April has come and gone, and what a month it was. Not only did our team of hi-fi and home cinema experts run a Vinyl Week special event in the run up to Record Store Day 2025, we also reviewed a multitude of new products.
These ranged from Temptation-level turntables to affordable wireless earbuds and mid-range Mini LED TVs.
From this conga line of products passing through our review rooms, only nine impressed enough to earn five-star ratings and a place in our latest Pick of the Month column.
Here is what you need to know about them.
1. Vertere SG-1/Xtrax
The Vertere SG-1/Xtrax is a premium turntable that is sure to turn heads, featuring an atypical see through design. It was also one of the first products to earn a five-star rating from our reviewers last month.
The unit retails for £44,605 / $58,893 / AU$92,880, which puts it firmly in Temptation territory and well beyond most people’s price range. But if you can afford it, there’s plenty to like about the Vertere SG-1/Xtrax.
For starters, there’s a reason for the design, with Vertre choosing the see-through CNC-machined cast acrylic used in its stacked design for its solid rigidity and low resonance properties. The same care has been given to every material and design decision.
Whether its the aerospace-grade phosphor bronze housing, its beautifully machined aluminium platter, or the atypical 24-pole Swiss-made synchronous motor powering its drive system, every aspect of the SG-1/Xtrax is beautiful to behold.
Which is why our Global Technical Editor, Ketan Bharadia described it as, “spectacular in appearance, engineering and sound quality" when we reviewed it.
Score: 5/5
Read our full Vertere SG-1/Xtrax review
2. Pro-Ject T1 Evo BT
The Pro-Ject T1 Evo BT is the second record player to appear in this month’s column. The unit retails for £479 / $599 / AU$870, putting it firmly in the more affordable end of the market.
The unit is designed for buyers looking to take their first proper step into vinyl, offering users a simple to set up spinner with the added flexibility of modern Bluetooth connectivity – making it easy to stream music to Bluetooth speakers, wireless headphones or all-in-one systems.
While we found it’s not quite as plug and play as Pro-Ject claims, with its tracking weight requiring some manual adjustment, there’s no denying it is one of the most accessible record players in its class.
Though some similarly priced purist options offer more sonic punch, it’s a solid performer when it comes to audio quality.
Paired with our reference Naim Nait XS 3 amp and Epos ES7N speakers it delivered solid levels of detail and a generally smooth, fluid sound. Hence our reviewers conclusion:
“Pro-Ject’s straightforward T1 Evo BT sets a new standard for Bluetooth turntables at this price – for its simplicity, flexibility and performance, it’s a winner of a spinner.”
Score: 5/5
Read our full Pro-Ject T1 Evo BT review
3. Sony WF-C710N
The Sony WF-C710N is the successor to a long-standing recommendation in our best wireless earbuds guide, the Sony WF-C700N. After testing them for weeks, our reviewers were pleased to report they are a solid step forward on their sibling.
At a technical level Sony has added key improvements including adding an extra mic to each bud, which helps improve noise cancellation and call quality and lengthened their battery life to eight hours listening. The older C700N tapped out at seven hours.
Most importantly though, they sound better. During our checks, the WF-C710N delivered clear, detailed audio with solid dynamics and a more fulsome and controlled low end than their predecessors.
As we said in our Sony WF-C710N review:
“Sony’s knack for producing brilliant budget wireless earbuds continues with the WF-C710N. They’re comfortable, capable noise-cancellers that deliver a grown-up performance for not a huge amount of money.”
This is why we now recommend them as the best budget ANC earbuds in multiple of our buying guides.
Score: 5/5
Read our full Sony WF-C710N review
4. Epson EH-QB1000
The Epson EH-QB1000 is the latest “proper” projector to pass through our viewing rooms.
Designed for proper home cinemas with a full-fat surround sound system and separate source, the Laser-lit LCD projector can throw up a 50-300-inch screen and comes with an eye-catching specifications sheet.
These include an atypically high 3300 lumens peak brightness and dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1 – the latter being all but unheard of on a projector at this price.
The inclusion of two next generation console-ready inputs capable of 4K/120Hz playback and ALLM are also rare sights that piqued our reviewers’ interest when they unboxed the unit last month.
Thankfully, the specifications weren’t the only good thing about it. Though it takes some manual tweaking to get the best results, once done the unit delivers excellent picture quality.
Running the Epson EH-QB1000 through our standard suite of comparative checks, the projector delivered a uniformly bright, colourful, performance that looked great – especially with HDR content.
Hence our reviewers’ conclusion:
“If you want a projector that can really make something of HDR without blowing a black level gasket in a dark room and without spending multiple tens of thousands of pounds, you absolutely owe it to yourself to check out the Epson QB1000.”
Score: 5/5
Read our full Epson EH-QB1000 review
5. Sony Bravia 7 (K55XR70)
Sony’s 2024 gamble on Mini LED tech at the top end of the market yielded mixed results, with its flagship Bravia 9 TV earning a good, not great, four-star rating from our reviewers.
