It was presented in a transparent red sleeve, with Vulture Speak on the B-side – an exclusive interview.

Daft Punk – Tron Legacy: Translucent (RSD 2011)

Tron: Legacy was released at the end of 2010, so for RSD 2011, Daft Punk and Disney released three limited edition vinyl designs – all on a translucent record with a choice of blue, red or yellow rings, with blue being the most sort after. 

They all had the same tracklist, and featured the songs Derezzed, Tron: Legacy's end title track, End of Line and a rare track called Castor – the latter was only previously included on the special two-disc edition of the soundtrack.

Nine years later, the soundtrack was re-released on RSD 2020 to celebrate the film's 10th anniversary. This was another collector's dream, with a blue translucent glow-in-the-dark design.

Sex Pistols – Anarchy in the UK (RSD 2012)

The Sex Pistols released a limited edition 7” record of their first single, Anarchy in the UK, for Record Store Day 2012. It featured the original single artwork etched onto the record itself.

The re-mastered picture disc also featured the original b-side track, I Wanna Be Me, and was limited to 3,500 internationally.

David Bowie – Drive-In Saturday (RSD 2013)

It's hard to pick just one of David Bowie's many limited edition picture discs, but the RSD 2013 7" record is a striking double-sider worthy of note. 

Re-released to mark the 40 years since its original release, Drive-In Saturday was limited to just 3,000 pieces, and includes the stereo version of the title track, as well as the Russell Harty Plus Pop version in mono.

Ray Parker Jr – Ghostbusters (RSD 2014)

In honour of the film's 30th anniversary, Ray Parker Jr released a glow-in-the-dark 10" record of the iconic theme tune.

As well as the original song, there was an instrumental version, extended version and a dub remix. It was limited to 4,000 copies worldwide.

Father John Misty – I Loved You, Honeybee (RSD 2015)

To celebrate RSD 2015, Father John Misty released a red heart-shaped 7" disc featuring an acoustic version of I Love You, Honeybear – the title track of his album of the same year.

It also featured the B-side, I've Never Been a Woman, and was limited to 5,700 copies worldwide.

The Monkees – Saturday's Child / You Just May Be The One (RSD 2016)

The Monkees released a 7" picture disc for RSD 2016, featuring Saturday's Child (mono TV version) with You May Be The One (mono TV version) on the B-side. 

It shaped like The Monkees' logo and was limited to 5,000 worldwide.

Toto - Africa / Rosanna (RSD 2017)

For RSD 2017, Toto released a 7" vinyl of their 1982 classic, Africa, with Rosanna on the B side. And of course, it was shaped like Africa. It was limited to 2,500 copies worldwide.

Twin Peaks soundtrack (RSD 2018)

For RSD 2018, Twin Peaks fans were in for a treat – Warner Bros reissued the 2017 Twin Peaks soundtracks as two limited edition double LP picture discs.

The designs featured memorable and poignant stills from the series, including the Red Room's curtains and its chevron floor, Laura Palmer's homecoming queen photo and the New Mexico bomb explosion.

Madness – One Step Beyond (RSD 2019)

Madness celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2019, and they marked it by releasing this limited edition picture disc of One Step Beyond for Record Store Day of the same year.

As well as the original 7" single and 2009 remastered version of the track, this record also had the Italian and Spanish versions of the song, all presented on a shaped picture disc of the band performing their iconic "Nutty Train" dance.

Prince – Sign O' The Times (RSD 2020)

Record Store Day was postponed in 2020, but Prince fans found this exclusive release of his ninth studio album well worth the wait. 

The wider reissue of Prince's double album, Sign O' The Times, got a special limited 140g picture disc release for RSD 2020, with 16 tracks and two complementing designs in orange and blue. You can get a closer look at it in this YouTube video.

Mastodon – Fallen Torches (RSD 2021)

Mastodon recorded Fallen Torches on 2019 as a tribute to their long-standing music manager Nick John, who died in 2018. 

Originally it had been planned to be released to support their European tour, but as the industry descended into chaos around the pandemic, it just didn't happen. 

It was instead included on their album, Medium Rarities, but they also released this special shaped 12" picture disc for RSD 2021. It included title track and the instrumental.

The Cure – Wish (RSD 2022)

For Record Store Day Black Friday 2022, and for the 30th anniversary of The Cure's Grammy-nominated album Wish was pressed onto double picture disc for the first time. 

Including hit singles like High and Friday I'm in Love, it was newly remastered audio by Robert Smith and Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios.

Bluey – Dance Mode (RSD 2023)

Look, it may only be the parents of little ones that find this one of the best picture disc releases of 2023, but we dare you to watch it and not be completely hooked.

Aside from it's fantastic writing and heartfelt messages that every seven-minute episode delivers, the music is a huge part of the show too, and Dance Mode is a certified banger. Add that to this striking zoetrope design and this limited edition record a winner in our books.

Blur - Parklife (RSD 2024)

There are so many fantastic picture discs to choose from for RSD 2024, but we do have a soft spot for this one – another zoetrope picture disc, this time of Blur's Parklife.

The classic Britpop album turns 25 in April this year, and this special limited edition record is part of the celebrations. 

It was Blur's first number one album in the UK and includes four top 20 singles – Girls & Boys, To The End, End of A Century and Parklife.

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Record Store Day 2024: dates, guides, and the full list of releases

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Yes, I’m well aware that it’s British Hi-Fi Week, but as What Hi-Fi?’s TV & AV Editor, I couldn’t resist cramming some home cinema action into our coverage.

It should come as no real surprise that the British brands responsible for some of the best hi-fi speakers in the world are also purveyors of quality surround packages, but did you know that one of the best AV receivers that money can buy is also from a British company? You do now. Or, more accurately, you will once you’ve scrolled down to read this round-up of the best home cinema products made by British hi-fi brands.

Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 HCP – £1299 / $2025 / AU$4122

Wharfedale has generally shown more commitment than most of its hi-fi peers to home cinema speaker systems, and the results speak for themselves: the brand took home three speaker-package gongs at the most recent What Hi-Fi? Awards alone.

Of those Award-winners, it’s the Diamond 12.3 HCP that we are flagging here. Using excellent stereo speakers in a surround package is no guarantee of success, but it certainly helps, and this package features two excellent pairs: the five-star Diamond 12.1 and Award-winning Diamond 12.3.

In a surround package such as this, the centre and subwoofer often feel like an afterthought. Not here, though, as the 12.C centre and SW-10 sub more than play their part, delivering clarity and tuneful weight respectively. All told, this is a classy and composed system with detail and dynamics for days, and it’s unbeatable at this price.

Read the full Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 HCP review

Bowers & Wilkins 606 & 607 S3 speaker package – £2496 / $3799 / AU$3947

Like the Wharfedale package above, this B&W package features two pairs of excellent stereo speakers. As the name suggests, the stereo speakers in question are the 606 S3 and 607 S3, both of which are current Award-winners that we love for their clarity, detail, spaciousness and all-round entertainment value.

Thankfully, these music maestros are not let down by the HTM6 S3 centre or ASW608 sub with which they are partnered in this system, and that translates to an awesome movie experience.

In fact, in our review, we wrote that ‘we find ourselves grasping at straws when it comes to finding things to complain about, as the Bowers & Wilkins 606 and 607 S3 Surround Speaker Package is nothing short of spectacular in the sonic department’. You can’t get much higher praise than that.

Read the full Bowers & Wilkins 606 & 607 S3 speaker package review

Arcam AVR31 – £5799 / $5250 / AU$11,495

AV amplifier land has been dominated by Denon for years now, but Arcam has recently proved that there is room for a sound-first, features-second AVR at the most premium end of the market.

Not that the AVR31 is exactly a slouch in the features department: it’s got umpteen HDMI 2.1 ins and outs, support for every sound format you are ever likely to need (and many you never will) and one of the best DACs in the business. Some people, though, will be put off the AVR31 because it has only seven channels of amplification, so going full Atmos requires the addition of extra amplifiers. You can buy a Denon AVR with more amplified channels than the Arcam for about a fifth of the price.

But it’s not the number of channels that matters, it’s the way you use them, as Arcam would almost certainly never say, and the AVR31’s premium credentials are made crystal clear through its sound, which combines delicacy and power like Blade Runner’s Roy Batty.

Read the full Arcam AVR31 review

Fyne Audio F8SP AV – £10,999 / $14,999 / AU$24,000

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; the centre is arguably the most important speaker in a surround system. Yet, time and again, speaker manufacturers bundle their big, brilliant floorstanders with a weedy, undernourished centre that makes dialogue hard to decipher and robs the overall system of its cohesion.

That’s not something that you have to worry about with the Fyne F8SP AV package, though. Its F57SP-8 centre speaker is a beast that has clearly been carefully designed and tuned to be a perfect match to the gloriously imposing, five-star-rated F502SP speakers.

“The front three full-range speakers are almost disarming in their precision and speed, adding a tangible layer of excitement to action sequences and making nearly every sudden move in horror films unbearably unnerving,” we said in our review.

The F501SP floorstanders used as surrounds don’t quite match the other speakers tonally, so we would consider upgrading these to another pair of F502SPs if you have the money and space. The twin subwoofers aren’t the very best in class either, so you might want to consider specifying a non-Fyne alternative (or two!) there as well. Even as it comes, though, the F8SP is an incredibly entertaining speaker package.

Read the full Fyne Audio F8SP AV review

Q Acoustics 5040 5.1 Home Cinema – £2475 / $3595 / AU$5199

Q Acoustics is such a fixture of the British hi-fi scene that it’s easy to forget that the brand has only been in existence since 2006. Over the past 19 years, it has shown a real dedication to producing seriously good surround sound packages that feature its seriously good stereo speakers, and the 5040 5.1 Home Cinema is just the latest of those.

The Award-winning stereo speakers in question are the Q Acoustics 5040s that give this package its name. They feature as the front-left and -right speakers, with a pair of 5010s as surrounds, a 5090 centre and QB12 subwoofer.

Despite the use of different speakers throughout, the system produces a really cohesive sound that’s also packed with energy, detail and dynamism. The soft, modern look of the speakers will appeal to those for whom the straight edges and wood finishes of traditional hi-fi don’t appeal.

Read the full Q Acoustics 5040 5.1 Home Cinema review

Literally tens of millions of words have been written about The Beatles, covering everything from the minutiae of their recording sessions to the all-encompassing nature of their impact on popular culture. One book takes almost 50,000 words to get to the point where five teenagers leave Liverpool for the first time in 1960 for a series of performances in Hamburg.

So there seems little point in trying to add to those words here – everyone already knows, after all, that The Beatles rank alongside William Shakespeare and football where British contributions to global happiness are concerned. Instead, we’ll restrict ourselves to selecting a dozen of their recordings that happily combine a thorough examination of your audio system’s talents with the band’s customary knack for exquisitely, instinctively correct pop music.

• Listen to the best tracks by The Beatles on Tidal

Can’t Buy Me Love (A Hard Day’s Night, 1964)

They have been recording artists for less than two years at this point, but already the development that would gather almost comical momentum is beginning to show. It’s upbeat, sunny and poppy, just as surely as most of their output has been until now, but Can’t Buy Me Love also demonstrates new confidence in their songwriting abilities and a knack for a catchy arrangement that can’t be entirely credited to producer George Martin. Momentum and rhythmic positivity are among the key elements your system must demonstrate to bring this recording to life, but the nature of the recording means control of treble frequencies is almost as important. 

‘Hardness’ or ‘splashiness’ are seldom welcome traits in an audio set-up, but this recording is just desperate to tip over the edge – high-end authority is essential. And management of the percussion, driving-yet-rolling in the already-established Ringo manner, is critical too.

Buy A Hard Day’s Night on Amazon

You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away (Help!, 1965)

The songwriting is maturing nicely now – this is perhaps the first example of John Lennon writing from a position that seems strongly at odds with what one might imagine a man in his position might be feeling (see also the title track of the album Help!). The desire to be taken as seriously as someone like, say, Bob Dylan, rather than be regarded as a loveable moptop fit only to be screamed at, is getting stronger and stronger… You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away is very midrange-heavy, so your system’s tonal variation and powers of separation need to keep competing elements distinct from each other while still delivering the recording as a unified whole.

There’s little broad dynamic variation here, but in the acoustic guitar and woodwind especially there are plenty of harmonic under- and overtones around the fundamental note to be revealed. Or not, if your system’s not up to the task.

Buy Help! on Amazon

Nowhere Man (Rubber Soul, 1965)

Slowly but surely, the sepia of The Beatles’ previous recordings is becoming Technicolor. And between the telepathic vocal harmonies, the remarkably aggressive lead guitar sound and better-identified and -defined drumming, the recordings are starting to sound less like ‘live in the studio’ affairs and are starting to utilise the recording studio as a greater resource. Lyrically, the journey from ‘sweet’ to ‘bittersweet’ is becoming more and more apparent, too. 

All of which means your system needs to demonstrate proper poise and balance where the frequency range is concerned, as this is a fuller sound than the band had previously enjoyed. Low-frequency control becomes an issue (this is one of McCartney’s first true show-off bass lines), midrange focus and fidelity are an even greater issue than before thanks to all that bounceback echo around some of the voices, and the primitive stereo separation is a proper test of focus too.

Buy Rubber Soul on Amazon

Rain (B-side, 1966)

The confidence and ambition are ever more apparent, the medicine has properly started to kick in, and The Beatles are trying to advance the art of the pop song exponentially – even if, as with Rain, they’re only courageous enough to do so as a B-side at this point. Nevertheless, it’s an outstanding song in every department – melody, rhythm track, inventive use of the studio and the effects available therein… John Lennon’s vocal performance lasts less than three minutes, and yet Liam Gallagher managed to turn a facsimile of it into a 30-year career. 

How does your system handle the sinuous bass line, the stop-start journeys around the drum kit, and the none-more-jangly guitar sound? There’s plenty going on that will trip up a set-up that can’t handle itself where rhythm, tempo and tonality are concerned, and it will need to know what’s what when it comes to the prolonged decay of sounds too.

Buy Rain on Amazon

Tomorrow Never Knows (Revolver, 1966)

And now here are the 60s as everyone at 60 years’ remove understands them. It’s probably safe to say very few people had heard anything like Tomorrow Never Knows before the moment it was released, and certainly not when it was the product of what was definitely a boy band the last time anybody checked – “listen to the colour of your dreams” indeed. The Beatles lay it on with a trowel here: backwards tapes, guitar feedback, sitar drones, a drumbeat for the ages and a treated vocal intoning The Tibetan Book of the Dead. 

Need I say without undue emphasis that your system had better be able to establish some clarity and separation in what is a foggy hot-box of a mix? That it needs to be particularly attentive to the ‘soft’ attacks produced by running tape backwards? Probably not…

Buy Revolver on Amazon

Lovely Rita (Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)

If ever an album could be said to have a smell, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band has a smell – the sulphurous tang of spent matches, in my opinion. It may have been billed as a ‘concept’ album, but really it’s a collection of quite disparate songs, the most engaging and exuberant of which is Lovely Rita. One of McCartney’s many ‘story’ songs with one of McCartney’s many indestructible melodies, Lovely Rita needs your system to have a proper grasp of soundstaging, good separation and focus, and the sort of tonality that can differentiate acoustic clanging from metallic clanging without difficulty. 

And it needs to have the sort of rhythmic positivity that makes the coda to the song sound like it should: that’s to say, like the perfect sample for a yet-to-be-recorded smash-hit hip-hop tune.

Buy Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band on Amazon

I am the Walrus (Magical Mystery Tour EP, 1967)

No two ways about it: by this point, the boy band that conquered the world and became bigger than Jesus is an overt drugs band, and is rather pleased about it. I am the Walrus is an acid-fried slice of Lewis Carroll-inspired psychedelia, all glissando and portamento with extra-vivid nonsense imagery (“goo goo ga joob!”), detuned radios and an overall whiff of a playground game gone badly awry. 

There’s plenty for your system to be getting on with here – the tonality of the strings alone, as they glide and lurch from one note to the next, is a pretty stern test. And the fact that the stereo version of the song switches from ‘true’ to ‘fake’ stereo at around the two-minute mark (because radio extracts were added directly to the mono mix and were unavailable for the stereo version) will only really become apparent on a system with the sort of robust staging and stereo focus to reveal it.

Buy Magical Mystery Tour EP on Amazon

While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles, 1968)

Apart from various members of various orchestras (and Yoko Ono), very few people appear on records by The Beatles who aren’t, well, The Beatles. Eric Clapton is one – his coruscating solo on the George Harrison composition While My Guitar Gently Weeps elevates the tune to the status of ‘essential’ in The Beatles’ catalogue. Its tone and sheer attack are testing enough for your set-up, which also has to be able to cope with the extraordinarily assertive hi-hat inputs from the drumkit without getting in any way sharp or edgy. 

The chugging low-frequency input from the bass guitar requires careful handling, too, and midrange resolution should be able to reveal just how difficult George always found it (or how unwilling he was) to remove the Scouse inflections in his singing voice.

Buy The Beatles 1968/The White Album on Amazon

Happiness is a Warm Gun (The Beatles, 1968)

The four members of The Beatles couldn’t agree on much by this point, but they each declared Happiness is a Warm Gun to be their favourite of the far-too-many songs on The Beatles. It’s pretty obvious why: it’s inventive, it’s alive with tricky time changes, it features utterly committed contributions from all performers, and it managed to get banned by the BBC thanks to its ill-defined but absolutely apparent undercurrent of (whisper it) sex. 

Rhythmic expression and a facility with tempo- and attitude-changes are among the biggest tasks facing your system here. Midrange fidelity gets a big workout too – and separating the contributions of the lead from the background vocalists while keeping each distinct and characterful isn’t easy either. It’s a stiff test of dynamics, too, with both broad shifts in intensity and constant tonal variations to attend to.

Buy The Beatles 1968/The White Album on Amazon

Hey Bulldog (Yellow Submarine, 1969)

Even at their lowest ebb, even when inspiration was at a premium and willingness even harder to come by, The Beatles seemingly couldn’t help but turn out direct, melodic and somehow unerring music whenever the need arose. Hey Bulldog emerges from a piano riff (and so is one of very few of their songs not built on a guitar part) and wastes no time establishing itself as one of those ‘big verse/bigger chorus’ Beatles tunes that somehow manage to avoid cliché and stay fresh even after the 100th listen. 

The attacking tone of the lead guitar is a great test of your set-up’s balance, and the square four/four rhythm isn’t as straightforward to describe as it might at first seem, either.

Buy Yellow Submarine on Amazon

Come Together (Abbey Road, 1969)

Has there ever been a more obliging song, where hi-fi systems are concerned, than Come Together? The opening track of the final-album-that-wasn’t-the-final-album in The Beatles’ catalogue is beautifully performed, exquisitely recorded, and so wide open that it can’t help but dish the details of your set-up’s abilities – for better or for worse. It’s a recording with a huge amount of space in it, and those spaces and silences need to be given just as much emphasis as the events of the recording themselves. 

There’s an extraordinary amount of detail just waiting to be retained and revealed here, too, from the fretboard noises of the bass guitar to the exact distance of the harmony vocal relative to the lead. And above all else, your system needs to present this as genuine performance, with the protagonists responding to each other, rather than as a collection of discrete occurrences.

Buy Abbey Road on Amazon

Don’t Let Me Down (Let It Be… Naked, 2003)

By the time the band had finished recording sessions for Let It Be, they were sick a) of the sound of it, and b) of each other. So the tapes were handed over to Phil Spector (still an icon to people like The Beatles, and not yet revealed to be a murderous head-case) and he was asked to get on with it. The result was the opposite of the ‘back to basics’ recording they had envisaged – the Spector treatment called for baroque orchestral arrangements and contributions from huge choirs. 

Early in the 20th century, Paul McCartney instigated an effort to return the album to what had originally been intended… which meant, in part, including Don’t Let Me Down. Perhaps the most straightforwardly soulful recording the band has ever made, it’s a stern test of midrange resolution, tonal variation and rhythmic expression – and plenty more besides.

Buy Let It Be… Naked on Amazon

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CES 2024 is in full swing and, as expected, we’ve seen an influx of impressive new TVs appear.

And while our TV/AV editor Tom Parsons has been unabashed with his praise of TCL’s latest giant 115-inch QM891G mini LED, for me the standout announcements came from LG and Samsung which both revealed new “transparent” TV display technologies. 

In Samsung’s case, this was a proof of concept, see-through micro LED TV which is in no way designed for home use – which is no surprise given most micro LED TVs still cost the same as a down payment on a house. 

