The Indulgence Show takes place in London this October By Max Langridge The inaugural Indulgence Show will see “the full hi-fi experience back in London for the first time in years”, with three zones on high-end hi-fi, portable audio and lifestyle products.
LG's new V20 smartphone boasts a Quad Hi-Fi DAC and B&O Play headpones By Max Langridge LG's new premium V20 smartphone has a serious hi-fi slant thanks to a built-in 32-bit, Quad Hi-Fi DAC, and the fact it comes with a pair of B&O headphones...
Sony's PS4 Pro is a 4K HDR PlayStation, sort of By Max Langridge Sony has launched the PS4 Pro, a brand new, 4K and HDR compatible PlayStation. The only drawback is that it doesn't support 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays...
Tannoy to keep Prestige speaker production in Scotland By Max Langridge Following Tannoy’s takeover by Music Group, and the rumours suggesting moving production to China, the company has said it will keep production in Scotland and is considering a brand new factory.
Weekend Wrap: BBC Proms in 3D, 4K Chromecast, B&O Play autumnal colours and Teufel in-ear headphones By Max Langridge With all the news coming out from IFA, you'd be forgiven for forgetting there's plenty of activity going on away from the show. This week there's news that the BBC has recorded some of the Proms in binaural 3D sound, and Pioneer and Onkyo have become the latest hardware partners to use DTS's Play-Fi wireless streaming technology.
Pure introduces Evoke H series of digital radios By Max Langridge Pure is calling the new range an “evolution of an icon” as it succeeds the Evoke D series that included the Award-winning Evoke D2.
Klipsch launches Stream multi-room audio system at IFA 2016 By Max Langridge Klipsch is entering the multi-room audio system market for the first time with a number of speakers, soundbars, audio converters and USB DACs, all of which use DTS Play-Fi technology to stream from almost any audio source.
BBC iPlayer users will require a TV licence from 1st September By Max Langridge Every household in the UK wanting to use BBC iPlayer will have to pay the TV licence fee from September 2016 - previously it was free if you only watched catch-up content.
Leema Acoustics celebrates 10 years of the Tucana amp with Anniversary edition By Max Langridge The first Tucana integrated amplifier was released 10 years ago - it was also Leema’s first electronics product. To commemorate the occasion, Leema has announced a special Anniversary edition that features several upgrades over the Tucana MKII.
Sony introduces Xperia XZ and X Compact smartphones with triple image sensing technology By Max Langridge Sony has once again used the IFA show in Berlin to announce new smartphones. The XZ is the first flagship of Sony’s new Xperia X series of smartphones but the Compact still delivers a premium performance. Both come fitted with Sony’s latest smartphone camera technology which includes laser autofocus.
Onkyo unveils LS5200 2.1 home cinema system alongside network stereo and AV receivers By Max Langridge Onkyo says the trio of products are the result of 70 years of “audio design excellence”. Designed as lifestyle components, they support a range of streaming services and can form part of a multi-room system.
Libratone launches its first headphone range, including Lightning in-ears By Max Langridge Better known for wireless speakers and soundbars, Libratone has launched its first range of headphones, featuring adjustable noise cancellation technology and a Lightning connector.
What Hi-Fi? 40th anniversary issue on sale now! By Max Langridge What Hi-Fi? turns 40 this year, and to celebrate we’ve filled the latest issue with 50 extra pages, in which we look at some of the best products - and the flops - of the past 40 years. There’s the usual selection of First Tests, a three-way stereo speaker showdown and a round up of wireless radios, plus the chance to win £20,000 worth of kit! All this and more in the must-have 40th Anniversary issue.
IFA 2016: Panasonic unveils DMP-UB700 affordable Ultra HD Blu-ray player By Max Langridge The UB700 is said to offer many of the same features as the DMP-UB900 including High Dynamic Range, but in a more wallet-friendly package.
IFA 2016: AKG introduces N40 in-ear headphones with customised sound filters By Max Langridge AKG has chosen IFA 2016 to unveil its N40 in-ears, the latest addition to the firm’s N-series of headphones, which includes the Award-winning N60 NC noise-cancelling model.
The £3699 oBravo EAMT-1s - the world’s most expensive in-ear headphones? By Max Langridge How much are you willing to spend in the pursuit of perfect sound? How about £3699 for the EAMT-1s? They use a custom-design Hybrid Dynamic AMT drive unit and can be used with smartphones and portable audio players.
Bang & Olufsen unveils BeoSound 1 and 2 wireless speakers, plus new 4K Ultra HD TV By Max Langridge The BeoSound 1 and BeoSound 2 are the latest additions to B&O’s range of wireless speakers. Supporting a number of streaming options including Google Cast, DLNA and Bluetooth, they can also be used as part of the BeoLink multi-room platform. B&O has also launched a new 4K Ultra HD TV, the BeoVision Horizon.
Tannoy celebrates 90 years with limited edition Gold Reference speaker By Max Langridge Tannoy’s 90th birthday may have been overshadowed by news of the company’s Scottish manufacturing plant being under threat of closure, but that hasn’t stopped the firm producing a limited edition Gold Reference GRF 90 loudspeaker, with just 90 pairs being made.
Chord Electronics officially launches SPM 1050 MKII power amplifier By Max Langridge We first saw the SPM 1050 MKII at the Munich High End Show, but few details were released. Now ready for a worldwide launch, it features aesthetic improvements as well as the latest Chord amp technology.
Spotify confirms 39 million paying subscribers By Max Langridge Despite newer competition from the likes of Apple Music and Tidal, Spotify continues to grow at a rapid rate.
Pioneer launches trio of network CD receiver systems By Max Langridge Pioneer’s new models support network streaming services, with multi-room audio support to follow via a firmware update. CD playback, DAB and Internet radio also feature across the range.
RHA to launch two pairs of in-ear headphones and its first headphone amp at IFA 2016 By Max Langridge British manufacturer RHA will be taking three new products from its personal audio range to Berlin next week, including its first portable DAC and headphone amplifier, the Dacamp L1.
Wharfedale officially announces wireless Diamond Active speakers By Max Langridge We first caught glimpse of the A1 bookshelf model at the Bristol Show in February, but now Wharfedale has revealed more details, along with the A2 floorstanding pair.
Wednesday Wrap: new OnePlus product, Pure Siesta S2, and an end to streaming exclusives? By Max Langridge It's a packed Wrap this week, with fresh products from OnePlus, Pure and Teufel, plus more news from the streaming music world.
Amazon plans £5 per month music streaming service for its Echo speaker By Max Langridge Industry analysts claim that online retail giant Amazon is looking to release an unlimited, ad-free music streaming service for half the standard price of Spotify and Apple Music, but there’s a catch…