But in LG’s case, the see-through OLED T is, according to all the company reps we asked at CES 2024, going to be a commercial product people can actually buy.

Being fully transparent – see what I did there – I applaud both Samsung and LG for the sheer ambition and gumption it must have taken to create these products. LG in particular deserves praise for making such a next gen product that’s intended to “work” and be available for purchase in the real world. This is especially true given how impressive its specs are.

We’re waiting on full technical and price details, but we do know the OLED T runs using the same wireless technology and processor as the new M4 Wireless OLED TV. This means it in theory will be able to offer a cable-free, discreet home cinema set-up with minimal impact on your lounge’s feng shui.

But, in both instances, while I was impressed, I can’t help but wish the companies had paid a little more time, attention and effort to helping bring OLED display tech, and top-end TV experiences in general, to the more affordable end of the market.

Regular readers will know our team of testers are fans of OLED. Look at our best TV guide and you’ll see in most instances OLED is the display tech to get if you want the best picture quality and don’t mind paying for it. That’s why the majority of the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 best TV winners were OLED sets.

The problem is, they are still too expensive for most people, with anything over 55-inches setting you back at least £1000 / $1000. And to make matters worse, the tech is currently looking set to get more, not less expensive. Last year LG raised the price for its then top-of-the-line LG C3, which was the successor to the stellar LG C2 which set the benchmark for price-per-pound performance when it first came out.

We haven’t had pricing information for the new LG C4 yet, but conversations we’ve had with company reps indicate this trend isn’t going to change this year. This is especially true as LG’s next cheapest OLED, the B4, is incredibly similar to the C4, which indicates it also won’t be significantly cheaper. With the A-series not available in most territories now, that could leave buyers with no easy entry into the world of OLED this year.

This is a shame as we’ve been waiting years for OLED to hit a price point that is attainable to regular buyers, which we generally take as being around £500 / $500. It was when then-upstart manufacturers started producing good 4K sets at that price that the resolution started gaining traction with the public. And, in truth, I’d hoped 2024 would be the year this happened for OLED. 

But LG and Samsung’s overt focus on the top end of the market and new tech makes me think that cheaper OLED sets just isn’t either’s focus, which is a crying shame, especially considering the current cost of living crisis.

Here’s hoping Panasonic, Philips or Sony have better news for us when they unveil their full 2024 TV ranges later this year.

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These are the best OLED TVs we’ve reviewed

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Combining a punk ethos with garage-rock sound and put through a dirty filter of classic rock and metal, grunge exploded from the USA's Pacific Northwest in the late 1980s at a time when the world was hungry for a return to raw, expressive and rootsy guitar rock. 

While Nirvana had the biggest and most surprising breakthrough success, and Seattle and proto-grunge record label Sub Pop were the scene's epicentre, the genre's Sabbath-influenced heavy guitar riffs, grooving basslines and blistering drum parts were also heard from Chicago to LA, and from the UK to Australia. Meanwhile, thrift-store flannel shirts and long hair were soon de rigueur amongst disaffected kids the world over. It's old enough now to be termed 'classic rock', but even thirty years hasn't dimmed grunge rock's bright flame, though it would burn out too soon for far too many of its proponents. 

Don't make the mistake of thinking that grunge music is all crunching guitars and hating yourself, though; these accomplished records can be really good tests of all aspects of your hi-fi system's talents. Get your plaid on, then, and let's dig deep into our favourite grunge tracks with which to test any hi-fi kit's sound quality.

Listen to the full playlist on Tidal

Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nevermind, 1991)

As the power trio's tour de force, Nevermind's lead-off track is perfect for testing how your system conveys the emotion, energy and drive of what was perhaps Kurt Cobain's defining moment, not to mention the classic quiet-loud-quiet structure that came to typify the genre. We could have gone for something from their incredible debut Bleach, but the eight-track basement production is a little less clearly defined in terms of hi-fi listening (arguably too raw to truly do justice to the best hi-fi) than producer Butch Vig's terrific work on Nevermind.

If your system is skilled in information retrieval there's a lot to pick out in Teen Spirit, from the spaces around the simple guitar notes in that quieter verse, through the build of the pre-chorus to the full-on power of the chorus itself. You should be able to feel the sizeable room in which it was recorded, and the physical placement of Dave Grohl's drum kit; and as with most grunge tracks it's the clarity of the drum hits and blisteringly fast drum fills that remain stoically present amidst the reverb and distortion of the squalling guitar.

Soundgarden – Burden In My Hand (Down On The Upside, 1996)

Soundgarden tend to suffer from the ignominious syndrome of only ever having one of their tracks ever played on mainstream radio, but there was, and is, so much more to the grunge pioneers than the admittedly brilliant Black Hole Sun. 

Acting as the anthemic keystone to 1996’s rawer, more melodically focused Down On The Upside, Burden In My Hand opens with an earthy, almost country-style guitar before exploding into full-blown Black Hole Sun anthem mode. This one’s all about how a system communicates the pure power of Chris Cornell’s indomitable, throaty roar, as well as the angst and guilt beneath lyrics such as, “I shot my love today, would you cry for me?”

Screaming Trees – Nearly Lost You (Sweet Oblivion, 1992)

Late, great Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan was not a fan of Nearly Lost You, calling it "corny", but nevertheless it is the band's defining moment and an anthemic song that still sounds relevant 30 years on. This one demands good rhythmic drive from your system, as one of the more sophisticated tracks on this list in terms of its irresistible floor tom rhythms and sweet, grooving bass below its honkily overdriven yet beautifully accomplished lead guitar.

Lanegan was one of the finest of grunge's vocalists, and his later solo work and Queens Of The Stone Age contributions were proof of a rare talent. His deep, velvet timbre should be nicely picked out by a system refined enough to do justice to his timeless, wonderful delivery. 

Pearl Jam – Alive (Ten, 1991)

Pearl Jam’s Alive has earned its place within grunge folklore as one of Eddie Vedder and co’s most fist-pumpingly iconic works, but it’s also transcended musical boundaries to become a bona fide rock staple. If tracks such as Jeremy and Black gained Pearl Jam a somewhat misanthropic reputation, Alive was a chance to let loose and blow out some speakers like the classic rockers of old.

On the surface, Alive is a heartbreaking delve into the confusion Vedder felt upon discovering the true identity of his own father, yet it’s as much a pure rock showcase as it is a reflective journey of self-acceptance. Those oppositional elements are reflected within the track itself, which starts measured and introspective before exploding into a Zeppelin-esque feast with that epic, Kiss-inspired solo from Mike McCready stealing the show at 3.38. Whack up the volume and see if you’re off your feet and air-guitaring like it’s 1991, but make sure Vedder’s lyrical content and earnest delivery are always pulling through, too.

Tad – Jinx (8-way Santa, 1991)

One of Seattle's more overlooked grunge bands, Tad's 8-Way Santa album on legendary Seattle label Sub Pop remains a classic of the genre, with Jinx perhaps best exemplifying their metal-edged take on grunge rock. The band's crunching riffs and relentlessly gut-busting heaviosity will test the timing of your system, as the chorus cracks through your brain like a pick-up truck breaking through ice on a frozen lake. The slower, chugging pace of the verses seamlessly picks up pace for the chorus, as Tad Doyle's deep, booming growl ensures you're never in doubt of his surly malcontent. 

Your set-up should be able to pick apart these different elements, while the bassier nature of the track will test the lower registers – and again, timing is important to avoid the track sounding too grungey and ill-defined. Plaid-clad big lad Tad Doyle is an unsung grunge hero, and his band should have been bigger; but it was great to hear Jinx recently turn up on the soundtrack of Netflix show Beef.

Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song (Purple, 1994)

Grunge doesn’t have to be all crunchy guitars and roaring vocals – just see Pearl Jam’s Yellow Ledbetter or Nirvana’s About A Girl for proof. Like the aforementioned, Stone Temple Pilots’ Interstate Love Song does exactly what it promises in the title, offering up a love letter from the road that feels as sincere and heartfelt as anything found within the contemporary mainstream.

It’s a beautifully realised work, too. Characterised by full, bluesy guitar tones and Scott Weiland’s lyrical tale of heartbreak and escape, Interstate Love Song deserves a system that puts those emotions at the forefront of the performance, especially when it comes to lines such as “breathing is the hardest thing to do, with all I've said and all that's dead for you”. Oof. 

Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings (Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, 1995)

An important and often overlooked facet of the best grunge songs is an unerring sense of groove, and few bands did this better than Chicago's Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan's songwriting can lean towards the whimsical, but when his band rocked, they rocked hard. Jimmy Chamberlin is absolutely one of modern rock's drum greats, and his parts lock in tightly with the grooving bass as big, fat distorted guitars playfully wail and tussle over the top. 

The breakdown is fuzzy as all hell, but throughout this hard-charging tune your system should be tracking all the song's parts from the rhythm section's weighty contribution to the higher frequency guitar squeals, while ensuring that Corgan's emotion and fury come through with as much force and growling intent as possible through the unrelenting hammer-blows of that "rat in a cage" chorus refrain.

Afghan Whigs – Crime Scene Part One (Black Love, 1996)

Cincinatti's Afghan Whigs were there at the birth of grunge, and cemented their longevity by adding Motown soul to the punky garage rock formula to create some of the most interesting, downright sexy grunge tracks of the era. Greg 'the Barry White of Grunge' Dulli's breathy, soulful crooning is at the heart of the Whigs' sound; his earnest themes of love, and its flipside of betrayal, is something your system should nicely pick out along with the musically sophisticated instrumental arrangements.

The opening track from Black Love is a terrific builder of a song, with a choppy guitar part driven onward by an upfront bass line. And when things get heavy and slam the song into another gear, Dulli's crooning becomes a powerful, emotive rock performance with a bittersweetness that's hard to resist, and even harder to forget.

Mudhoney – In 'N' Out Of Grace (Superfuzz Bigmuff)

One of the genre's true originators (singer Mark Arm claims to have first used the term 'grunge' to describe their music to the press), Mudhoney could and should have beaten Nirvana to the punch – had guitarist Steve Turner not gone back to college, putting the band on hiatus. In the band's absence between this track and their major label return, Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, the band had perhaps missed the boat their contemporaries had hijacked like flannel-shirted pirates. 

This epic track from Superfuzz Bigmuff has everything; pace and power that never lets up, garage rock riffs so heavy they churn your insides, and even – whisper it – a bit of a drum solo. Dan Peters' drum breakdown, that sits back in the groove for an extended spell before powering back in with a foundations-shaking fill, is at the core of a track that embraces, if not exactly 'quiet' passages, a shifting dynamic emphasis and stop-start moments that allow Arm's plaintive wails the space to really get up in your face. If your system times well, those drum hits and blunt riffs should feel punk-rock raw yet distinct and organised despite the relentless buzz of the titular Bigmuff distortion pedal.

Alice In Chains – Down In A Hole (Unplugged, 1996)

Alice in Chain’s 1996 MTV Unplugged live performance is a thing of beauty, with the entire set offering some of the best renditions of the band’s excellent hits. The more nuanced, intimate but no less fierce acoustic version of Down In A Hole is a test track favourite in our listening rooms. You still get the sludge and crunch of this grunge track, but amidst the fuzz you should hear the clear plucking of guitar strings, of drums hitting with impact and underpinning the rhythm section alongside the deep, full bass and, most importantly, the achingly beautiful vocals. 

The very best music system – whether you're listening through hi-fi separates, turntable, radio or headphones, on vinyl, CD or streaming – will reveal all the layers and textures of this warm but melancholy performance while ensuring it all gels together rhythmically. This track has a lightning-in-a-bottle quality, with every band member on stage working together as one, and your system should capture and reflect that to the fullest. But it’s lead vocalist Layne Staley’s raw, raspy-edged singing balanced against Jerry Cantrell’s more soothing vocals that are mesmering to listen to. It’s a livewire performance that still hits a nerve while allowing you to sink into the emotive lyrics and melody no matter how many times you listen to it.

Hole – Jennifer's Body (Live Through This, 1994)

A grunge classic, a feminist anthem, an absolute banger. While female grunge bands are largely overshadowed by the prevalence of their male counterparts, Hole cut through the noise with punk-tinged grunge/alternative hits that were raucous, defiant, personal and, in many cases, pure earworms.

While it doesn’t have the ferocious roar of Violet or the (relatively) subtler, more mournful nature of Doll Parts, the song Jennifer’s Body has all the hallmarks of grunge – and Hole’s – rough format of quiet/loud/quiet/louder. This means that not only does your system have to work hard to fully convey those vaulting dynamic shifts, but it also has to keep up with Patty Schemel’s propulsive drumming and Kristen Pfaff’s bass playing. It’s a stern test of timing and rhythmic agility, as the repeated chords should never sound dull or lose their intensity or momentum through the song.

And, of course, Courtney Love’s vocals are at the heart of it all, veering from almost-spoken verses to raw screams, all edged with a rebellious, passionate and incisive tone. If you’re listening to this track and you’re not feeling the inherent 'F- you' attitude course through your veins, you need a better hi-fi system.

Radiohead – Creep (Pablo Honey, 1993)

As the only British band on this list, Radiohead flew an early flag for Brit-grunge before ploughing their own more progressive path to ever greater success. Their debut single, Creep, though, was an international hit riding the coat-tails of Nirvana's popularity – but it's no less great a song and a powerful anthem for disaffected youth. Thom Yorke's nervy stage persona and lyrics about how he wishes he was cooler so he'd get 'the girl' (essentially) spoke to long-haired introverts the world over. 

This track is a good test of dynamics, with the gentle, melodic guitar plucks of the verses punctuated with clear, bright drum and hi-hat hits giving way to those over-driven guitar crunches where it sounds like Jonny Greenwood had just remembered to plug his guitar in. The track's different moods, like the grungey, fuzzy guitar that follows the explosive chorus, as Yorke moves up the range for a more falsetto delivery, should be kept in check by your system. Every part should sound nicely separated, and the kick delivered by Greenwood's piece de resistance should never fail to raise your neck hairs.

Temple Of The Dog – Hunger Strike (1991)

While far from as well known as many of the other bands featured here, the importance of Temple of the Dog cannot be overestimated. A side-project of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, who had written some new songs in honour of his late friend Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog featured Cornell and Wood’s ex-bandmates, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, plus Mike McCready and Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron. Every band member barring Chris Cornell would end up in Pearl Jam.

Speaking of which, the most amazing thing about Hunger Strike is the presence of Eddie Vedder. Vedder just happened to be in the room during Temple of the Dog’s rehearsals and rather presumptuously (Pearl Jam didn’t even exist at this point) stepped in to sing the track’s lower parts when he saw Cornell struggling with them. The song suddenly became a Vedder-Cornell duet and went from being a filler track to the lead single of the band’s only album.

It’s the intertwined vocals that make Hunger Strike such an interesting test track, with your system needing to tonally and spatially separate Vedder’s warm drawl and Cornell’s banshee-like wail while ensuring they remain interlinked. If you can hear a bit of fuzz around the guitars, that’s supposed to be there – this is grunge after all – and don’t expect a huge dynamic shift from verse to chorus, but each instrument should be clearly represented even though the track is quite congested.

Silverchair – Tomorrow (Frogstomp, 1995)

Once nicknamed “Nirvana in Pyjamas”, Silverchair were still in their teens when debut album Frogstomp turned them into Australian grunge royalty. Like many bands who came late to clean up the crumbs of the genre, their sound was undeniably derivative but the worldwide success they enjoyed showed that it still struck a chord.

Tomorrow was their breakout track and does a fine job of delivering Grunge 101, from fuzzy guitar feedback and throat-scratching vocals to the familiar quiet-loud-quiet song structure. But it sure works.

How will it test your system? Well, it’s best heard loud (sure, like most tracks) and then you’ll find out how well your hi-fi can differentiate sounds and instruments under stress. You’ll want the dynamic range to get your heart really racing during that quiet-loud-quiet, and there’s plenty of rasping detail in Daniel Johns’ delivery for the best gear to uncover.

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This all-British stereo hi-fi system takes things up a level or two all round from our bargain £1600 turntable and streaming system. This is a thoroughly modern, fully digital system that takes those ones and zeroes and maxes them all the way up to 10; or perhaps that should be 11?

• Welcome to our British Hi-Fi Week 2023!

The system

CD player: Cyrus CDi  (£1595/$1899/AU$2499)

DAC/streamer: Chord Mojo2/Poly  (£995/$1600/AU$1998)

Stereo amplifier: Rega Elex Mk4  (£1199/$1875/AU$2499)

Loudspeakers: Neat Iota Alpha  (£2025/$2150/AU$3300)

Total:  £5814 / $7524 / AU$10,296

Compact Disc player: Cyrus CDi

We’ll kick things off with the main source. Reports of the compact disc’s death have been greatly exaggerated over the past few years – partly, it’s true, because of the stubborn, wonderful refusal of the turntable to reverse its impressive upward trend. But when you consider that most streaming platforms, and certainly the most popular of them, don’t provide music at the quality that a CD offers, it’s clear that there is plenty of life left in the silver disc.

The Cyrus CDi currently sets the benchmark at its price. And as the consistent stream of What Hi-Fi? Awards won over the years since the CDi’s launch can attest, it has been a perennial leader in its field.

It presents the uniform, articulate and intuitive presentation that we expect from a more expensive player. There is a bucket-load of detail and precision: each layer of a track is precisely unpeeled, with every instrument coming through with coherent flow and tact.

It’s this fine CD player’s rhythmic talent, though, that truly raises our eyebrows. Pace and momentum is exercised with articulation and vibrancy, and we find ourselves entertained by the Cyrus’s dynamic agility and neutral balance in a way that is rare at this price.

DAC and streaming module: Chord Mojo2/Poly

Our second digital source is rather more unusual than the CD player in the system. Chord is one of our go-tos for digital to analogue converters, with What Hi-Fi? Awards coming out of its ears for its high-end DACs. The Mojo 2 is Chord's entry-level offering, and it’s a joy, appropriately enough – the name Mojo comes from a conflation of ‘mobile joy’. 

We have married the Mojo 2 here with its Poly partner, a neat little attachment that opens up streaming abilities to the DAC, in the form of DLNA, AirPlay, Bluetooth and microSD card playback. 

And, in terms of musical matrimony, the Poly and Mojo could be gearing up for their Silver anniversary. Sonically, this is a match made in hi-fi heaven.

We absolutely loved the original Mojo, but Chord has advanced things in pretty much every sonic area with this sequel. The soundstage has been opened up and that extra depth and dimension has been filled with greater resolution that is not only unmistakably present thanks to a big boost in clarity but also more precisely placed. A listen to Ludovico’s Rolling Like A Ball in hi-res is enough to tell us as much; the leading edges of piano notes are crisper without compromising the flow of the piece, while harmonic subtleties are more easily discernible. 

Indeed, the improvements over the original Mojo (which, please remember, we absolutely loved) are enough for us to have recommended the upgrade to the second generation even to owners of the first iteration.

Integrated amplifier: Rega Elex Mk4

All the brilliance of those two sources for our music would come to nothing, of course, without an amplifier to make the most of their abilities, to boost the signal they have provided and to send it along to the loudspeakers with the oomph to make the whole lot sing.

Enter Rega’s latest Elex amplifier. The Elex Mk4 is the successor to our multiple-Award winning Rega Elex-R, one of our favourite amplifiers of the past decade.

As we say in our review of the Elex Mk4, this isn’t a showy amplifier; it doesn’t try to artificially grab your attention or hide any insufficiencies behind metaphorical jazz hands. It simply handles every element of the music in an incredibly assured and elegant manner. This is an amplifier that knows what it’s doing and wants you to just sit back and listen. 

The way the Rega handles music – delivering it as a cohesive whole rather than individual elements – is effortlessly done. We struggle to focus on particular strands or frequencies to critique, and instead are content listening to track after track and marvelling at how the Elex turns its hand to every song. It simply doesn’t impose itself on the music – that’s a huge accomplishment. 

It does have a rather lean character that works to its advantage when it comes to timing. Agile and nimble-footed, it can be as pacy or as steady as needed, marshalling musical elements with authority and making sense of complex rhythms with ease. 

Revealing and faithful, the Elex Mk4 is capable in ways far beyond our expectations at this mid-tier price point. The addition of digital inputs and a headphone port is a great step in the right direction from Rega; that’s not something of direct concern in this particular set-up, but it does give more flexibility in how you might listen to this terrific amp.

Stereo speakers: Neat Iota Alpha

The final piece of the puzzle in this fine British hi-fi system comes in the somewhat unconventional form of the Neat Iota Alpha loudspeakers. Little knee-high floorstanders, angled to allow for that diminutive stance, they are brilliant performers that won’t dominate a room. 

On which note, they aren’t particularly fussy about placement: they need a bit of reinforcement from a rear wall – we place them around 30cm out into the room, with just a hint of angle towards the listening position.

And the position of the tweeters gives extra scope for tweaking. Leave them on the outer edges and you will get a wider spread of sound. Leaving them on the inside adds just a touch more focus. The optimum placement depends on your room and system, so you should have fun experimenting and tweaking.

Get everything set up just so, and you will enjoy a surprisingly expansive and spacious presentation from these little boxes that wouldn’t be out of place from rivals twice the height. There’s a good amount of precision, and the presentation stays stable even when the music becomes demanding. The Neats sound way bigger than expected, delivering a sense of authority and solidity totally out of keeping with their size. With eyes closed we would never guess the speakers are so small.

The Alpha’s presentation is wonderfully cohesive, the three drivers integrating seamlessly, and the sound is appealingly robust. Dynamics are strong too, with larger-scale dynamic shifts handled with confidence even at higher volumes.

While there is a good amount of low-frequency action, it’s fair to say larger, similarly priced traditional floorstanders from the likes of B&W, Fyne Audio or Q Acoustics will dig deeper and hit harder. It would be unrealistic to expect such compact speakers to fill a larger room fully, but in a small to medium space they are great for anything below nightclub levels.

Verdict

Each of the components in this best of British stereo system is a top performer in its own right. As a team, however, they gel together wonderfully to allow your music, whether from CD or a stream, to be heard at its fullest potential. It will provide many many years of listening pleasure; and that, after all, is what this is all about – enjoying and sharing the music we love.

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So, that turntable this vinyl revival encouraged you to purchase or revisit (or simply keep using!)... well, it’s now that time of the year when it deserves to spin some new records. In addition to Boxing Day, of course, and, well, every Sunday afternoon of the year. Indeed, Record Store Day 2023 is this weekend!

The annual celebration of records and everyone involved in it takes place this Saturday 22nd April and, keeping with tradition, will see hundreds of records – over 400, in fact – become available to purchase on the day at independent stores around the world.

Ever since the full list of exclusive RSD releases was announced, the What Hi-Fi? team has been discussing which ones they’d be prepared to elbow an elderly crate-digger out of the way for in order to add it to their vinyl collection – and perhaps you have been too (though probably without the elbowing part because you are an upstanding member of society). 

Part of the thrill of this annual team collaboration is being able to share it with our readers, so in the comments below please do let us know which RSD 2023 releases are whetting your appetite the most too.

• Record Store Day 2023: dates, full release list and everything you need to know

Stevie Nicks – Bella Donna Live

By Jonathan Evans
One of rock’s all-time great vocalists, at the peak of her powers, performing tracks from one of her great albums, and some of Fleetwood Mac’s most-loved songs, live on stage; what more could we ask for? 

Well, having all the above available for the first time on vinyl, of course. This two-LP set features Stevie Nicks live at the Fox Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills on 13th December 1981 and includes stone-cold classics such as Edge Of Seventeen, Leather And Lace, Gold Dust Woman, Dreams and more. Can’t wait…

Beach House - Become EP

By Becky Roberts
The Become EP comprises five songs from the studio sessions of Beach House's 2022 album Once Twice Melody, arguably the best and most beautiful yet from Baltimore’s dream-pop duo. (It certainly made my list of favourite albums of last year.) Beach House said they didn’t think these handful of tracks were a good fit for OTM, but later realised that they “fit in a little world of their own”. “To us, they are all kind of scuzzy and spacious, and live in the spirit realm,” says the band. “It’s not really where we are currently going, but it’s definitely somewhere we have been.” 

Where Beach House are ‘going’ is anyone’s guess, as they are definitely one of those bands who seem to reliably make the same-sounding music – lush, expansive, stargazey – over and over but are somehow able to keep it fresh and enthralling with every release. If the tracks on the Become EP are anything like the quality of OTM, though, it will be a must-own. This exclusive RSD release will be on crystal-clean vinyl, with its digital release following on 28th April and a full physical-format release in May.

Bluey – Dance Mode

By Tom Parsons
Forget The Last of Us and Happy Valley – the best show on TV these days is Bluey, hands down. Funny, warm and sweet-natured, each eight-minute episode is a slice of pure joy that easily transcends the ‘kids’ show’ tag.

A huge part of the appeal is the music. Composer Joff Bush seems to have a knack for producing compact little bangers, and Dance Mode is the bangingest of all. That it’s the lead track of this second Bluey album is a strong sign, but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t most drawn to this RSD release by the zoetrope effect on the vinyl, which features the canine stars of the show dancing.

Of course, another big part of the appeal is the idea of owning a solid memento of a show that we’ve loved so much as a family but that my son will inevitably grow out of before too long. That’s worth all the dollar bucks in the world.

Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous

By Harry McKerrell
I love Thin Lizzy more than is perhaps appropriate for someone born well into the 1990s, but I won’t apologise for my affection for Phil Lynott and his motley band of Irish rockers. Live And Kicking, described by NME as the greatest live album of all time, has earned its place in the pantheon of classic records, live or studio. 

While RSD's special Hammersmith 15/11/1986 release might smack of flogging a dead rock horse, its relative exclusivity (limited to 1600 copies) will have many Lizzy devotees like me digging out their wallets once more. 

The boys are back in town… again.

Miles Davis – Turnaround: Rare Miles From The Complete On the Corner Sessions

By Alastair Stevenson
Miles Davis was one of the seminal band leaders and most prominent jazz musicians of all time, so getting to hear previously unreleased cuts from his final On The Corner Sessions is a huge deal. These cuts haven’t been widely available on vinyl before and were taken in his final days. The all-star band includes Michael Henderson on bass, Al Foster on drums, and James Mtume on percussion. There are also special guest appearances from big names including Bennie Maupin and Dave Liebman. If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, the 12-inch special edition release is actually coloured kind of blue – Sky Blue, to be precise.

Garbage – Witness To Your Love

By Kashfia Kabir
There’s no way I can resist Shirley Manson’s distinctive vocals, still as raw and unique today as they were in the ’90s. Originally recorded for a charity compilation in 2008, Witness To Your Love was finally released as a single last year and gets its very first vinyl pressing – on a transparent coloured 12" – for RSD 2023. It’s a trip-hoppy, dreamy, guitar-led, grunge-tinged alt-rock tune that you don’t hear much of these days, and this exclusive release also features three previously unreleased tracks by Garbage – Cities In Dust, Blue Betty and Adam And Eve – and “exciting, vibrant artwork”.

The 1975 – Live With The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

By Lewis Empson
Fresh off their latest number-one charting album, a sold-out tour and a Brit Awards win, The 1975 are releasing what can only be described as a holy grail for fans this Record Store Day. The indie-pop band are offering a never-before-released version of their second album, I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, in collaboration with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. This stunning clear vinyl two LP set features iconic tracks such as Somebody Else and The Sound as well as a rendition of Chocolate from their Music For Cars EP.

Midlake – Live at the Roundhouse

By Becky Roberts
If I had to pick a London gig that I most yearned to be at last year – and trust me, there were many – it would be Midlake at the Roundhouse last April. Luckily for people like me, and of course those who were able to attend the gig and dug it, the show – which was held to celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary – is being pressed to coloured (side A red, side B orange) vinyl for Record Store Day for fans to live (and relive) in their living rooms. 

The live double album is actually the indie rockers’ first, which spans its catalogue, featuring tracks from latest album For the Sake Of Bethel Woods, and ventures back through their direction-changing Antiphon (the first post-lead-singer-Tim-Smith record), their ‘very Midlake’ The Courage Of Others, and of course the die-hard classics from 2006’s The Trials Of Van Occupanther – ya Roscoes and Head Homes and whatnot.

“We’ve been embraced so warmly all of these years,” Midlake’s Eric Pulido shares, “and knew our show at The Roundhouse would serve as the perfect night to celebrate our 20-year relationship with our first live album.”

Taylor Swift – Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions

By Ketan Bharadia
Taylor Swift's Folklore was the best-selling album of 2020 and marked a significant shift away from the pristine pop of her previous efforts into something more subdued and thoughtful. It was made during the heart of the COVID-19 crisis and involved Swift working remotely in her home studio while her producers Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff were based elsewhere. 

The Long Pond Studio Sessions is the soundtrack to a documentary that was released on Disney+ where Swift and her collaborators perform the album together for the first time. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver makes an appearance too. This production features sparser arrangements than the standard album and has a lovely intimate feel. The standard album is a more polished affair, but this one has plenty of charm.

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – Streetcore

By Chris Burke
After a number of self-described 'wilderness years' post-Clash, Joe Strummer formed The Mescaleros in 1999 and embarked a roll of three great albums before his death in 2002. The last two were released on Californian punk label Hellcat, home of Clash-influenced bands like Rancid. This felt like full-circle for the rockabilly-punk icon, and his return to musical form made Strummer's untimely demise hurt even more. 

Streetcore, finished and released posthumously in 2003, is a great record to have gone out on. Strummer dug deep to sprinkle some of his old Clash magic over Coma Girl (an ode to Glastonbury festival, where you can still find Strummerville), the country-blues of Long Shadow, anthemic rocker Arms Aloft, and a heartfelt version of Bob Marley's Redemption Song; which exactly 20 years after first hearing this album, still makes us a little teary for the loss of a true genius. Re-released for RSD on Dark Horse records, you'll do a lot worse than to snap up this limited edition coloured vinyl pressing.

T-Rex – Rockin’ And Rollin’

By Andy Madden
Glam rock wouldn’t be high on my playlists most days, but one particular album from this year’s list of Record Store Day releases has me reminiscing. Growing up as a kid, the genre was played in the Madden household occasionally - the ‘glam’ side of things I found a little cheesy, but a couple of bands did manage to make an impression. One of which was T. Rex. There was something about Mark Bolan's voice, lyrics and the band’s catchy guitar riffs that had me transfixed. So it’s great to see the rarity that is Rockin’ And Rollin’ is on the list of RSD releases this year. It was only ever released in Japan and it’s the first time that this album has had a repress. And, with classics like Children Of The Revolution and 20th Century Boy onboard, I can’t wait to take it on a trip down memory lane.

Brian Eno – FOREVER VOICELESS

By Becky Roberts
An instrumental version of his remarkably transcendent, achingly beautiful, pensive – and for that, critically acclaimed – 2022 album, FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE, this aptly named LP has ‘best album for remote working’ acclaim all over it. Its arrival was perhaps inevitable, given that last year’s album was his first since 2005’s Another Day On Earth to predominantly feature vocals, and also considering how much it naturally still relies on Eno’s trademark instrumental ambience to convey much of its feeling.

The wordless edition may remove the largely present, most overt delivery of the album’s existentialist musings that is Eno’s narration (The Garden Of Stars won’t be as sinister without his Gregorian chant; We Let It In will not be quite as stirring for its omission of his daughter’s vocals), but letting the music speak alone for the entire 45 minutes will, I'm sure, communicate the album’s oft-sweeping mood shifts just as well – and perhaps manage to be even more transcendent and beautiful. I’ll have to wait and see. FOREVERVOICELESS will be a clear vinyl release on 22nd April.

Keith Richards – Vintage Vinos

By Chris Burke
Essential but long-out-of-print anthology of Keef's best solo work, that includes prime cuts from solo albums Talk Is Cheap and Main Offender, plus the 1991 live album Live At The Hollywood Palladium backed by the X-pensive Winos – as awesome a bunch of musicians as his mighty reputation could command, including guitarist Waddy Wachtel, regular Stones sax blower Bobby Keys, drummer Steve Jordan and, on the studio albums, Ronnie Wood. 

You don't need us to tell you that the guitar is sublime here, on a mix of tracks that take in reggae (Too Rude), funk (Big Enough, with Bootsy Collins on bass), smokey bar-room blues (Wicked As It Seems) and driving, Stones-y rockers like Connection and Take It So Hard. Richards is an understated, bluesy crooner, and his warm, growly tones and effortless guitar grooves feel right at home on vinyl. A single pressing at the time sold out quicker than Keith can play a pentatonic scale, making it a sought-after second-hand record in subsequent years. Thanks to Record Store Day, you can now snag this double LP without parting with hundreds of dollars.

Doctor Who – The Amazon World of Doctor Who

By Kashfia Kabir
Coinciding with the show’s 60th anniversary this year, this special double vinyl edition covers short stories, snippets and features from The Amazing World of Doctor Who book, originally published in 1976 but brought to life here with voice actors and clever sound design. If you love this classic sci-fi show about a time-travelling alien with two hearts (it’s the Fourth Doctor here) who goes on more adventures than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at, this one’s for you (and me). Chris Achilleos’ iconic fantasy artwork from the original book is reproduced here on the front and back cover, too, which itself is sure to be a collector’s item.

Pixies – Demos

By Becky Roberts
The more obscure of the two RSD 2023 releases from the Pixies (the Massachusetts band is also releasing their 2009 Brussels gig on vinyl), Demos comprises the nine (of 17) tracks that were recorded in the band's first studio session in March 1987 but didn't make their first album, Come On Pilgrim.

These remaining songs from that 17-track demo reel, which has become known as ‘The Purple Tapes’, were released for the first time in 2002, but this EP marks their debut on 10-inch vinyl, which, by the way, is purple, comes with a printed inner sleeve and is limited in quantity. While this isn't new or unheard material – these songs found their way onto subsequent albums from the band in some shape or form, after all – these original demo recordings, especially of Here Comes Your Man and Rock A My Soul, are very tasty indeed – and together here on coloured wax make for an attractive collector's item for diehard fans.

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You might have read about my recent switch from the Sony WF-1000XM4 to the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. It’s been a relatively smooth ride so far, but there has been one small speed bump.

The Bose are great in many ways, but spending time with both pairs highlighted something missing in the Bose which could quite easily put a dent in my daily routine. It wasn’t enough for me to switch back, but it definitely gave the Sonys an advantage.

• 6 sound settings you shouldn’t ignore on the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

Has Bose been listening?

“What was the problem?” I hear you cry. It’s not the lack of aptX Adaptive support (although an update for this should be launching this spring, in case you were wondering). It revolves around how I use the headphones to - wait for it - help send me off to sleep.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II didn’t allow you to use one earbud independently, which meant that both had to be out of the box at any one time. Not only did this result in a lot of unnecessary fumbling around in the dark, but it also meant that if I wasn’t on my toes, the battery could drain away faster than normal.

Even worse, if I took my eye off the ball and forgot to put them back in the case until I went to bed then, shock, horror, I might be greeted with not one but two dead earbuds. The prospect of sweet dreams would turn into a serious nightmare.

I’m talking about the problem in the past tense because a notification recently popped up on my iPhone which is the answer to all those nightly prayers. That’s right, the slumber shackles have finally been broken and you can now use a single Bose earbud independently!

I’ve already downloaded the update and taken the new feature for a spin and, fingers crossed, so far, so good. Slide one earbud into your ear and you should hear the tone which indicates it has connected to your Bluetooth source, then hit play and you should be up and running.

Now, some of you might think it’s quite strange to go to bed with your wireless headphones, but I honestly find there’s nothing quite like dropping off via a podcast. Just remember to set your timer on Spotify or Apple Podcasts - other podcast apps are available - for 30 minutes so you don’t burn through a whole series. And if you happen to fall asleep before the end, consider it a bonus because you can just skip back and start from where you dozed off the following evening. And on that note, I’m off for a quick power nap…

MORE:

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The What Hi-Fi? Award-winning LG C2 OLED TV is one of the best TVs we've ever tested.  Offering stellar picture quality, a sleek design and a great webOS smart TV platform, the C2 hits the sweet spot between performance, features and price. 

The C2 is available in six sizes: 42-, 48-, 55-, 65-, 77- and 83-inches. We've reviewed the 42-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch sizes, so we're perfectly placed to help you make the best choice at the checkout (and guide you to today's lowest C2 prices, of course).

For the uninitiated, LG's C-class models are the best bang-for-buck options in LG's OLED TV range, thanks to flagship panel technology and picture processing, but without the enhanced sound, niche design and higher price point of the higher-end G series.

The 2022 C2 is the first C-Series TV to feature an OLED Evo panel, which is around 30% brighter than the average OLED panel, and while it is true that the G2 now has a heatsink that allows brightness to be pushed even further, we believe that the extra brightness won't quite be worth the extra expense for most buyers.

(We should also note here that the 42-inch and 48-inch versions of the C2 don't go as bright as their larger siblings)

Whether it's movies, TV or gaming, the LG C2 excels. The whole image pops and dark detail is spectacular. On top of that, the C2's feature set is flawless and includes everything a next-gen gamer could want.

So, which LG C2 is best for you? And where can you find today's best LG C2 OLED TV deals? The answer to both questions is 'just below'... 

LG OLED42C2 (42-inch)

The LG OLED42C2 is simply the best 42-inch TV we've tested. There's very little competition, of course, but even against Sony’s XR-42A90K the C2 proves to be the more satisfying performer thanks to its fabulous contrast, colours and punch.

The beauty of LG's smallest OLED TV is that it can fit comfortably on almost any desk, and thus doubles up as a gaming monitor. Like its siblings, the C2 has everything you need for next-gen gaming, including four 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 sockets that can handle 4K/120Hz signals from the Xbox Series X, PS5 and flagship PC graphics cards.

More of a binge-watcher? You'll be equally charmed by the C2's webOS22 platform, which features almost every streaming service you could imagine. More importantly, all of the content that should be in 4K, Dolby Vision and/or Dolby Atmos is. Nice.

Of course, the smaller the TV, the weaker the sound tends to be – particularly in terms of volume and bass weight. The 42-inch C2 doesn't buck that trend but a decent soundbar could quickly fix that. 

The OLED42C2’s launch price was £1399 / $1400 / AU$2695, which we felt was a very high price to pay for a 42-inch TV. Thankfully, prices have since dropped considerably and you should be able to grab the OLED42C2 for a lot less below.

• Read our full LG OLED42C2 review

LG OLED48C2 (48-inch)

The main difference between the 42-inch C2 and its 48-inch sibling lies in the speaker set-up. Both models pack in a 2.2-channel sound system but whereas the 42-inch outputs 20W the 48-inch produces 40W.

Another minor difference is that while both models deliver 4K resolution, the 42-inch has a slightly higher pixel density simply because it has the same number of pixels crammed into a smaller display. This might make it better suited for close-up viewing (when used as gaming monitor, for example).

In essence, though, this should simply be a scaled-up version of the excellent 42-inch model. Given that both versions are ordinarily available for more or less the same money, for many people this 48-inch model will be the better buy.

LG OLED55C2 (55-inch)

The 55-inch model is where the brighter OLED panels come in. We've not tested the 55 incher but in theory it should simply be a more compact version of the superb 65-inch model, which we gave five stars to in our review.

The 55-inch enjoys much the same spec as the other C2 models, including the same new Alpha 9 Generation 5 processor seen on the pricier G2. This builds on the already impressive picture enhancement tricks of its predecessor and performs brilliantly across the board.

Lastly, it's worth noting that the 55-inch model comes with a stand whereas the 42-inch and 48-inch come with blade-like feet that are designed to take up less desk space.

On the hunt for a bargain? We've listed today's best 55-inch LG OLED C2 deals below.

LG OLED65C2 (65-inch)

This What Hi-Fi? Awards 2022 winner is a class act from start to finish, offering better picture quality than last year’s excellent LG G1. The improvements are especially noticeable when playing Dolby Vision content, which is clearly brighter on the new C2.

There's no real difference between the 55-inch and 65-inch C2 other than the screen size, which is no bad thing. The C2 series boasts an app-packed webOS platform, impressive next-gen gaming features and AI-powered picture processing that delivers authentic – rather than artificial – improvements.  

As for the sound, there are very few TVs that wouldn’t be improved by a simple soundbar, but the C2, while decent-sounding, is more easily upgraded than might be expected of a TV costing as much as it does.

Ready to buy? We've listed today's best LG OLED65C2 deals below:

• Read our full LG OLED65C2 review

LG OLED77C2 (77-inch)

If you have a hankering for a seriously cinematic TV, the 77-inch C2 is the perfect combination of size, performance and price. 

Another What Hi-Fi? Awards 2022 winner, the OLED77C2 wowed us with its spectacular size. It's every bit as good as its smaller-but-still-large 65-inch sibling but that extra foot of screen real estate really does add to the overall experience.

Sources in resolutions lower than 4K usually look worse on bigger screens than smaller ones, but the 77-inch C2 does an admirable job of making most content look better than it probably should. 

It's slightly disappointing that the 77-inch makes do with the same 40W, 2.2-channel sound system as the 65-inch model, but under review, we felt that the 77-inch produced an engaging sound with fairly well-projected and detailed dialogue. We would still recommend budgeting for a separate sound system though – a soundbar would do the job but a proper surround sound system would be a more appropriate partner for this magnificently large TV.

• Read our full LG OLED77C2 review

LG OLED83C2 (83-inch)

If 77 inches simply isn't big enough for you, the 83-inch C2 has your name written all over it.   

As you might have guessed, the OLED83C2 is identical to the 77-inch in all but size. The same colour reproduction, same next-gen gaming features, same webOS smart TV platform and same 2.2-channel, 40W sound system.

In truth, on an inches-per-pound (or dollar) basis the 83-inch C2 is less of a great but than the 77-inch version, but there's no substitute for size is you truly want the cinema experience at home. Besides, we've already seen some massive discounts on the 83-inch C2. You'll see the latest, lowest prices below.

MORE:

Check out our LG OLED42C2 review and our LG OLED65C2 review

LG C2 vs G2: which is the best LG OLED TV?

As well as our list of the best OLED

And all the best 4K OLED TV deals

It’s not always easy to be part of a large, successful dynasty. Just ask the Windsors. Despite the inherent advantages of belonging to a prosperous lineage, it can be tough to make your own mark and be noticed – for positive reasons at least. 

Similar to the Royals, fellow British institution Wharfedale and its Diamond series of speakers have a long and storied legacy (albeit with significantly less scandal), as well as a bit of a German connection. Beginning in 1982 with a single model, the accessibly priced Diamond range is now in its 14th generation, slightly confusingly known as Diamond 12. This generation consists of three sizes of stand-mount speakers (12.0, 12.1, 12.2), two options of floorstanders (12.3 and 12.4) and a single centre speaker (12.C).

But there are no hereditary hangovers to be found here. For Diamond 12, Wharfedale brought in German-based designer Karl Heinz Fink, previously heavily involved with Q Acoustics, to makeover the range from front to back. Almost every aspect of the construction from the cabinet to the driver material has been revised, and the result is a surprisingly charming, affordable and well-engineered line-up of speakers for a stereo or 5.1 (or more) surround set-up.

Price

There are several possible ways to configure combinations of Diamond 12 models in a home cinema environment. Here, we’re testing a system comprising a quartet of the excellent, mid-sized Diamond 12.1 bookshelf speakers for fronts and surrounds (priced at £249 / $399 / AU$699 per pair), with the 12.C in the middle (£229 / $229 / AU$575) and the SW10 powered subwoofer (£349 / $ 599 / AU$1149) supplying the bass.

In the UK, this system is called the Diamond 12 HCP (Home Cinema Pack) and can be picked up for £999 – a saving of £77 over the cost of buying everything separately.

Build

Diamond 12’s redesign began with the construction of the cabinet, and the result is a solid, smart, understated build. Available in four shades of matte wood grain, the classic design is neatly offset by a high-shine baffle in solid black or white.

The engineers created the panelling from varying thicknesses of MDF that, together with spot bracing, help better control unwanted resonances. The boxes have a substantial feel but aren’t visually obtrusive. They also look more expensive than they are. Each of the speakers has a claimed 8 ohm impedance and two sets of terminals for bi-wiring, with mirror-finish metal straps included for non-bi-wired set-ups.

The 12.1 stand mounters have a two-way rear-ported design featuring a single 13cm mid/bass driver composed of something called ‘Klarity’, which is not a Kardashian but a new polypropylene composite cone material with mica added to improve rigidity. The Klarity cones are driven by a magnet with an aluminium compensation ring to minimise the effects of fluctuations in inductance that can occur as the voice coil moves.

The 25mm textile tweeter domes, meanwhile, are almost completely exposed, with a high gloss coating and a design intended to offer wide dispersion, smooth response and strong dynamics. The two drivers are linked with a carefully calibrated crossover that the company says uses premium components. The 12.C is configured similarly to the 12.1, but with a pair of 13cm Klarity drivers and a single tweeter.

The SW-10 subwoofer is available in matching wood finishes with the same polished baffle housing a single front-facing 25cm long-throw driver. Hidden at the rear are physical controls for level, phase and auto-sense (the sub comes out of standby when a signal is received), as well as two RCA inputs. Perched upon four stocky feet, it sits at 42cm high and, despite it being the smallest sub in the four strong SW series, it is by no means tiny. However, the quality of the build means it resembles a handsome piece of furniture rather than an awkward black cube and, especially given its performance, we imagine most people will be happy to make space for it in their living room.

Sound

The tautness and dexterity of the SW-10 is immediately striking when the Diamond 12.1 HCP gets playing. It’s an incredibly musical sub and it blends seamlessly with the smaller speakers, which themselves have an. impressively well-integrated low end. The result is rich and lively sound, particularly with films with a heavily featured score. When watching Amelie, Yann Tiersen’s famous accompaniment bursts with warmth and depth while there’s an undeniable snappiness across the board that isn’t limited just to high transients. Despite this responsiveness when things get busy, the 12.1s maintain a strong control, with a secure sense of authority and cohesion.

The sonic agility of the package is displayed well in the scene in which Amelie meets the photo booth repairman for the first time. Here, the stylised, heightened sound design is matched up with the choppy film editing and each sudden effect bursts dynamically with confidence, drama and uniformity around the viewer.

The soundfield is smooth and although swapping the front two speakers for floorstanders would certainly provide more scale, there is something to be said for the consistency of tone created by using the same speaker for fronts and surrounds.

Also in this respect, the 12.C centre speaker is well-matched to the 12.1s and, unlike with so many other packages, pulls its weight equally. We watch sonic psychological drama The Sound Of Silence and find that audio-obsessive protagonist Peter’s ultra soft-spoken, emotionally repressed dialogue is well projected with clarity and nuance. Set in the bustle of New York, Peter’s job is to rid the city of unwanted ambient sounds and as he pads around his clients’ apartments hunting for creaking floorboards and whining pipes, the Diamond 12 HCP digs up plenty of domestic detail and subtlety, making us feel the need to check if it’s actually our air conditioning unit making the annoying hum.

To give these tabletop-sized boxes a bit more of a vigorous challenge we try Blade Runner 2049 and they project the meaty, sonorous score with both composure and charisma. In the scene in which Ryan Gosling flies to the orphanage there are plenty of delicate nuances, from the sound of the raindrops landing on the windscreen to the wiper cleaning them off. Later on, when things inevitably start to get explosive, the 12.1s still deliver with balanced but compelling force.

Verdict

With poise, effortlessness, cut glass diction and charisma, the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 HCP is essentially the Audrey Hepburn of home theatre speaker packages. It offers rich bass without sacrificing or overpowering the mid and treble, presenting a mature sound that’s rich in impact, agility, detail and sensitivity.

Large enough to provide cinematic scale with a wide soundfield, but discreet and affordable enough to be accessible to a variety of audiences, the 12.1s prove to be an excellent choice for both music and film.

Review published: 2021. Review updated: November 2024.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Compatibility 5
• Build 5

MORE:

The best home theatre speaker systems

Read our review of Q Acoustics' 3010i 5.1 Cinema Pack 

Read our review of the KEF Q350 AV 5.1

Read our review of the Dali Spektor 2 5.1

This impressive home theatre system combines a trio of What Hi-Fi? Award winners with some fine partners for a full-on package that will provide years of top-value entertainment.

We've rounded up a couple of brilliant 4K sources to run through a hugely capable AV receiver from Denon which in turn powers a talented surround speaker package from Wharfedale. The result? Stunning cinema sound at an affordable price.

And that's before we get to the focal point of this set-up, which happens to be one of the best TVs we've tested at its price point and also boasts mini LED technology.

AV enthusiasts will definitely be impressed with what this system offers for the money – read on for the complete lowdown on the products involved...

The system

TV: Samsung QE55QN94A (£1199 / $1199 / AU$2995)
Blu-ray player: Sony UBP-X700 (£229 / $250 / AU$325)
AV receiver: Denon AVR-X2700H (£680 / $849 / AU$1999)
Speaker Package: Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 (£2798 / $1227 / AU$2423)
Streaming service: Sky Q (£348 p/a)
Total: £3655 / $3525 / AU$7742

TV: Samsung QE55QN94A

The QE55QN94 might just be the sweet spot in Samsung’s Neo QLED range of mini LED TVs. The main thing separating this set from the top TV in Samsung’s 4K lineup is the lack of the One Connect box, and with it the fact that you've only got one HDMI 2.1 socket at your disposal despite the set having four HDMI inputs in total. Which should be of real concern only to the hardcore gamers out there – and in any case isn’t quite so relevant in this set-up with its AV receiver.

The picture quality of this set is compelling, and the extra-fine level of lighting control that mini LED brings has put the LCD’s high peak brightness to sophisticated use. Samsung has added a care with contrast that leads to a more nuanced on-screen image, with a more solid, three-dimensional depth than ever before. An OLED might look better in some scenes – it doesn’t quite go as black as the midnight of an OLED, for example – but there is something quite addictive about the brightness of this set; its super-contrasty and punchy HDR delivery is ever so more-ish. This TV is so bright compared with OLEDs, with the Mini LED technology allowing for such careful pinpoint control of that luminance, that it’s hard to draw our eyes away from the action even for a second.

This being a Samsung set, there is no Dolby Vision support, but you will be getting so much from HDR10 alone that it won’t matter.

Blu-ray player: Sony UBP-X700

While the Samsung TV can provide much of the source material to be watched – via streaming platforms – alongside the Sky Q box, there is still a place for 4K Blu-ray if you want the very best performance possible for both picture and sound. And the Sony UBP-X700 delivers a stunningly natural 4K picture for an affordable price.

We have always lauded Sony for its natural-looking disc-players, but the X700 surpasses even that of the more expensive UBP-X800 in how it displays a wonderfully subtle picture that’s impeccably judged while being hugely entertaining. Skin-tones are natural, action scenes are handled with smooth and stable motion, and there’s a lifelike quality to the picture that just draws you in. The X700 is an engaging listen too, and comes well-equipped with support for all surround-sound formats, including the latest Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks.

AV receiver: Denon AVR-X2700H

The Denon AVR-X2700H is a sturdy device that needs a solid shelf and plenty of room to breathe. It boasts 8K support and has six HDMI inputs. There are seven power amplifier channels available (alongside outputs for two subwoofers) which can be set in anything up to 7.2 or 5.2.2 arrangements, and are rated at a claimed 150W per channel.

One of the HDMI inputs is 2.1-certified, but the other five have not been ignored and are each compatible with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Quick Frame Transport (QFT), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) lag-minimising tech to fit with the demands of next-gen content. They can also cope with the full suite of HDR standards, with HDR10+, HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision all represented. And both of the HDMI outputs are 2.1-certified, so if you did decide at some point to add a projector to this system, you will be able to send 8K@60Hz and 4K@120Hz out to them both. eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) is supported as well.

If we had to use one word to describe the sound of this receiver, it would be ‘confident’. The AVR-X2700H doesn’t try too hard to impress, as a nervously underpowered budget amp might, with huge blasts from the front pair or the subwoofer during the space dogfight in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2. 

It’s bigger, better and more cultured than that. This is an easy and effective listen – no matter how hectic the action becomes, this Denon never misses a beat. It passes the laser blasts from speaker to speaker in a wonderfully coherent manner and creates a genuine sense of place.

Its mature approach and effortless sense of timing make for a feeling of home cinema sound that’s authentic to the movie theatre experience, even at an entry-level price.

Speaker package: Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 HCP

The Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 Home Cinema Pack is a mature yet affordable surround sound system, fluid, composed and consistent. 

The tautness and dexterity of the SW-10 subwoofer is immediately striking. It’s an incredibly musical sub and it blends seamlessly with the smaller speakers, which themselves have an impressively well-integrated low end. The result is rich and lively sound, particularly with films with a heavily featured score.  

The soundfield is smooth and, although swapping the front two speakers for floorstanders would certainly provide more scale, there is something to be said for the consistency of tone created by using the same speaker for fronts and surrounds. Also in this respect, the 12.C centre speaker is well-matched to the 12.1s and, unlike with so many other packages, pulls its weight equally.

We watch sonic psychological drama The Sound Of Silence and find that audio-obsessive protagonist Peter’s ultra soft-spoken, emotionally repressed dialogue is well projected with clarity and nuance. Peter’s job is to rid the city of unwanted ambient sounds and, as he pads around his clients’ apartments hunting for creaking floorboards and whining pipes, the Diamond 12.1 HCP digs up plenty of domestic detail and subtlety, making us feel the need to check if it’s actually our test room’s air conditioning unit making that annoying hum. The Diamond 12.1 HCP offers rich bass without sacrificing or overpowering the mid and treble, presenting a mature sound that’s rich in impact, agility, detail and sensitivity. It’s a wonderful package for the price.

TV service: Sky Q

Finally we have Sky’s expensive but excellent Sky Q service. This system will be used each and every day, so it’s fitting we incorporate the best TV and streaming option around to complement it. There is plenty of 4K and HDR content here, both live and on one of the many forms of catch-up TV and streaming available on the diminutive box. Sky Q supports Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos, so you can enjoy that football match or F1 race in all its powerful, live glory, or simply get engrossed in a movie. As an overall package, Sky Q feels utterly contemporary, combining almost every way of watching TV. This is as good as television gets.

Verdict

The QE55QN94A is a terrific buy at the price, and it makes perfect sense to combine this fine 55-inch Samsung TV with a full 5.1 surround package to make the most of that magnificent picture.

The Wharfedales deliver just that, dishing out terrific surround sound for the money, while the Denon AV receiver provides real authenticity to the movie theatre experience, even at an entry-level price. Finally, for its wealth of content, Sky Q rounds off a superb package.

MORE:

This five-star home cinema system pairs a Philips OLED TV with an innovative Dolby Atmos system from Sony

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

How to set up your home cinema speaker system

Our pick of the best home cinema deals

The Silent Angel Rhein Z1 V2 is called a music server. But it perhaps would be better to think of it as an interface to digital music within – and without – your system. 

Equipment

To understand the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 V2, it’s probably best that I simply describe what it does and how you use it. 

First, you connect it to your home network via Ethernet. None of that Wi-Fi stuff here. The Ethernet is gigabit speed. Take it from me: there is no audio format that will come anywhere close to challenging the speed of a gigabit connection. 

Inside it is a 250GB system solid-state drive. This is primarily for holding the VitOS operating system. VitOS itself is a customised Linux based operating system designed for music players, so this combination is designed to prioritise music performance – so no interruptions while your Windows or Mac computer goes off to do something else it considers more important. My review unit was running VitOS-1.1.1414. 

That’s it for storage in the standard unit. But you can option it up with a 1TB Silent Angel customised solid-state disc to store your music on. If that’s enough. I am told that most audiophiles who buy the Rhein Z1 V2 buy the basic unit and keep their music on network attached storage. 

That makes sense because it makes upgrades easy. Just keep the music on the NAS (upgrading the storage as required, and with it secured by some kind of RAID disc arrangement) and simply change the playing hardware and software as required. 

Hearing that made sense to me, because that’s what I do, but it’s good to hear that it’s a preference for others as well. 

Now you can manage all this yourself, or you can subscribe to the ROON player and server system, because the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 V2 fully supports the ROON system. This is much used amongst those who want to combine top-end, bit-perfect audio performance with ease of use. 

I haven’t stumbled, yet, onto that boat, though one day I may. I want the top-end, bit-perfect audio performance, but after years of carefully managing my digital audio files, filling their ID3 tags with useful indexing information, and structuring the folders on my storage to make sense, I am not yet ready to jump over to automated management. Besides, you have to pay for ROON.

But those who do use ROON have access to such sources as the streaming service TIDAL. But there are other ways of using TIDAL with the Z1 V2. Some non-TIDAL sources are directly supported outside of ROON: Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2 and, of course, DLNA. 

That last is a standard system for network audio. Apple AirPlay 2 will work with all modern Apple devices. iPhone users can stream anything their iPhone is capable of playing to the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 V2. You need a Spotify subscription for Spotify Connect. 

For DLNA you need music files stored on devices on your network, and suitable server software. Fortunately, the latter is ubiquitous. The unit also has its own DLNA server software built in – MinimServer – so any music on the unit’s internal SSD/s, or on any USB drives plugged into it, can be delivered to any DLNA player or renderer on the network. (And since the Z1 V2 is a DLNA player, it can of course play the stuff on the Z1 V2 acting as a server.)

In addition to the Ethernet connection there are four other physical connections fitted: 2×USB-2.0, 1×USB-3.0, and 1×USB for use with an external DAC. Power is provided by an external switch-mode power supply (SMPS) that supplies 12V d.c. via a cable terminated with a standard d.c. plug. There is an HDMI socket, but it’s only a service port for use by technicians, and not to be used for HDMI signals. 

Physically, the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 V2 is presented as a cleanly designed square with rounded corners, a little bigger than a Mac Mini, at 200mm wide by 65mm tall by 200mm deep and weighing six kilograms. There’s a computer in there, of course – on the website its performance is compared (favourably) with that of a Mac Mini. 

But there are no fans or even vents. Cooling fans make noise, so it’s welcome that they aren’t fitted. Nor are they needed. The unit after extensive use was, to my touch, barely above room temperature. A Silent Angel indeed!

• The best music streamers available in today's market

Installation

Apart from the front-panel power/standby switch, there are no controls on the unit. So all control must be done by apps. The VitOS Manager app is available for both iOS and Android from their respective stores. Apart from a few setup functions, the purpose of this app is to allow you to select inputs. 

There are no ‘Play’ buttons or such. All that kind of control is performed in other apps.If you are playing Spotify music, you’ll dial up music in the Spotify app. If you’re using DLNA, you’ll use a DLNA app on your device. 

I used the apps recommended by Silent Angel: BubbleUPnP on Android and mConnect on iOS. And, of course, for AirPlay use I selected the Z1 as a player in the usual way by using the control panel on an iPhone and on an iPad. 

I do think that the user experience could be improved. First, the VitOS Manager app looks very utilitarian. A streamlined look with prominent selection buttons would seem an obvious change. 

Second, most devices which support things like AirPlay and DLNA streaming do not have to be explicitly switched to that input. Generally with AirPlay, for example, you find the player on the iPhone’s list of devices, tap it and the device will connect and start playing music. When you change the playback device to the iPhone, the other device just goes back to what it had been doing.

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

DACs

Of course, to use the main functionality of the Z1, you’ll need a DAC. The question is, which DAC? Well, if you wish to avail yourself of some the pretty impressive high-resolution audio formats around these days, ideally you’ll look for a DAC that supports PCM up to perhaps 384kHz and 24-bits, but at least to 192kHz. And consider at least regular and double-speed DSD: i.e. DSD64 and DSD128. And perhaps DSD 256 as well, which the Z1 does support. 

But one other performance aspect occurred to me: noise isolation. I wondered whether the Z1 would pass much electrical hash out of its USB connection. If so, then good noise isolation on the DAC would be important. So while I did virtually all my listening using the Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital DAC, I looked around the office to see what other DACs were available and decided to measure the noise performance of them all. 

I ended up with four in total. Two of them, including the Pro-Ject, were USB Audio Class 2.0 devices, while the other two were USB Audio Class 1.0 gadgets. The latter are limited to 24-bit, 96kHz signals, and definitely no DSD. 

But since they were both slim portable devices, I had an idea they might pass through noise more readily than the Pro-ject, which has proven able to deliver rather good noise performance even when plugged into a rather noisy computer. 

So the first one I went to was an AudioQuest DragonFly Red. I plugged it in, rebooted the unit, and was surprised by a rather high level of background noise. It worked, but it was noisy – and I am not speaking as an audiophile here, with particularly acute hearing. It was obviously noisy. But then, after a while, the noise just went away. 

I still have no idea what caused the noise in the first place, or why it went away. And after replicating the exact way I plugged in the DragonFly Red and booted up the Rhein Z1 several times, that clearly audible noise did not reappear. But there was definitely noise there still, just at a much lower level than it had been. 

It was audible in between tracks when I was playing back the music at a satisfyingly high level. With 24-bit audio, I measured this noise at –82dB A-weighted. I have measured this DAC at –109.5dBA running from a computer not plugged into anything. 

Then I moved to the other tiny unit I had on hand, the Cyrus Soundkey. This one measured at –77.3dBA with 24-bit audio (it does better than –103dBA with a clean connection). 

A nondescript Taiwanese desktop XMOS-based DAC, the Silverstone EB01-E, which I’ve had for five years, did rather better at –97.3dBA. But the same DAC managed –107dBA with computers.

Finally, the big surprise was the Pro-ject DAC. With the Rhein Z1 V2 it managed only –96.1dBA with that 24-bit audio. I am so used to it delivering much better than that, even with noisy USB inputs, that I explored a bit further. 

First, I plugged the Pro-Ject back into the Surface Pro 2016 and made sure that the computer was powered and connected to Ethernet. The result, in those somewhat adverse circumstances, was a noise measurement of –111.5dBA. I plugged the Pro-ject back into the Silent Angel and it returned within a couple of tenths of a decibel of the original –96.1dB. 

That got me to wondering – was the data being transferred somehow as 16-bits rather than 24-bits? That would be an explanation. To check, I repeated the test, but this time fed the test signal in DSD format. 

The measured noise level with DSD64 was –95.3dbA. With DSD128 it was –97.8dBA. The Pro-ject DAC reported that it was receiving the relevant DSD format, so there was no question of the audio being bit-depth truncated. I guess that somehow the noise made it past the DAC’s defences.

I have included with this review a graph showing the noise performance of the four different DACs, all with 24-bit audio input, along with the Pro-ject being driven by the Surface Pro for comparison. 

In practice, noise was simply inaudible with the two desktop DACs, but able to be perceived with the two portable DACs when used at high playback levels. (But let’s be clear about this. This noise is nothing, really, to do with the digital signal. It is analog noise coming through the USB connection and making its way through the DAC to the analogue outputs.)

• The best DACs we've reviewed

Listening

Other that the low level noise permitted by some DACs, there’s little a device like this can do to influence the sound quality – I know some will disagree and will argue even things like the brand of hard disk or SSD can have its effect. 

If so, they are beyond my ability to detect. What can more plausibly have an effect on sound is whether the signal is delivered absolutely bit-perfect, and whether any enhancements are properly transmitted. 

On these fronts the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 V2 was absolutely perfect. It happily passed through DSD256 to my DAC, which confirmed that the original signal was being received. And it sounded perfect. 

As I am writing, I am using the mConnect app on an iPad to stream MQA-encoded music from TIDAL through the Z1 to my DAC. Said DAC confirms the MQA encoding is intact and is unfolding the signal to 96kHz sampling. 

One last observation about my time with the Silent Angel is that it worked with utter and total reliability. No weirdness, and nothing at all untoward. It just soldiered on, delivering the music I dialled up on my various devices and assorted apps. Just as you’d want.

Final verdict

All the data representing music signals that went into the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 V2 went through to the DAC exactly, and there’s nothing more I could ask for than that – except for a bit more analogue noise isolation. 

But the lack of isolation is unlikely to be an issue for anyone who uses a competent DAC, which I’d assume would be anyone who is reading this review.

• The best speakers on offer, from budget to premium

When Grandmaster Flash took What Hi-Fi? back to his teenage years with tales of stitching hooks, riffs, or other scraps of tracks into big quilts of music, it got us thinking: most of our favourite hip-hop tracks – and hits from other genres – wouldn’t exist without the innovative technique.

Many of the tracks used became more famous as samples than in their full, original form, so we decided to trace some of them back for you here and give them their dues. Many are classics that artists simply cannot resist, while others are more obscure works that only found mainstream recognition when a crafty artist or producer pulled them from obscurity and granted them a new lease of life in a whole new musical context. New or old, obscure or familiar, we hope you find something to enjoy from our rundown.   

Incredible Bongo Band - Apache

“When Kool Herc found Apache, he was under heavy guard,” Flash told What Hi-Fi?. “You would never see the album cover of where it came from.” Such was the competition between hip-hop’s early DJs to find that special break.

The Incredible Bongo Band track has since sired perhaps more tracks than any other piece of contemporary music, and in 2012 its influence was documented in the film Sample This.

Buy Bongo Rock by Incredible Bongo Band from Amazon

Bob James - Take Me To The Mardi Gras

Finding Bob James's Take Me To The Mardi Gras was Flash's own 'Apache' moment.

"I too was under heavy guard, so you wouldn't know what that was", he told us. "It's an extremely joyful thing, especially when you find a few and you are like the Don for a couple of weeks because all your competition doesn't know what it is that you have."

Flash took the sample to the studio for his track Freelance, with that iconic drum break later used by hundreds of artists from N.W.A. to The Chemical Brothers.

Buy Two by Bob James from Amazon

Roy Ayers - The Boogie Back

N.W.A’s F**k Tha Police wasn’t just censored upon its release in the late 1980s, it also led to communication between the group’s record company and the FBI for its perceived misrepresentation of and incitement of violence towards the police.

The seminal track, which protests police brutality and racial profiling, was built on a sample of Roy Ayers’ The Boogie Back.

Buy Change Up the Groove by Roy Ayers on vinyl from Amazon

Buy Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A. on vinyl from Amazon

Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)

Afrika Bambaataa used I Keep Forgettin' for his track Cosmic Punk Jam in 1982, but by far its most famous use is by Warren G and Nate Dogg in Regulate a dozen years later.

Though the former Doobie Brothers singer's original achieved its own success, peaking at No4 in the Billboard charts, Regulate – which also samples Bob James's Sign of The Times and Let Me Ride by Dr Dre – actually beat it by two places.

Buy If That's What It Takes by Michael McDonald from Amazon

Buy Regulate...G Funk Era by Warren G from Amazon

George Clinton - Atomic Dog

Another track that has lent itself to multiple samplings, George Clinton's Atomic Dog is most famously referenced in Snoop Dogg's Who Am I (What's My Name)?

The song is sampled throughout, with the chorus re-imagined to become "Snoop Doggy Dogg", but it isn't the only Clinton track present: Parliament's Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker) and P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up), and Funkadelic's (Not Just) Knee Deep all stamp their mark.

Buy Computer Games by George Clinton on vinyl from Amazon

Buy Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg on vinyl from Amazon

ABBA - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

Sometimes a song becomes famous as a sample because of its repeated use. And sometimes, it gains notoriety for quite the opposite reason. According to Lucy O’Brien’s 2009 book Madonna: Like an Icon, in 2004 Madonna told producer Stuart Price she wanted him to concentrate on creating songs that sound like "ABBA on drugs". The problem is that as a rule, ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus don’t like that. 

Hung Up was one of the first songs written for Madonna’s 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor. ABBA’s 1979 hit always formed the basis of the track, but getting the go ahead to sample it was anything but a gimme – even for the queen of pop. 

Hung Up marks only the second time ABBA’s songwriters permitted anyone to use one of their tracks (the first time being Fugees, who sampled The Name of the Game in their single Rumble in the Jungle). The story goes that in order to gain the rights to use Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! Madge had to personally send a letter to Stockholm begging the pair for the privilege and also explaining how much she loved their music. She later told the BBC: “Thank God they didn't say no… They had to think about it, Benny and Björn. They didn't say yes straight away." 

Andersson has since quipped that Hung Up is his favourite Madonna song thus far. The royalty cheques probably help. 

Buy Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) by ABBA from Amazon

Buy Confessions On a Dance Floor by Madonna from Amazon

Mtume - Juicy Fruit

The Notorious B.I.G.’s first single from his debut album Ready To Die – Biggie’s story of growing up through poverty, to dealing drugs before artistic recognition and financial success – sits on a bed of Mtume’s Juicy Fruit.

Produced by Poke of Trackmasters and Sean Combs, Juicy actually uses the instrumental version of the track, with girl group Total singing an alternative version of the original chorus.

Buy Juicy Fruit by Mtume from Amazon

Buy Ready To Die by The Notorious B.I.G. from Amazon

Ponderosa Twins Plus One - Bound

In an interview with Rolling Stone, executive producer Rick Rubin described how this Ponderosa Twins Plus One track almost didn't make it onto Kanye West's Bound 2.

"The whole song was written without that main sample, it was a last-minute thing," he said. "The song had kind of a lot of R&B music in it. And Kanye gave marching orders of, 'take out anything you want, but don't add. Just take away.'

"Before that, we listened to the sample together and thought, 'Hmm, maybe there's a way to integrate this into the song.' And the lyrics he wrote were so good and funny. It just turned into a really good record. The sample is so good."

Buy 2+2+1 by Ponderosa Twins Plus One from Amazon

Buy Yeezus by Kanye West from Amazon

Leon Haywood - I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You

Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg's Nuthin' But a G Thang was one of the 500 greatest songs of all time, according to Rolling Stone's December 2004 cover story. (Perhaps unsurprisingly, the list was topped by Bob Dylan's Like A Rolling Stone followed by (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones.)

Reaching No2 in the Billboard charts, it was the first single from Dre's solo debut, The Chronic, the sleeve notes of which wrongly credited an L. Hayward with the main sample.

Buy Come Get Yourself Some by Leon Haywood from Amazon

Buy The Chronic by Dr Dre from Amazon

Labi Siffre - I Got The...

Dr Dre’s use of this track on Eminem’s 1999 hit My Name Is was originally vetoed. “Attacking two of the usual scapegoats, women and gays, is lazy writing,” said Labi Siffre, who is openly gay. “If you want to do battle, attack the aggressors not the victims.”

The London-born singer finally approved after Eminem made changes to his original lyrics.

Buy Remember My Song by Labi Siffre on vinyl from Amazon

Buy The Slim Shady by Eminem on vinyl from Amazon

Billy Squier - The Big Beat

Billy Squier’s The Big Beat has been sampled more than 280 times according to WhoSampled.com, by artists diverse as Beck, The Prodigy and Alicia Keys.

Perhaps the best-known uses are by Dizzee Rascal, who sampled it heavily in 2003 for Fix Up, Look Sharp, and in Jay Z’s Rick Rubin-produced 99 Problems the following year. Former Beggars & Thieves drummer Bobby Chouinard plays the famous beat itself.

Buy The Tale of the Tape by Billy Squier from Amazon

Buy Boy In Da Corner by Dizzee Rascal from Amazon

Buy The Black Album by Jay Z from Amazon

The Clash - Straight To Hell

It was producer Diplo who decided upon Straight To Hell as the sample for M.I.A.'s Paper Planes, with all members of The Clash creditted as songwriters on the track.

A year later, Paper Planes itself was sampled by Kanye West on a track named Swagger Like Us, which he produced for T.I.'s album Paper Trail.

Buy Combat Rock by The Clash from Amazon

Buy Kala by M.I.A. from Amazon

The Knack - My Sharona

Run-D.M.C.'s use of The Knack's My Sharona for their 1987 hit It's Tricky landed the group in some legal hot water after it was found – almost 20 years later – that they'd sampled the track without permission.

The case was settled out of court in 2006, by which time My Sharona had returned to school discos across Britain thanks to its use in Girls Aloud's No Good Advice.

Buy Get The Knack by The Knack from Amazon

Buy Raising Hell by Run-D.M.C. from Amazon

James Brown - Funky Drummer

Funky Drummer is a track just calling out to be sampled, which it has more than 1000 times – and more than once by Public Enemy.

Likely its most famous use provides the drum track for Fight the Power, one of the greatest songs of all time in any genre, which even references the "sound of the funky drummer".

Buy In the Jungle Groove by James Brown from Amazon

Buy Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy from Amazon

Joe Simon - Before the Night Is Over

While Ms. Jackson undeniably drove the success of Outkast's fourth studio album, Stankonia, by our reckoning that record's finest cut has to be So Fresh, So Clean.

It samples Joe Simon's Before the Night Is Over, with Sleepy Brown singing altered lyrics of, "Ain't nobody dope as me, I'm dressed so fresh, so clean".

Buy Easy To Love by Joe Simon from Amazon

Buy Stankonia by Outkast from Amazon

Jeremy Steig - Howlin' For Judy

Played by jazz flautist Jeremy Steig (who, we’re reliably informed, also played The Pied Piper in the film Shrek Forever After) Howlin’ For Judy is an infectious piece of musicianship that lent itself perfectly as the sample that formed the crux of Beastie Boys’ Sure Shot in 1994.

It opened the group’s second number-one album, Ill Communication, which also included Sabotage.

Buy Legwork by Jeremy Steig from Amazon US

Buy Ill Communication by Beastie Boys from Amazon

MORE:

Try the 14 best video game soundtracks to test your headphones and speakers

Or the 19 best British rock songs to test your hi-fi system

And also the 11 best Led Zeppelin tracks to test your hi-fi system

The turn of the century was a truly exciting time in hi-fi. After almost two decades in the limelight, it looked like CD was about to be replaced – and not by one, but possibly two new high-resolution formats. Both SACD and DVD-Audio boasted technical abilities far beyond the humble Compact Disc.

At a time when most people were looking forwards, Marantz decided that it was the right time to look backwards. And we’re glad it did, because the result was the glorious CD-7 (£3500) – the firm's last dedicated flagship CD player and one of the best disc machines it has ever made.

• The best 24 CD players of What Hi-Fi?'s lifetime
• 11 heroic tech failures, from Betamax to HD DVD

While most price comparable alternatives came in two boxes, Marantz went for an integrated approach. Even more unexpected was that the company ignored the fashionable single-bit DAC chips of the day – developed by parent company Philips – and left the conversion in the hands of the older generation multi-bit Philips TDA1541 chip working in dual differential mode. The reason was that according to the late Ken Ishiwata, Marantz’s audio guru, this older DAC design simply sounded better.

A lot of care was taken over digital processing, with the CD-7 using two Motorola 56000 ICs running dedicated software that allowed Marantz to control oversampling and offer switchable filter settings with the option of having noise shaping.

Getting the maximum digital data off the disc is always a priority, and here a special metal chassis version of Philips’s CDM 12.3 was deployed. A great deal of care was taken to ensure that it worked with the slickness expected at the top-end of the market.

Elsewhere, there was a plethora of selected Marantz Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules (HDAMs) in the analogue stages, carefully chosen audiophile components and a highly specified power supply. Marantz had long been a master of optimising its products, so it came as no surprise to find that shielding of the circuitry and the resonance behaviour of the immaculately constructed casework had been honed to a tee.

Connectivity hadn’t been compromised either. The CD-7 came with both balanced XLR and single-ended analogue outputs alongside two coaxial and single optical digital outs. Unusually for an integrated player, there were digital inputs too – a pair of coaxials and an optical – so that the distinctive multi-bit DAC circuit could benefit external digital sources too.

Marantz has generously lent us a sample of the CD-7 from its museum collection, and all told, it remains a superbly made machine. Everything feels solid and is finished to a high standard. Even the supplied system remote is a cut above, simply reinforcing this player’s luxury feel. Few current high-end CD players manage to do any better, even as their prices approach five figures. 

The company’s characteristic gold finish works well with the minimalist exterior design, even if the control buttons feel a touch vague in use and their layout is slightly odd.

• How to get the best sound from your CD player

Such things cease to matter once we start listening. If you’re looking to match the levels of precision and punch of Marantz’s current range-topping disc player – the excellent SACD/CD/DVD-ROM playing SA-10 you’re not going to find that. While terrific in many ways, the CD-7 won’t worry the best of the current batch of high-end CD players. But that doesn’t stop it from being almost as entertaining to listen to.

We start with Last by The Unthanks and the Marantz CD-7 is wonderfully listenable. It’s a smooth, silky performer that works beautifully with the group’s distinctive vocals, thanks to a midrange that’s still as subtle and articulate as they come. There’s plenty of detail but this machine still manages to organise it in a cohesive and music manner.

Our initial impression is of refinement, but we soon find that beneath that gloss is a deeply talented performer that handles dynamic nuances and more savage level shifts with uncommon grace and fluidity.

Tonally it’s a touch too full-bodied and rounded to qualify as strictly neutral, but you know what? We find ourselves not caring because the balance chosen allows the CD-7 to shine across a broad range of recordings and never once makes us wince, regardless of how badly engineered the CD is. Don’t get us wrong, this is still an impressively revealing player – one that makes it easy to spot a sub-standard production – but it doesn’t make a meal out of things.

We move to Bizet’s Carman Suite and the CD-7 continues to seduce thanks to its ability to render sonic textures and track multiple instrumental strands without losing sight of the musical whole. It’s an entertaining and dramatic performance, overlaid with a sophistication that must have put its erstwhile competition to shame.

It doesn’t have the most expansive or layered sound stage around, but this player manages to image pretty well, keeping instruments and sounds locked in place even when the music becomes demanding.

As for any possible weaknesses, if you’re into Nirvana or Kanyé (or similarly powerful and exhilarating artists), you may want a presentation with more rhythmic drive. While we have no complaints about the CD-7’s punch and articulation, it doesn’t generate the sense of drive and momentum of the best current players. The result is that songs such as Smells Like Teen Spirit and Blood On The Leaves lack their normal intensity and excitement. The Marantz still entertains, though, thanks to its delicacy at mid to high frequencies, balanced tonality and highly articulate nature.

We think the CD-7 is rightly regarded as a legendary product. More than two decades after its launch, this machine remains a beguiling listen. By current standards, it may have the odd sonic weaknesses, but we can’t imagine anyone experiencing its sound and failing to fall for its charm. That includes us.

MORE:

Best CD players 2020: CD players for every budget

12 of the best British CD players of all time

How to add a streamer to your hi-fi system

The Sony VPL-VW590ES is Sony’s top lamp-based, native 4K projector. There are more premium models in the family, but they feature laser light sources instead. This more traditional approach keeps the VW590ES relatively affordable, as native 4K projectors go, while still offering plenty of contrast and, according to Sony, stunning detail and rich, faithful colour.

Key to the experience is Sony’s SXRD projector panel technology. It’s a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) solution engineered by Sony to produce deep blacks, clear motion and a smooth picture with enough heat and light resistance to ensure a stable image. Sony has stiff competition at this end of the market, so will need a superb performance to hold off the likes of JVC.

Build

The Sony VPL-VW590ES is an update to the VPL-VW550ES, a projector we gave five stars when we reviewed it back in 2017. The new model is much the same in terms of size and core spec.

At 50cm wide and weighing 14kg, it takes up the kind of space one would expect of a native 4K projector and is suitable for either ceiling- or rack-mounting. There are two HDMI 2.0 ports and a single USB 2.0 for your source material. The internet connectivity is for firmware and service only.

The 280W high-pressure mercury lamp offers a picture at up to 1800 lumens of brightness, which is best used in a room with the lights off. Sony predicts that it will last 6000 hours in ‘Low’ mode before you need to change it, but if you watch in ‘High’, expect that number to be lower. Watching in High also causes the fan noise to be louder than the 26dB stated, but the sound is steady and smooth and won’t spoil your big screen experience.

On the front sits the x2.06 zoom lens. It can throw a picture of between 60-300in, with a 100in image possible at distances between 3.1m and 6.4m. It also allows plenty of positioning flexibility with the ability to move the image up to 85 percent in each direction vertically and 31 percent horizontally. Naturally, the lens is fully motorised with the shift, zoom and focus functions all easily managed from the fully-featured Sony remote control.

That remote offers handy, direct switching between the picture presets as well as shortcuts to almost all of the picture processors and settings you’ll want to use. The remote does have a backlight but, sadly, the button to toggle it on and off does not glow in the dark, so finding it can be tricky. A motorised lens cap would also be of benefit. It’s currently a removable plastic cap, which can upset the lens settings if care is not taken.

Features

The key upgrade of the Sony VPL-VW590ES over the older model is the ‘X1 for Projector’ chip. It’s the same picture processor as used in Sony’s best TVs, but optimised for projectors.

It’s not quite as premium as the X1 Ultimate processor found in Sony’s more expensive laser models but it brings what Sony describes as ‘high-precision frame analysis’ for features such as Dynamic HDR Enhancer, Super Resolution and, of course, Sony’s excellent 4K Motionflow motion processing.

The HDR Enhancer works on a frame-by-frame basis to analyse each scene and, with the help of the dynamic iris, adjust contrast on-the-fly. The Super Resolution uses algorithms to match the patterns it sees in each image and reinforce them. Combined, the idea is for a sharper, better-exposed picture than its predecessor.

Those who still want to watch in 3D should note that, unlike the rival JVC DLA-N5, the Sony VPL-VW590ES has a 3D emitter built-in. You’ll still have to buy your 3D glasses separately, though.

Picture

There are seven Sony-calibrated picture presets to flick through with the best of the bunch being the two Film modes, Reference and Bright Cinema. The colour temperature of all of them is worth a little tweaking, depending on the source, but the Clear White filter in the Expert Settings will solve most issues.

Once set, the colour performance from this projector is breathtaking and the 4K detail superb. Watching the North American episode of Seven Worlds, One Planet, we get some stunning views of wildflowers on the Canadian mountain pastures and a vivid palette of greens from the lichen, seaweed and foliage of the pine trees at the country’s coastal forests.

Using the Reality Creation menus, it’s possible to add an intense and granular level of 4K detail that’s outstanding for a projector at this price. The fur of the Black Bears that roam this habitat is picked up beautifully as are the crusty barnacles and gritty edges to the rocks that these creatures clamber over in search for food.

As ever, Sony’s Motionflow tech does a superb job of keeping the picture looking both smooth and natural as the camera zooms over the earth below. True Cinema rubs off the big judders while maintaining the action’s 24fps appearance. The more processed Smooth Low option works well too.

The Sony VPL-VW590ES also does some excellent work with HDR. As day turns to night, the levels of darkness in the forest are adjusted to deliver the maximum amount of tonal detail. Light from the firefly abdomens is intense, while the details of their heads and limbs are clear to see. The water droplets sitting on the threads made by the orb-weaving spiders hang like silver jewels in the moonlit woodland, each one under pinpoint contrast control with nothing lost to the shadows.

Stepping down to The Book Thief on Blu-ray, without the benefits of HDR, is a more difficult test. Between light touches on the Dynamic Iris and Contrast Enhancer settings, though, we still get a workable balance between black depth and dark detail.

The Sony’s character is more binary, in terms of contrast, rather than smooth and subtle in its shading, and that results in an appearance that's dynamic but less truly natural than some. It makes for an engaging watch that never fails to capture the sense of place throughout the film, though.

In the candle-lit scenes in the Hubermann’s basement, for example, we can still make out the wooden boxes and glass jars, even in the thick of the shadows, with enough care on textures to pick out details such as the worn leather on Liesel’s oxblood boots.

In scenes with more mixed lighting, such as the train station, there’s enough differentiation in the whites of the steam and cloud in the sky even while the projector has to produce the heavy blacks of the train and the dark platform in the foreground.

Down at standard definition, the picture isn’t too bad either. Turn the Reality Creation settings right down to avoid noise at this resolution. You may also need to set your disc player to output 480p and alter the aspect ratio on the projector remote control to get it upscaling properly.

No projector or TV is going to make much of a treat of detail when a DVD of Die Hard 2 is upscaled to more than 25 times the size of the source material. Nonetheless, we’re happy to get stuck into the action as John McClane races around Dulles International Airport trying to take down a terrorist plot, armed with a handgun and a clip full of wry one-liners.

Verdict

This is an exceptionally good projector and a marked upgrade on both its predecessor and the step-down native 4K projector from Sony, the VPL-VW270ES. 

If you’re looking for a projector at this level it would be wrong to ignore the VPL-VW590ES, but you should be sure to check out the Award-winning JVC DLA-N5 as well.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

MORE:

Read our guide to the best 4K projectors

Read our JVC DLA-N5 review

Read our Sony VPL-VW550ES review

Sennheiser headphones hardly need to grab your attention with bold designs or out-there features - the brand’s strong reputation speaks for itself. The German brand has produced excellent wireless and noise-cancelling headphones, most notably the models in its iconic Momentum range, more or less since such concepts were invented.

So when the rather plain-looking, button-heavy Sennheiser HD 450BT wireless noise-cancellers land in our laps, we know all too well not to judge them by their cover.

Comfort

We are initially a little disappointed by the mid-range cans, though – not so much by the understated design, which is robust and smartly finished in black or white, but by the controls. The world is increasingly moving on from physical buttons and towards touch, gesture and voice control, and while you shouldn’t expect an affordable pair of headphones such as these to adopt a sophisticated (and costly) system, nor should you have to blindly navigate such a busy button layout.

Each button has its purpose, of course. The one closest to the connector mechanism launches your phone’s voice assistant. Run your finger down the earcup and you’ll find a slider for play/pause and answering calls, skipping forward and backward tracks. There’s also a volume button, which you can manipulate for volume up and down with a suitable press. 

Further around the earcup is another button, separated from the rest by a USB-C charging socket and a 2.5mm audio jack for plugging in the supplied 2.5mm-to-3.5mm cable. This button activates noise-cancelling and powers the headphones on and off.

Learning such an arrangement isn’t beyond the average user, but it does prevent quickly and instinctively reaching for the correct button.

The Sennheiser HD 450BTs are light and sturdy on your head, with the earpads clamping firmly over your ears to provide isolation and prevent unwanted movement. They may feel a bit tight on larger heads at first, but that should ease over time. Thanks to their reassuring build and foldable design, you won’t be afraid to sling their compactly folded form into a bag or cram them into a coat pocket.

Build

A 30-hour battery life, which can be replenished in just two hours via their USB-C charging port, puts them on a par with the pricier, premium competition and actually pips that of Sennheiser’s flagship on-ears, the Momentum 3 Wirelesses. 

Battery status can be viewed on the Sennheiser Smart Control App, which is also the gateway to performing firmware updates and adjusting EQ.

On the latter, you can drag a pointer around an equalisation map to adjust the balance towards more bass or treble. There’s no harm in favouring either to get a bit more low-end domination or top-end sparkle although, predictably, going extreme either way makes them pretty unlistenable. 

Bluetooth is complete with aptX Low Latency support for syncing up audio and video (with less than 40 milliseconds of latency) when you’re watching a video or playing a game on your connected device.

The Sennheiser’s wirelessness is complemented by noise-cancelling. True to the technology’s intention, the HD 450BTs sheath you in a comfortable silence with noise-cancelling activated: keyboard tapping, background chatter and low-level street noise are all sufficiently blocked. Just don’t expect such effectiveness in noisier environments: a busy road of traffic is still discernible, as are raised voices, hampering quieter songs such as Nils Frahm’s My Friend The Forest.

More sophisticated, and pricier, noise-cancellers such as the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 do a better job in such scenarios, but for the money, the Sennheisers live up to expectations.

Sound

That is mostly the case with performance, too, the HD 450BTs producing a smooth, rich balance that’s enjoyable, not to mention easy to listen to. Whether you’re listening to Frahm’s virtuosic piano playing or satisfying some electro funk impulse, their full-bodied and rounded, yet still plenty lively, delivery will amiably present warm piano keys and sizzling synths alike.

Their tonality is a little skewed towards the bottom end, sacrificing the midrange clarity that more neutral rivals, such as the AKG N60NCs, are capable of. That may not play into the hands of every music fan, but those who like electric guitars to sound weighty and basslines beefy will find favour in the Sennheiser’s modest bias. 

Play The Weeknd’s Heartless and they gobble up the track’s bass drop. Its potent presence isn’t without bass definition and agility either, the beat finding its groove to drive the track forward.

The accompanying vocal and trebly synths, which sit just on the peripherary of the Sennheiser’s centre-stage spotlight, carry decent detail and as much impetus too. By comparison, though, the AKGs and similarly priced Philips PH805s do greater justice to the production by surfacing greater texture and dynamic variation.

Verdict

The Sennheiser HD 450BTs aren’t the best sounding noise-cancelling headphones out there for the money. Nor are they the easiest to control on your head.

But while they may lack the outright transparency and simplicity of some, there really is plenty to like here – not least in the way of top-notch features, such as excellent battery life and aptX Low Latency support, which are far from given in headphones of this price. If battery and bass are up there on your list of priorities, you won’t regret making these Sennheisers yours.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Comfort 5
• Build 4

MORE:

Best wireless noise-cancelling headphones 2020

Read our Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless review

Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review

Read our AKG N60NC review

Our round-up of the best of CES 2020 features our pick of the best new AV products from the show floor in Las Vegas.

From 8K and OLED TVs, to Dolby Atmos speakers and wireless earbuds, CES 2020 was once again jam-packed with new products. Here's our pick of the very best CES 2020 products from this year's show.

• Best TVs of CES 2020

Panasonic HZ2000 OLED

The best TV at CES 2020? Very possibly. Panasonic makes our favourite OLED TV right now, so naturally we're excited to see what the company's 2020 flagship can do. The HZ2000 introduces the next generation of Panasonic’s custom-made Master HDR OLED Professional Edition panel, as well as an improved version of its HCX Pro Intelligent processor. Dolby Vision IQ and Filmmaker Mode have us intrigued, too. There's even a new and improved Dolby Atmos sound system. Roll on the full review...

Hands on: Panasonic HZ2000 OLED TV review

Focal Chora 826-D Dolby Atmos speaker

Focal has announced three new models for its Chora range, including the company's first Dolby Atmos speaker. The Chora 826-D is a floorstander with an upward-firing driver that delivers the height channels of an Atmos soundtrack. Focal has designed the driver to direct the sound towards the ceiling at a carefully calculated angle so that it reflects around the entire room. And we like the sound of that.

Focal launches its first-ever Dolby Atmos speaker at CES

Samsung Q950 8K QLED TV

Look, no bezel! Samsung is pushing the boundaries of, well, everything with its new flagship TV. There's 8K resolution, updates to the 8K Quantum Processor and Full Array Local Dimming system, a new Adaptive Picture+ mode for optimising performance according to the ambient light conditions, and even a sonic equivalent, called – you guessed it – Adaptive Picture+. But, we're going to level with you, it's the bezel-less, Infinity Screen design that really sold us, Using 99% of the front facade for the screen, and measuring only 14.9mm deep, it's a sublime looking television.

Hands on: Samsung Q950 8K QLED TV review 

 JBL L82 Classic speakers

CES is no longer a big focus for hi-fi products so we were extra excited to see these great new JBLs. We're big fans of the fun-loving JBL L100 Classic speakers, which revisit a retro classic, so we're happy to see a mini sibling land, the JBL L82 Classic. They're a more compact two-way design, sold as mirror-imaged pairs with each one using a one-inch titanium dome tweeter with an acoustic lens waveguide and front-panel HF level attenuator. Standing 18 inches tall, if you're keen to make room for them, you'll need a healthy $2500 for a pair. And they're available in black, blue or orange.

JBL unveils retro L82 Classic speakers at CES 2020

Technics EAH-AZ70W wireless earbuds

True wireless earbuds were everywhere at CES, including the first ever pair from Technics. The EAH-AZ70W arrive with plenty of features, including adjustable noise-cancellation, a free companion app, an 18-hour battery life, independent left/right-channel connectivity, Ambient Mode and IPX4-equivalent water resistance. Lets hope they sound as good as they look.

Hands on: Technics EAH-AZ70W wireless earbuds review

LG 48in CX Series OLED TV

Despite all the shiny new TVs and intriguing TV tech upgrades, one of the most crucial releases may be the simple matter of a new screen size. Up until now, OLED TVs have been the preserve of 55-inch sets and above. No more. The LG OLED48CX is a 48in OLED TV (Sony has one, too) and forms a key part of the CX Series, new for 2020. LG's CX range of OLED TVs appears virtually identical to the all-conquering and Award-winning C9 series from last year but adds fresh picture processing upgrades, and both Filmmaker Mode and Dolby Vision IQ. We think this could be a big seller. 

Hands on: LG CX Series OLED TV review

Sony Vision-S concept car 

Sony surprised everyone at CES, not with some PS5 news (although we did see the logo), but with a car. Yep. And what's CES without some concept craziness? Once we soaked in the strangeness, we fell head over heels for the wrap around display and most importantly, the surround sound. We’ve tried 360 Reality Audio before with some of other prototype products, such as a soundbar, wireless speaker and headphones, but never has it been so effective as when it hits us square in the face behind the wheel of the Vision-S. We hope this is the sound of things to come for in-car audio. 

Hands on: Sony Vision-S concept car review

• Read all our CES 2020 news, features and round-ups

Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) is one of the biggest names in hi-fi and for good reason, since the firm started making audio products in the seaside town of Worthing UK all the way back in 1966, it has made a steady stream of amazing products.

And, while we can’t claim to have tested every single one of them, with What Hi-Fi? launching a tiny bit later than B&W in 1976, we’ve done our honest best since then.

As a result if you go through our back catalogue you’ll see a sea of B&W reviews, many of which featuring our hallowed five-star rating.

However, of this list a select few hold an extra special place not just in hi-fi, but our history. And it’s these iconic items that are detailed in this list chronicling the best Bowers and Wilkins products of all time.

B&W DM110

We start with a relatively affordable speaker, the DM110 (£110 when we reviewed them in June 1984, so around £300 in today's money). These speakers sported a black chipboard cabinet with a silver baffle, a 32mm soft dome tweeter and a 50mm paper mid/bass driver. We described it as, "a mass produced speaker made in very large quantities for export", which sounded then, strangely, like a criticism, but with B&W now shifting large numbers of speakers all over the world, it was something of a trailblazer. Certainly, "powerful yet easy going" with a "striking, stylish finish", successfully set the tone for test verdicts that would apply to B&W speakers for many years to come.

B&W Matrix 805V

The Matrix 805V speakers saw a 26mm metal dome tweeter placed on top of the speaker cabinet above a yellow 165mm Kevlar cone, two design features that were soon to become synonymous with B&W. Inside the speakers a honeycomb-style bracing construction aimed to remove all unwanted resonance and reflections; the design giving the speaker range its Matrix name. And it was a design theory B&W revisited with future speakers, including its T7 portable speaker. We said that the Matrix 805V speakers "squeeze a huge sound out of small boxes", which made them a hit with us, despite their relatively high price tag (£795, back in 1992).

B&W CDM1 

"This is a hard-nut speaker, but it's educated and decisive too. Dynamic and controlled – there's not a lot to touch it at the price." That's how we described the CDM1 speakers back in 1995. They too featured a 165mm yellow Kevlar cone but interestingly opted for a sloped baffle where the tweeter was housed, a tweeter that was derived from the one found on the Matrix series. We're pleased to see we reviewed these speakers by "playing Black Grape's Shake Your Money at exceedingly high volume", so not much has changed there.

B&W Signature 30

These £7000 B&W speakers found themselves in our July 1998 Temptation section. And very tempting they were, too. That isolated tweeter is back alongside a hefty Kevlar midrange driver and an aluminium bass cone. The Signature series were limited edition speakers, with pure silver wiring as their pièce de résistance. Driver leads, internal wires, voice coils and crossover wiring were all silver, which B&W engineers had decided were the optimum conductors for top-end speaker drivers. We didn't argue, heralding the Signature 30 speakers as "the ultimate in silver-spun sound with style".

B&W Nautilus 801

"If the price isn't an issue - nothing", was the sum total of our Nautilus 801 review of January 1999. "Simply awesome." These 801s borrowed technology from the company's flagship Nautilus speakers, which quickly planted themselves at number one on many people's ultimate speaker wish list. You needed to part with £8500 rather than £35,000 for this version, which borrowed the tapered tube enclosure for the midrange and treble drivers that aimed to minimise the diffraction caused by the cabinet. The Kevlar driver (a monster 38cm unit) and Matrix bracing is here, too, as B&W began to focus its technological attentions. The result here is accuracy and pure transparency in great big spades.

B&W DM602 S2

The Series 2 version of the B&W DM602 speakers appeared in our July 1999 speaker "shootout" - hence the slightly strange picture - and proved brilliant value for money, not least in terms of sheer cabinet size. That large box means plenty of bass, alongside a transparent and detailed midrange (OK, and a slightly forward treble). The DM602s were consistent performers over the years but it was the Series 2 and Series 3 models that really took them to the next level.

MORE: That Was Then... B&W 602 S3 review

B&W DM601 S3 

We've opted for Series 3 as our favourite version of the DM601 speakers, though again we could have opted for pretty much any model. These speakers, reviewed in March 2002, were famously described as having "voice coils of the Gods" by one What Hi-Fi? reviewer, such was the impression they made in our test rooms.

The basic ingredients are unchanged here, with the Kevlar-coned mid/bass driver, alloy-dome tweeter and tapered internal tube. Various tweaks and upgrades around the driver and cabinet helped lift these B&Ws to new heights and beat-off opposition at its £249 (March 2003) price tag: "Stunning speakers with a formidable array of strengths."

B&W PV1

First reviewed back in November 2004, the B&W PV1 active subwoofer won seven What Hi-Fi? Awards in a row. Need we go on? OK, well firstly, check out how cool it looks. Secondly, understand the smart spherical design is for performance reasons, promising to deliver "the Holy Grail of subwoofer design: deep and clean bass from a near-invisible box". The PV1 uses two 20cm drivers in an opposed, in-phase array powered by a 500-watt Class-D amplifier. The results are sensational: almost zero resonance but stunning speed and power, and a remarkable sub that rocked our world - and our test rooms - for the best part of a decade.

Read the full B&W PV1 review

B&W 805S 

Another classic B&W speaker design, this time as featured in our May 2007 review. The pod-mounted metal dome tweeter, the Kevlar cone, the braced cabinet; the 805S speakers have the full suite of Bowers & Wilkins speaker technologies. They sound even better than they look, with a room-filling soundstage that's balanced and detailed. Even at £1600, they were Award-winning value for every penny.

Read the full B&W 805S review

B&W Zeppelin

Making a great-sounding iPod dock wasn't as easy as it might sound (see Apple's three-star iPod Hi-Fi), which made the B&W Zeppelin (pictured here in our review from September 2008) all the more impressive. Another striking B&W design, you needed to clear a fair amount of desk space but were then treated to a detailed, spacious sound from your centrally-mounted iPod. In what would be a sign of things to come, B&W had successfully entered a new product category with another sweet marriage of stylish design and sound quality.

Read the full B&W Zeppelin review

B&W MM1

"PC Audio" sounds somewhat dated nowadays but the MM-1s were essentially a very good pair of desktop speakers - "edging towards proper hi-fi" as we phrased it, perhaps in one of our harder-to-please moods. At £399 (June, 2010), these speakers weren't cheap but they delivered a level of sound almost in spite of their size (just 17cm tall) to comfortably justify their price. Yet again, B&W had turned its hand to something new and knocked it out of the park.

Read the full B&W MM-1 review

B&W P7

Did we mention B&W turning its hand to something new and knocking it out of the park? It was the same story when it came to headphones. While the first B&W P3 and P5 headphones were good but perhaps not great, we were fully bowled-over by the big-boy P7s (and then later, the Series 2 smaller cans). All the headphones shared a similar sleek design, could fold-up for easy portability, were comfortable and, crucially, delivered a sound with impact, insight and impressive scale.

Read the full B&W P7 review

B&W MT-50 

And it's not only stereo speakers (and subs, headphones and desktop speakers...), B&W had a decent run in the world of sub-sat speaker packages back when sub-sat speaker packages were still a thing. Despite not relying on the formidable PV1 subwoofer for its solid foundations, the MT-50 delivered a dynamic, detailed and authoritative performance that was hard to beat for the money (£1095) for many years. The M-1 satellites formed an integral part of a few more great little B&W cinema systems, such as the MT-30 and MT-60, both of which also benefitted from the PV1 sub.

B&W 800 Diamond

If you've got £18,000 to spend on a pair of speakers (you lucky thing), you should very much consider spending it on the B&W 800 Diamonds; "the best speaker B&W makes", as we called them back in September 2013. If you need to club together with a few friends for that sort of money, that might be no bad thing; just moving one of these 102kg speakers into place is a four-person job, standing as they do, 118cm tall, 45cm wide and 65cm deep. "Innovative technology and great sound don’t always go hand in hand. In the 800s’ case they do." The company’s best speakers, yes. The best speakers bar none? Quite possibly.

Read the full B&W 800 Diamond review

B&W 685 S2

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more competitive product category than £500 bookshelf speakers. So standing out and dominating over a period of a few years takes some doing. But that's just what the 685 S2 speakers did following their launch in 2014. It was perhaps no surprise considering the quality of their forebears, the original 685s. As well as the now very familiar Kevlar mid/bass cone, the S2s had a metal grille over the tweeter, aiding dispersion and adding a degree of protection. The tweeter itself had been made more rigid and decoupled from the cabinet. Crucially, the sound produced was powerful and muscular, with deep bass and lashings of detail. And they proved very popular.

Read the full B&W 685 S2 review

B&W 805 D3

Another addition to the B&W Diamond range, the 805 D3s brought with them some not insignificant changes to B&W's already highly-successful high-end range. The diamond-dome tweeter was completely overhauled, while more jaw-droppingly for B&W nuts, the Kevlar mid/bass driver was replaced by a new Continuum cone.

Developed in-house, the Continuum material aimed to take the key properties of Kevlar - good self-damping and low mass - and take them to the next level. It was cost-effective, too, so would soon find its way in to far more affordable speakers. "Polished Diamond is an absolute gem," was our June 2017 verdict, thanks to great detail resolution, incisive stereo imaging and that tip-top build and design.

Read the full B&W 805 D3 review

B&W 606 S2 Anniversary Edition

Bringing B&W, and British hi-fi, right up to date, we have the excellent the B&W 606 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers, which appear in our December 2020 issue. They represent 25 years and seven generations of the hugely successful 600 series standmount speaker line.

They use the company's now favoured Continuum cone – here in a 16.5cm driver – sport a 25mm, decoupled double-dome aluminium tweeter, and have B&W's Flowport vent. A smart, minimalist styling has replaced the more striking designs of the 90s and 00s, but the so often class-leading sound quality remains.

On paper, there wasn't much change between this edition and the Award-winning 606s from 2019: some attractive cosmetics and an upgraded crossover, featuring better-quality capacitors but small tweaks can make big differences.

The 606 S2 Anniversary Editions prove significantly more capable than their predecessors. With precise, controlled bass; a brilliantly balanced, clean sound; and more insight, punch and downright entertainment than ever before, they remain the speakers to beat at around the £500 mark. Stop them if you can.

Read the full B&W 606 S2 Anniversary Edition review

Bowers and Wilkins P9 Signature

Turning 50 is a big deal for any company, and Bowers and Wilkins celebrated its big day with a splash, launching a wealth of special edition products. The coolest and one the team loved the most, however, was the B&W P9 Signature.

Featuring a classy brown leather finish they sit in the same special edition class as the Signature Diamond and the Signature 30 speakers. Despite this, the headphones were completely built from scratch featuring a design and parts you couldn’t get anywhere else.

While they cost a pretty penny at the time, being twice the price of the base non-Signature model they justified this with best in class audio delivering stunning midrange clarity, superb detail levels, weighty, agile bass and a generally precise but exciting character. All that combines to make them one of the most iconic B&W products ever made.

Read our B&W P9 Signature review

B&W Pi8

Wireless earbuds are a tricky nut to crack for many audio shops with their small form factor, the complexities of wireless connectivity and strong competition making them hard to get just right. But, after slightly missing the mark with its opening B&W Pi7 and B&W Pi7 S2 buds, Bowers and Wilkins did just that with its B&W Pi8.

Though they were more expensive than most rivals at launch, when we got them in for testing they more than justified the additional cost. The buds were built by the same in-house engineering team that gave us the Px7 S2 and Px8 over-ear, wireless headphones. They share a lot of the same perks as a result.

Featuring a premium, but compact design, stellar battery life, reliable ANC and most important sensational audio, they’re easily the best wireless earbuds Bowers and Wilkins has ever made. Hence their inclusion in this list.

Read our Bowers and Wilkins Pi8 review

• Best B&W speakers: budget, premium, bookshelf and floorstander
• Read all our British Hi-Fi Week reviews and features

As we enjoy the first fruits of a year's-worth of new music, there's still plenty of great albums from 2017 that deserve to be given a thorough listening to on your hi-fi system.

Whether you're after wonky folk music, virtuoso jazz bass or are interested in one man's mission to save hip-hop, we've got ten cracking albums that will entertain you for months to come.

MORE: 15 hi-res album downloads to treat your hi-fi system

Peasant - Richard Dawson

By rights a concept album about the lives of the inhabitants of a kingdom in the North of England during the early Middle Ages shouldn’t work. It shouldn’t even be allowed. So it’s to Richard Dawson’s considerable credit he doesn’t swerve the hey-nonny Chaucerisms and self-regarding prog-rock nonsenses Peasant seems made for so much as trample over them. Yes, there are some awkward chord progressions, some arcane melodies and some tetherings of goats to carts – but grit your teeth and bear it. There are ample rewards to be had.

Buy Peasant at Amazon

DAMN. - Kendrick Lamar

Being the poster boy for the Future of Hip-Hop evidently doesn’t sit well with Kendrick Lamar, not if his lyrical preoccupations on DAMN. are anything to go by. And yet he just can’t help himself. Putting an original slant on a genre that has spent the last decade slowly and ostentatiously low-riding down a cul-de-sac is no mean feat, and to do it twice in the space of two years is little short of astonishing. Deeply personal yet wide-ranging at the same time, DAMN. is the sound of intelligence and creativity overflowing for no other reason than it simply has to.

Buy DAMN. at Amazon

Melodrama - Lorde

We couldn’t write a ‘best of 2017’ list without mentioning Lorde, could we? Her sophomore effort Melodrama is a more mature, mainstream and pop-inflected sound compared to the minimal dream-pop of Pure Heroine (which, let's not forget, won the then-17 year old two Grammys). But it's no less an astonishing record. Melodrama tackles themes of loneliness, and its loose narrative of a house party and insightful songwriting will make you catch your breath. Smoky vocals are to the fore on Writer in the Dark and the piano-led Liability, but it’s the anthemic, fist-pumping disco pop of Supercut and Perfect Places that really make this album worth listening to over and over again. We guarantee you won’t get the Green Light chorus out of your head once you've heard it.

Buy Melodrama at Amazon

A Black Mile to the Surface - Manchester Orchestra

It’s no easy thing to be passionate, committed and sincere without sounding worthy and po-faced – it’s a fine line but Manchester Orchestra tread it confidently. This fifth studio album finds the band continuing to mine that particular seam labelled “American Earnest” more deeply than ever – multi-layered vocals butt against tasteful bass/guitar/drums arrangements with the occasional keyboard fill and electronics pad for contrast. The world’s not short of wide-eyed vendors of unironic heart-on-sleeve confections, but as an example of the mature art Manchester Orchestra take some beating.

Buy A Black Mile to the Surface at Amazon

Every Country's Sun - Mogwai

Time was the Mogwai sound was a unique and startling proposition. Nine albums in, though, you know exactly what you’re getting here – and that’s just fine with us. Some of these pieces are songs, some are tunes and some are exercises in dynamic tolerances, but all of them describe a band still in love with texture and sonic potential. In places a little bit motorik, in places a little bit Jean-Michel Jarre, Every Country’s Sun has the strength to wear its influences lightly and to create a language of its own. Plus on Party In The Dark it has the nearest thing to a pop song Mogwai have yet delivered.

Buy Every Country's Sun at Amazon

Orc - Oh Sees

Another year, another Oh Sees album (including another change of line-up and of name). Ever-reliable despite the constant upheavals and staggering productivity, Oh Sees’ latest is the usual winning melange of psych-, punk- and stoner-rock leavened by some prettiness (particularly in Keys To The Castle and Jettisoned). If you like your off-kilter garage thrash inventive, melodic, stinking of cigarettes and housed in reliably awful artwork, Oh Sees prove (for the nineteenth time in twenty years) to have exactly what you need.

Buy Orc at Amazon

Slowdive - Slowdive

Just like the last 22 years never happened, Slowdive slip out a new LP – and not only is their best, it’s one of the very best albums of 2017. On the surface little has changed in the last two decades – the Slowdive sound is still dream-like and foggy, slurred and bottomless. But there’s greater urgency here than before, a greater sense of scale – and the familiarity of the sound doesn’t prevent it from communicating new ideas or beliefs. One of the few bands capable of being vast and intimate all at the same time, Slowdive are the most unlikely of elder statesfolks.

Buy Slowdive at Amazon

World of the Waking State - Steffi

At first acquaintance World of the Waking State may seem straightforward. Simple, even. But let its elegant, streamlined electronic language, at once calm yet restless, wash over you and it becomes obvious Steffi is full of ideas – she just doesn’t shine a big bright spotlight on each and every one of them is all. Once the tumblers fall into place and the door to World of the Waking State is opened, the spacious precision of its sound and the judiciousness of its construction make it an album that reveals a little more about itself with every listen.

Buy World of the Waking State at Amazon

Masseduction - St. Vincent

Mainstream success and critical acclaim seldom go hand in hand. It’s to Annie ‘St. Vincent’ Clark’s immeasurable credit the combination isn’t the most remarkable thing about Masseduction. Beneath the pointlessly provocative sleeve her 80s influences sound uncontrived, her melodies sound effortless, and her restless inventiveness makes these songs and their arrangements sound like she dipped into her back pocket and extracted them fully formed. Have a listen to Los Ageless and you’ll know exactly what we mean.

Buy Masseduction at Amazon

Drunk - Thundercat

One person’s ‘virtuoso’ is another’s ‘massive show-off’ – and Drunk is certain to establish which of these people you are. Bass virtuoso/show-off Stephen Bruner (for it is he) has been working and recording since the age of 15 and has been the go-to guy for artists as diverse as Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus and Suicidal Tendencies. For his third solo album he enlisted luminaries like Michael McDonald and Pharrell Williams, and turned in a record of such smooth peculiarity that the description ‘jazz’ is altogether too tentative. Drunk is unlike anything else 2017 had to offer.

Buy Drunk at Amazon

Just in case you need more convincing, you can listen to some highlights from these splendid recordings on our bespoke playlist via the links below. Got Deezer, Qobuz, Spotify, or Tidal? Click through below for a taster - and don't forget our monthly What Hi-Fi? playlist updates too.

10 best albums of 2017 - Deezer

10 best albums of 2017 - Qobuz

10 best albums of 2017 - Spotify

10 best albums of 2017 - Tidal

MORE:

10 of the best songs to test your speakers

10 of the best tracks for testing treble

10 of the best tracks to test your headphones

12 of the best vinyl test records

15 hi-res album downloads to treat your hi-fi system

15 of the best piano tracks to test your system

18 songs that sound their best on vinyl

25 of the best tracks for testing bass

50 of the best hi-fi albums for audiophiles

Listen to the What Hi-Fi? playlist

Sony has kicked 2017 off with a stunning top-tier 4K HDR TV – and it’s not even the company’s long-awaited OLED screen.

The Sony KD-55XE9305 screen is gorgeous. At £2400, this 55in LCD screen may be pricey, but the way it delivers such natural but impressive colours and detail is utterly captivating

The 55XE9305 has all the basics: Ultra HD 4K resolution, with High Dynamic Range (HDR) support, and a list of features longer than this review.

MORE: HDR TV: What is it? How can you get it?

XE93 series

The top-tier XE93 series has the same image processor found in the flagship ZD9 and upcoming OLED A1 ranges: X1 Extreme, which promises to deliver more accurate detail, stronger contrast and smoother colour gradation when displaying 4K and HDR pictures.

Not only does the X1 Extreme offer 40 per cent more processing power than the one in 2016’s XD93 range, its ‘object-based HDR remaster’ feature also claims to intelligently upscale standard content to 4K HDR based on how objects should really look, rather than just boosting the picture’s contrast and colour as a whole.

More excitingly for this year, the X1 chip also gives the XE93 support for other HDR variants: Dolby Vision HDR (found on select Netflix shows like Marco Polo and some upcoming 4K discs), and the broadcast version Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), used by the BBC for its Planet Earth II 4K trials.

The latter two HDR versions will be available via software updates later this year, but the Sony 55in XE93 will come with the standard HDR10 straight out of the box.

MORE: Sony KD-65A1 OLED TV hands on

MORE: Hybrid Log Gamma explained – the new HDR TV broadcast format

Picture

Sony has always had a knack for delivering a natural balance with its TVs, but the KD-55XE9305 raises that to a new level. We play our 4K HDR disc of Planet Earth II and are wowed by the detail and clarity on show.

The colours are captivating, as the 55in Sony has a gorgeous way with rich colours and contrast. Vibrant greens, reds, purples and yellows on the hummingbirds’ feathers seem to leap from the screen.

The tangle of green leaves and trees in the Jungles episode is handled with an impressive level of subtlety and depth. Motion is smooth, too, with little noticeable judder during slow panning scenes.

Switch to standard Blu-rays and the Sony keeps this enticing, realistic balance in play. Skin tones are shaded with realism in The Imitation Game, and you can almost count the individual strands of the tiger’s fur in Life of Pi.

Where we struggled to get the balance of bright whites and deep blacks right on the KD-65ZD9BU, we have no such trouble on the KD-55XE9305.

Bright scenes gleam and glisten without ever straining your eyes. Sparks of fire and reflections of sunlight on water look stark, punchy and utterly enchanting.

MORE: Best TVs 2017

There’s a luminous quality to the picture that breathes new life into 4K HDR content we’ve seen before – from The Martian on disc to Jessica Jones via streaming – while never compromising black depth.

Blacks are more convincing than we’ve seen on previous Sony LCD screens. And it’s not just evident in the way it displays the exciting space scenes in Star Trek Beyond, or the soft black feathers on penguins.

The heart-stopping chase scene between the snakes and the iguanas takes place on a volcanic island that’s all greys and browns – a challenge for any 4K TV. That thrilling scene could easily have been a muddled mess on screen.

But the Sony’s expert handling of crisp, nuanced detail combined with deep blacks and a vast variety of colour gradations means the rough, craggy texture of the hostile terrain comes to life.

It’s an impressive picture. And Sony makes it look so easy.

The set’s upscaling talents deserve high praise, too. Whether you’re watching old Blackadder episodes on DVD or standard definition daytime telly, you’ll still find fuzzy edges, noisy backgrounds and flatter colours. But it’s still watchable, and enjoyable, too.

MORE: What is Ultra HD TV and 4K TV? Everything you need to know

Singing the 55XE9305’s praises doesn’t mean it’s picture perfect. We’ve yet to receive 2017 TVs from rival manufacturers, but there’s an inkling that we could see more detail in dark scenes on the Sony.

We’d like a touch more texture and subtlety in black areas and shadowy corners in Star Wars: The Force Awakens – it would give the picture that bit more depth and realism.

There’s also a tiny hint of backlight bleeding in from the bottom left corner, but it’s not strong or intrusive enough to mar our enjoyment of the picture. The Sony’s edge-lit LED backlighting is otherwise even throughout the screen.

In fact, this 55in Sony is such an innately confident and competent picture, we don’t feel the need to turn on any extra processing. There’s also an HDR mode that boosts the contrast of standard content, but we find it skews the colours and contrast balance too much.

We’d turn down the brightness, contrast and clarity a notch to make the picture look more natural, but apart from that, it’s best to leave all additional processing on the 55in Sony off.

MORE: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray – all the 4K discs on sale and coming soon

Sound

We can add good sound quality to the 55in Sony’s list of accomplishments.

This 55XE9305 sounds more robust than we’ve heard on past Sony flatscreens. It keeps that snappy rhythm and clarity we’re used to hearing on Sony TVs, but adds more body and solidity to the previously thin and treble-heavy sound.

Unlike the usual down-firing speakers you get in most TVs, the KD-55XE9305 has front-facing three-way speakers with a total of 50W of power.

It explains why the voices are more forward and direct. David Attenborough’s distinguished narration comes through clearly on Planet Earth II, while even the dramatic soundtrack is delivered with enough punch and exciting dynamics to keep us hooked on to every gripping scene in the nature series. That’s impressive for any TV.

It’s no substitute for a dedicated soundbar or speaker package when it comes to film soundtracks or delivering the real grunt of explosions and action scenes, but we are perfectly happy watching The Man in the High Castle episodes with just the sound from the TV’s speakers.

Features

We’re now in an era where the latest smart and streaming features on a new 4K TV are almost as big a selling point as the picture quality. The Sony KD-55XE9305 is no exception, having just about every useful feature and app you can think of.

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube are your go-to services for original 4K and HDR content, as well as being a portal to more films, TV shows and funny cat videos than you could ever hope to see.

Just make sure you have the appropriate broadband speed if you want to watch 4K HDR quality. Sony offers wi-fi and wired options; but as usual we’d recommend a wired connection for better stability.

The KD-55XE9305 also comes with built-in YouView. That not only gives you a snazzy EPG that’s nice to use, but also access to all of UK’s catch-up TV services: BBC iPlayer, All 4, ITV Player and My5.

All those apps (and lots more via the Google Play Store) can be selected from the Sony TV’s homepage, which is once again hosted by Android TV.

MORE: Best TV deals – smart, HD, 4K TV

The interface remains the same as last year: rows of apps, settings and recommendations all sorted in separate categories. It’s easy to get to grips with, although we wish bringing up the homepage didn’t take over the entire screen.

You don’t get that with Samsung or LG TVs’ interfaces – their minimalist approach involves a single row of options that don’t obstruct the screen. We’d like something similar from the Android experience: a layout that doesn’t cut off what we’re watching when browsing apps or settings would be welcome.

Sony has a halfway option in its Content Bar. Press the ‘Discover’ button on the remote, and a row of recommended shows from the channels and apps you’ve been watching will pop up. The more shows you watch on your TV, the more these selections will be fine tuned to your tastes.

Other features include GoogleCast and DLNA, which let you stream or mirror content from your smart devices to the TV’s screen over wi-fi.

Build

The Sony KD-55XE9305 is a wonderfully minimalist design. The 55in LCD screen is left exposed with only a slim black bezel surrounding the frame. It looks sleek and smart.

The rectangular pedestal stand is a welcome sight, too. Unlike the fancy, length-spanning designs, this understated aluminium stand is far more practical. The Sony 55in screen’s small footprint means the TV will easily fit on most TV racks.

It may be understated, but everything about the Sony XE93 is designed to be practical and work seamlessly. Sony’s remote control follows this ethos: it’s a simple, logical layout with a matte rubber finish that feels nice without being flashy.

There’s a slight delay between pressing a button and the command happening on screen – but it’s something we could imagine getting used to with daily use.

The back of the TV deserves a mention, too. The XE93 borrows the grid-like pattern from the flagship ZD9 series to give you the illusion of a seamless one-piece panel. But it’s actually cleverly hiding all of the TV’s connections under multiple panels.

Pop the panels off, and you’ll find a generous helping of connections. There are four HDMI inputs – all functioning to the latest HDCP 2.2 standard, which means they are fully capable of playing 4K and HDR content.

Three USB ports are available for playing stored media files, while one can also handle HD recordings. Along with legacy composite and component inputs, there’s an optical digital output, and Freeview HD and twin satellite tuners.

Sony has also designed some clever cable management that loops through the panels and down through the stand’s hollow feet, so you never have to see unsightly wires hanging down when you’re watching TV.

Verdict

Sony has set the bar for all 2017 4K HDR TVs to come. This 55in TV isn’t just a tour de force of the latest TV tech and features; it’s simply a wonderful set to watch.

At £2400, the price is higher than we’d usually see for a 55in LCD TV. Last year’s model, the KD-55XD9305, was £2000 when we first tested it, but the current political climate means we’ll be seeing a lot more increases in prices throughout the tech world.

But this Sony TV is unquestionably worth the premium pricing. If this is the level of performance we can expect from 4K HDR TVs this year, we’re very excited.

See all our Sony reviews

Not everyone needs top-of-the-line kit to do the job at hand. Sometimes you just need the basics done well.

Sony has become a near-permanent resident in the more affordable end of our Blu-ray player Awards in recent years for just that reason, and the Sony BDP-S6700 looks well-placed to try and continue that streak.

It sits in the middle of Sony’s budget player line-up (the next one up is last year’s Award winner, the Sony BDP-S7200), but rather than furnish it with a long list of features or impressive specs, Sony has directed all of its efforts towards delivering an excellent core performance for the money.

MORE: Sony BDP-S7200 review

Features

Unfortunately this does mean it wears its affordable price tag on its sleeve. Boxy, plasticky and almost alarmingly lightweight, the design of the Sony BDP-S6700 Blu-ray player is uninspiring to say the least. Luckily it’s also small and slim enough that it can be tucked away on any rack with ease.

It’s happening more and more at this end of the market, but there’s no display on the BDP-S6700. It’s an understandable cost-saving move, but it’s one of the things we miss most on players at this price all the same.

Connectivity is kept simple but effective, with single HDMI and coaxial outs and a USB port on the front for loading media for playback.

There’s also Bluetooth on board and dual-band wi-fi, with the wi-fi module placed front and centre for the strongest connection. There’s an ethernet port too for the most stable streaming.

Alongside regular Blu-rays and DVDs, 3D Blu-ray playback is also supported for those still interested in the format.

You’ll just need to make sure you have the discs and the display to support it, as many 2016 TVs are dropping it from their spec sheets.

MORE: Best home cinema deals – Blu-ray players, AV receivers, projectors and more

Getting the player online is covered in the quick and simple on-screen set-up guide you’ll get when you first turn on the machine.

Once connected, you’ll have access to a decent selection of apps, including Amazon Video, Netflix, Spotify and YouTube, and all UK catch-up services via YouView. You can choose your favourites to pin to the homepage for quick access.

Music playback is covered off pretty well, with support for higher quality FLAC, WAV and DSD files out of the box, as well as SACDs.

It’s also DLNA-compliant for playing back content from other devices on your home network, such as a PC or NAS drive.

MORE: How to watch catch-up TV and streaming video

Even better, with Sony’s SongPal smartphone app (Android and iOS), the BDP-S6700 can form part of a multi-room system, meaning you can push music from the player (including CDs or music from a USB stick) to other Sony products around your house, including speakers and soundbars.

You’ll have to download the Video & TV SideView app if you want to control the more standard functions of the Blu-ray player from your smartphone or tablet, but there’s a simple but effective remote included in the box as well.

Finding your way around the menus, whether playing a disc, browsing smart services, pairing Bluetooth devices or tweaking settings is easily done – the tiled homepage is well laid out and easy to navigate, while the dual-core processor ensures you’re not kept waiting.

Menus are quick and responsive, and discs load in good time.

Picture

Settling down to a Blu-ray of Guardians Of The Galaxy, the Sony BDP-S6700 wastes no time in showing us exactly where the money has been spent, with a sharp, punchy picture that’s crystal clear and free from noise.

Textures on faces and clothing are faithfully reproduced, outlines are well etched and the whole picture has real sense of depth and believability, thanks to the level of detail this player is able to display.

Colours are vibrant too, without ever appearing overdone. As Peter Quill dances his way through a murky Morag, the red glowing eyes of the Star-Lord’s helmet shine with real intensity against the dark, foreboding surroundings.

And that’s another triumph – as strong as the S6700 is with colour, it shines with dark scenes too. Shadow detail is excellent, and the way it portrays dark and light elements together without them affecting one another shows real talent too.

MORE: 4K Ultra HD TV - everything you need to know

Having seen what real 4K Blu-ray has to offer though, we’re not too convinced on this player’s 4K upscaling ability. It’s a sharp, detailed picture for sure, but don’t expect it to come close to the real thing in terms of colour, contrast or subtlety.

However, its upscaling does a grand job with DVDs. Although there is an expected increase in noise and a drop in detail levels, particularly in dark scenes, it still produces a wholly watchable picture that keeps colours as punchy and motion as stable as it does with Blu-ray.

The on-board streamer does a good job for this price too. It’s a stable performer that buffers quickly and provides solid playback with much of the same character as we see elsewhere.

We do notice a few more issues with motion than you will with a physical disc, and an understandable drop in insight, but that has much more to do with the limitations of streaming than it does the player.

MORE: Blu-ray vs 4K Blu-ray vs 4K streaming: which is best?

Sound

As for its sound, the BDP-S6700 doesn’t do a bad job at all. We might want for a touch more warmth and expression in the midrange, but it’s a balanced performance, never sounding small or thin.

In fact, bass-heavy explosions are tackled with a surprising sense of confidence, while its fast and agile character delivers good organisation to soundtracks, and shows a decent understanding of dynamics too.

This translates to its musical performance as well. We wouldn’t use it as a day-to-day CD player – there's not enough detail, here – but for casual music playback, its well-organised and enthusiastic performance gets your toes tapping.

MORE: A list of all the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs on sale

Verdict

With the BDP-S6700, Sony has proved once again that it knows how to play the budget market to a tee, focusing on delivering an outstanding performance at a competitive price.

If you’re not ready to make the jump to 4K Blu-ray just yet, this player will make the most of your Blu-ray collection until you are, and might just leave you enough budget for a few new Blu-rays while you’re at it.

MORE: Best Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray players 2016

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It isn’t often hi-fi equipment brings to mind Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Moreover, to compare Denon’s D-M40DAB micro system and its predecessor, the D-M39DAB, to the Russian’s novella The Double would be somewhat crass.

Video review

Still, we are. Because, basically, the two systems look the same but their sounds are really quite different.

We say they look the same, but there have been subtle changes throughout, ranging from the incidental (the remote control now has a matt finish) to the rather more effective.

Build

First things first: you won’t struggle setting this up – everything you need is in the box, including speaker cable, and all you have to do is plug it in – but it is worth taking a little care over placement.

This isn’t a system for expensive equipment supports, but we tried a couple of tables and a bookshelf to see what it would do to the balance (we preferred the latter, if you’re interested).

If you’re looking for a system to fill a certain space, you can always fiddle with the EQ settings; you may just need to experiment a little to arrive at the sound we’re about to describe.

Sound

In short, it is impressive. We load the CD of Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat’s album Everything’s Getting Older and are struck by the improvement on the Denon D-M39 – our 2014 Award-winner in this bracket.

There is more detail, most noticeably in the midrange and bass, better organisation and more confidence and space in the treble. Moffat’s vocals on Let’s Stop Here feel more alive.

Plugging an iPod into the front-panel USB input (which now accepts AAC, WAV and FLAC, as well as the WMA and MP3 of its predecessor) we play Death From Above 1979’s Turn It Out to much the same effect.

A relatively rough-and-ready recording with heaps of bass and crashing cymbals each setting their own perennially changing rhythms – there’s a lot of potential for any system to get this wrong.

Yet the D-M40 spits it out with ease. It finds that balance between weight, detail and attack in the bass, while timing so well you’re almost terrified into moving your feet.

MORE: Best hi-fi systems 2015

Features

So what has Denon actually done to achieve this? There’s an improved 192kHz/32 bit digital-to-analogue converter, for a start, and a more sensitive DAB and FM tuner, too, feeding a pair of upgraded speakers.

Take off their front grilles and you’ll find a new dust-cap on the bass and midrange driver, designed to smooth the peak at high frequencies, and inside there are further build and motor-system changes for more precise piston movement with less distortion.

Small engineering modifications in the tweeter make it more precise too, and new gold-plated speaker terminals on the main unit mean they won’t deteriorate.

The thought Denon has put into improving an award-winning product is evident. In its usability, there are obvious things, such as the second optical input (for TV and whatnot) and new three-way gain control in the headphone amp.

There are subtler ones too, such as the new finish and marginal increase in size of the volume knob making it that little bit easier to turn, that new finish on the remote not showing up so many grubby mitt marks. It all counts.

Verdict

All this micro system is lacking is Bluetooth or wireless capability, which is provided by many of its competitors at this price.

Otherwise, we really can’t find a bad thing to say about the D-M40; the sound is well balanced, detailed and full of character, with the speakers and CD-receiver – which you can buy separately for £250 – finely matched.

We experimented by swapping the speakers for a pair of Q Acoustics 3010 (£140), and wouldn’t be able to justify the extra outlay. If it’s this kind of thing you want, we wouldn’t hesitate.

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There were plenty of tablets and even more wireless speakers at this year's CES, so perhaps it was no surprise to find a device that pairs the two together.

Billed as a "smart speaker", the Zettaly Avy is a Bluetooth speaker complete with a 7in, 1024 x 600 resolution, Android 5.0 interface, which effectively gives you a full tablet experience within the speaker.

The OS operates as you'd expect so you can download apps, from Spotify to YouTube, and take advantage of the screen and the speakers. There's an internal memory (8 or 32GB) and an SD card slot.

Round the back you'll find an HDMI output for connecting to your TV, while a built-in mic means it can also double as a speaker phone. A rechargeable battery makes the Avy portable for up to seven hours.

Zettaly is billed as "a small startup founded by a Googler and a few veterans of the consumer electronics industry", and this is the company's second public pitch for investment following the successfully shipped PowerX.

The Avy speaker is set to cost $169. Head to the funding page for more information on the product.

MORE: CES 2015 Unveiled highlights

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Remaking or ‘rebooting’ a cult classic tends to lead to no end of trouble. Thankfully, RoboCop isn’t the train wreck it could so easily have been.

That’s not to say it’s a patch on the original. Let’s get something straight: this is inferior in nearly every way. But it does have some merits, and doesn’t deserve to be dismissed too quickly.

The premise is mostly the same. A policeman (‘Cop’) is severely injured in the line of duty, and then made into a machine (‘Robo’) by an evil organisation. It’s a chance to bash the corporate world. In 1987, it was done with panache: lashings of biting satire on top of the so-nasty-it’s-funny sort of childish ultraviolence.

That’s largely been replaced with a straight-up political angle. Hey, drones are topical, let’s mention those! Without the humour, it’s less effective.

Where this version succeeds is in its boldness. It doesn’t slavishly repeat the original.

There are a few references for the scrutinising fans, but for better or worse this mostly charts its own course. Alex Murphy is no longer a machine slowly regaining his humanity: he is now man coping with robotic bits.

This allows for elements of body horror, which are effective. It also raises questions about the ethics of man-machine integration.

Sadly, that’s all undermined by one-dimensional characters with very little to do. Grieving wife, check. Leather-clad mobsters, check. At least Gary Oldman has a decent role as a conflicted scientist reluctantly following corporate bosses, while Samuel L Jackson is shoutier than ever as a militant TV show host.

It doesn’t help that the action is uninspired. RoboCop never does anything particularly smart or cool. Instead, the film periodically becomes a bland videogame with an uncharismatic Iron Man clone.

Thankfully, it sounds thrilling. Robocop’s mechanical footsteps are wonderfully bass-heavy, and bound to annoy your neighbours in DTS HD Master Audio 5.1.

The Zimmer-lite soundtrack is easily forgotten, but it does have a pounding enthusiasm – and Basil Poledouris’s original main theme is kept intact. It looks good too, with a surprising amount of colour in what could have been very grey.

Ultimately, this RoboCop is occasionally fun (if rarely memorable) as long as you approach it with an open mind. It’s certainly a lot more enjoyable than RoboCop 2 or 3. We wouldn’t buy that for a dollar – but we might stream it on Netflix.

Extras

• Deleted Scenes
• Original trailer
• Omnicorp product announcements
• The Illusion Of Free Will
• To Serve And Protect
• The Robocop Suit

The Sony KDL-40HX853 stands out from its rivals, not least because of its distinctive design. Like the excellent 46in and 55in screens in the HX series we’ve tested, the KDL-40HX853 uses the tough Gorilla Glass screen that’s used widely in smartphones.

The 40in screen sits atop a full-width plinth, at a relaxed angle. The plinth also houses the speaker system, giving the Sony an edge in sound quality over rival TVs. As a result, sound is marginally more substantial and has less of a sibilant edge here, with dialogue easier to hear.

Sony KDL-40HX853: Picture quality
But it’s with picture performance that this Sony positively shines. Clarity and detail definition are remarkable, with the TV effortlessly bringing out subtle impressions of texture and colour where most rivals struggle. Put on the Blu-ray of Star Trek and it manages to pick out stars that were hidden on other sets.

The LED backlighting shows its talent as well, maintaining black levels that are smooth and deep, making the bright flashes of flares and sparks all the more punchy and exciting. The Panasonic TX-P42GT50 plasma still fares better with lowlight detail, but the Sony’s colour balance strikes a more neutral, natural balance.

We switch to Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol to test upscaling to 1080p, and we keep forgetting that we’re watching a DVD rather than a Blu-ray. Images are clear and crisp, with no noise or blurring.

The Sony may have to battle it out with Samsung's UE40ES8000 when it comes to outright detail refinement with Blu-ray content, but the KDL-40HX853 is far better at upscaling.

Sony KDL-40HX853: 3D performance
The Sony is an active 3D set, and comes with chunky rechargeable glasses. (Extras will cost £60 a pair.) You can feel your eyes working – passive sets such as the LG offer more comfortable viewing – but the smooth motion and sense of depth immerses you into the beautiful Victorian world of Hugo.

There’s no Freesat tuner, but tuning Freeview HD channels is a fast and painless process. Sony’s XrossMediaBar is one of the best graphic interfaces we know – it even has little pop-ups explaining what each option does when you pause over the menus.

And while most other TVs require you to remember which input you’ve used, this Sony helpfully adds a little graphic next to the input in use – it’s a little thing, but it makes such a difference to the user.

The remote control is a comparatively slim affair, and is highly responsive with intuitively placed buttons.

Along with the ability to play multimedia content from devices over your home network, there are dedicated tabs for on-demand music and video, as well as widgets for Facebook and Twitter.

The Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) hub offers you HD movies from LoveFilm, TV shows from BBC iPlayer and Demand 5, web browsing and game apps, all neatly arranged in grids.

Sony KDL-40HX853: VerdictThere’s plenty on offer from the Sony KDL-40HX853, and its price tag of £1000 makes it a highly desirable TV. With its brilliant picture performance, features and great design, it’s the one to beat.

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Update 09.06.11

HP will start selling the wi-fi version of its new TouchPad tablet in the UK from mid-July, it announced today, at prices of £399 (16GB) and £479 (32GB).

That exactly matches Apple's prices for the 16GB and 32GB wi-fi iPad2.

Pre-orders will start on Sunday, June 19th.

Published 10.02.11

With 2011 set to be the year that tablets become mainstream, Hewlett-Packard is the latest to enter the fray with its iPad-challenging TouchPad.

Develped by Palm (although it won't use the Palm name), the TouchPad is based on the webOS operating system. It packs a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon chip, Beats by Dr Dre stereo sound, 1GB of RAM, 16-32GB of storage and the usual cluster of sensors into a 13mm slab with a 1024x768 9.7in screen.

Neat touches include a resizable keyboard, wireless charging (via the Touchstone dock) and the by-now-requisite case/stand/keyboard add-ons to make sure your netbook never sees the light of day again.

HP has played to its strengths, too, and added wireless printing, backwards compatible with its recent printers. There's video calling via a 1.3MP webcam, full-fat web browsing with Flash and touch-to-share, a physical bump sync to get your HP Pre3 and/or Veer smartphone on the same page.

A wi-fi version will be heading Stateside in summer, with 3G (and 4G) versions to follow. No word on a European release yet, but it's unlikely to be before that.

As well as announcing the TouchPad, HP also revealed details of its two new smartphones. The Veer is about the size of a credit card with a 2.6in screen and 8GB of storage.

The Pre3 smartphone has a 3.6-inch diagonal screen, slide-out keyboard, video calling capability and 16 or 32 gigabytes of storage.

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Having a TV that can offer to stream good quality, video and music content over the internet is all well and good. But, if your TV doesn't sit near to an internet router, accessing this content can be quite tricky.

One option is to buy a wireless dongle; but some TVs will work only with a manufacturer's own dongle – and they can cost upwards of £50. A neater option would be to buy a TV with built-in wireless connectivity. That's where this TV comes in.

This screen comes from Sony's Network range. It uses an edge-lit LED backlight and features Sony's Bravia Engine 3 picture processor and other picture enhancing technologies such as Motionflow 100Hz.

Two of the four HDMI inputs are tucked into a recess at the back, so plugging in less-flexible cables is more of a challenge, but wall mounting is easier.

The chunky remote is quite long, but the buttons are quick to respond and the blue backlight makes it easy to use in a darkened room.

Wireless connectivity is convenient
Setting up a wireless connection is straightforward. With the Xross Media Bar interface, you can track down your router and hook up in a couple of button clicks.

Having this wireless connectivity is a convenient touch, but it counts for little if picture quality isn't up to scratch. And the '40NX703 has its strengths and weaknesses.

In isolation, the set produces a pleasing picture. Images from the Freeview HD tuner are as stable and well-defined as you'd hope for. A few edge-lit TVs we've seen have suffered from a worryingly uneven backlight, but our sample showed no such issues – black levels remained consistently deep and rich.

Yet the very best screens at this price can deliver extra detail, and whiter whites. The colour balance isn't up to the standard of TVs in other Sony ranges, with skintones appearing a touch unnatural.

Sound quality is decent for the money. The built-in speakers don't sound thin, but they could sound more open and dynamic.

If you need a TV with wireless connection, the '40NX703 carries out the task very well. But, if top-drawer picture performance is your main priority then there are other TVs in other Sony ranges that fit this brief better.

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Danish speaker specialist Audiovector has an interesting approach to design. It makes a full range of speakers, from standmounters to subwoofers, but has only a single cabinet design for each type. The cabinet is then equipped with varying grades of drive unit and crossover to make up a range.

This engineering approach makes upgrading easy. All you have to do to get a better sound is replace the drivers and crossover with those from a model above.

This is done at the factory and costs the difference in price between the two models, plus another 30 per cent to cover costs. The S1 standmounter range kicks off at £1175 and goes up to £3500 for the range-topper.

Audiovector takes speed and dynamics very seriously. To this end this speaker's mid/bass driver has a light diaphragm, good heat dissipation and an open chassis design to reduce compression at high volumes.

The tweeter is special, too. Ribbon tweeters are a rarity, and good ones produce a fast, crisp and detailed sound that's hard to get any other way.

In this case the tweeter's rearward output is fired out of a hole in the back of the cabinet. Not only does this allow the unit extra dynamic freedom, it creates a wider spread of sound, making stereo imaging more convincing.

Simple circuit has useful benefits
The speaker's crossover is extremely minimalist, having just one component in line with each drive unit. The potential advantages of such a simple circuit are improved punch, dynamics and detail.

This purist approach to crossover design is difficult to get right, as it places high demands on the drive units to ensure a well-balanced sound.

The use of a ribbon tweeter makes integration even harder to accomplish, so it's no small compliment for us to say that Audiovector has got it mostly right, even if the tonal balance veers towards being lean in the midrange and dry overall.

These monitors are effortlessly forceful in their presentation. Feed them Timbaland's Shock Value II and they'll charge along with glee. Low frequencies have a pleasing kick, while the rest of the frequency range brims with agility and insight.

The S1s are deeply impressive in the way they define the leading and trailing edges of notes: their precise delivery makes most rivals sound blurred in comparison.

They keep the music in check
No matter how complex the music, these S1s keep it all in check. Some may find all the control a little overbearing, robbing as it does a little of the music's flow.

But the benefits are obvious when it comes to insight. In addition, these speakers have little to fear from any rival when asked to unravel a complex recording.

They uncover much information and deliver it in a cohesive manner. Even the most demanding of rhythms – think Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring or Radiohead's 15 Step – make musical sense.

When it comes to managing precision and complexity, few speakers can compete. But there are shortcomings. The S1s are not particularly good at communicating music's natural warmth or muscularity.

Small-scale recordings like The XX's Stars lose intimacy, while grander productions such as Holst's Mars also suffer as a result.

Partner with top-class amps
Like most standmounters, the S1s benefit from a rigid stand. And as with any quality speaker you'll need top-class sources and amplification. The amp doesn't necessarily need masses of power – we got fine results with Unison Research's 35 Watt per channel S9 integrated – but quality has to be spot on.

Take the time to pamper the S1 Avantgardes with an appropriate system, careful positioning (away from all walls with a degree of toe-in towards the listening position) and rigid stands, and you'll end up with impressively accomplished stereo imaging.

The speaker layers the soundstage beautifully and delivers exceptional image precision.

There's no denying this Audiovector's talents. If speed, agility and dynamics are your thing, they're in pole position at this price level.

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Hot on the heels of a very solid display from SoundMAGIC's PL30s last month come the upgraded PL50s, also supplied by hifiheadphones.co.uk.

The big news is that the '50s boast balanced armature drivers, which are designed to improve efficiency and sound quality, and are usually seen on earphones costing much more than £55.

What's most impressive about the PL50s is how unobtrusive they are, both in terms of fit and performance.

Take some time to find the right buds for your ear (there are seven pairs in the box) and the fit is snug and comfortable enough to make it easy to forget they're there.

Smooth, spacious and flowing
Then there's the sound; all smooth, spacious and flowing, with nary a hint of anything harsh. Play Bombay Bicycle Club's Always Like This and (assuming you've got a good fit) the bassline bounces along in playful, infectious style, feeding up to full, clear vocals, and creating all-round envelopment.

As we've mentioned, there's no harshness here, but it's also fair to say that the treble is a little behind the mid and bass in the mix.

It isn't as sparkly as the best either, and there are rivals with greater overall attack.

However, if you're the kind of person who frequently finds the average in-ear a bit uncomfortable, either sonically or physically, these may well be for you.

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While the service was upgraded to give more people access to Channel Five, up to 460,000 households are expected to lose access to ITV3 and ITV4.

To make matters worse, around 20,000 set-top boxes from makers such as Bush and Daewoo could stop working after the re-tune. Those affected are: the Daewoo DS608P and SV900, Labgear DTT100, Triax DVB2000T and Bush IDVCR01.

A Freeview spokeperson says viewers with problems should try again.

In a statement, it says: "The majority of people find retuning straightforward, but if viewers are experiencing problems, we would suggest trying again."

If you were thinking about calling Freeview for a bit of advice, you might want to think again. Freeview is reporting more than 200 calls a minute to its Helpline (08701 111 270), with many callers being told no more calls were being accepted due to “high call volumes”.

Not helping the situation, Freeview has also admitted that its website is crashing under the pressure of people logging on for advice, and is only working “intermittently”.

Ilse Howling, managing director of Freeview, defends the retune programme: "These are significant and necessary changes which will immediately bring Freeview viewers new channels, introduce new homes to existing channels and prepare the platform for the future availability of Freeview HD."

Have you had trouble retuning to Freeview? If so, let us know.