Which is why we were pleasantly surprised to find its upper-mid-range Bravia 7, which shares a lot of common DNA with its flagship sibling, is rather good.
Despite costing a lot less than the Bravia 9, the Bravia 7 has a lot of cutting edge technology packed into its slim frame.
Highlights include its advanced backlight tech, Quantum Dot colour system driven by Sony’s Triluminos technology and latest Sony XR processor. But, what really caught our eye, is quite how “grown up” the picture it delivers is.
Rather than push the panel to extremes – cranking contrast to make black levels look more impressive than they are, or over-brightening scenes to show how many nits it can deliver – Sony has focussed on authenticity with the Bravia 7.
This let it deliver one of the most consistent, immersive experiences we’ve enjoyed on a Mini LED TV in quite some time and led our reviewers to report:
“The Bravia 7 gets much closer to the quality of Sony’s Bravia 9 flagship than expected and is, as a result, one of the best mid-range TVs available.”
Score: 5/5
Read our full Sony Bravia 7 (K55XR70) review
6. Austrian Audio Hi-X20
Austrian Audio’s Hi-X20 wired headphones are a good example of why the brand is carving a strong reputation for delivering stellar performance-per-pound products.
The Hi-X20 sits just above the Award-winning Austrian Audio Hi-X15 in the company’s line, retailing for £120 / $150 / AU$250.
The headline feature is that they come loaded with the same 44mm dynamic Hi-X drivers we’ve seen in the brand’s other ‘professional’ headphones – which is no bad thing.
During testing our reviewers were immediately treated to the same sonic character we’ve enjoyed on other sets from the brand recently. Whether it was energetic pop, rocking blues or classical tracks, the Hi-X20 delivered a clean, revealing sound that’s packed with detail.
Hence our reviewers’ conclusion:
“Purists who crave an honest, detail-rich pair of wired headphones will adore the pristine, slightly analytical nature of the Hi-X20. If you want to hear your music’s minutiae, from the good to the bad and everything in between, they’re exceptional performers for the money.”
Score: 5/5
Read our full Austrian Audio Hi-X20 review
7. Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
The Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3 are a premium set of wireless headphones aimed squarely at the same market as some big name sets, including the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Dali IO-8.
Thankfully when we ran all three head to head for our in-depth review, we found they are more than capable of giving their established competition a run for their money.
The headphones are smaller and lighter than their predecessors, the PxS2e, but come packed with some key upgrades.
These include support for spatial audio, Bluetooth Multipoint and completely redesigned 40mm paper drivers focussed on improving their dynamics and resolution.
The end result is a fantastic set of wireless headphones that will delight music fans. During testing, the Px7 S3 delivered full-bodied audio with impressive levels of textural insight, leading our reviewers to report:
“B&W’s follow-up to the five-star Px7 S2e has been a resounding success. Matching their predecessors’ overall appeal was never going to be easy, but the Px7 S3’s powerfully entertaining sonic performance and refined design make them an elite contender in a crowded marketplace.”
Score: 5/5
Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review
8. Rega Brio Mk7
Last month our experts finally managed to get the 7th-generation Rega Brio amp into our test rooms, which is exciting for a couple of reasons.
First because Brio amps have a pedigree, with the last entry to the series winning back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Awards in 2017 and 2018.
Second because it is a big upgrade on its predecessor. For starters, it features a new Brio circuit, which the firm claims has been optimised to radically boost performance and reduce distortion.
It is also the first Brio to include a DAC inside, with two digital inputs sitting alongside three line-level RCA inputs as well as an MM phono stage. Does it sound good? Very, especially considering its price, based on our testing.
Matched with everything from ATC SCM50 speakers to Grado SR325x headphones, the amp offered a solid, punchy and exciting presentation with decent levels of low-end heft. As we said in our Brio Mk7 review:
“If you are looking for a top-class stereo amplifier anywhere near this price level, the Brio Mk7 has to be on your shortlist.”
Score: 5/5
Read our full Rega Brio Mk7 review
9. Vertere Calon
The Vertere Calon is a Temptation-level phono stage designed for serious vinyl enthusiasts that want the best performance possible and don’t mind paying for it.
Under its premium silver hood the unit features a variety of cutting edge hardware. These include a custom dual-mono configuration circuit that has been specially designed to work in tandem with its specially made power supply to reduce distortion and interference.
On top of this, the amplification boards feature sophisticated four-layer gold-plated circuits that are packed full of high-quality components, each hand picked by the engineers based on performance and how well they work as a whole.
The end result is a phono stage our reviewers describe as “a shining example of how things should be done.”
Score: 5/5
Read our full Vertere Calon review
10. Cyrus 40 CD
The Cyrus 40 CD is the final entry from the audio brand’s 40th anniversary series to pass through our listening rooms.
With its Cyrus 40 Amp and Cyrus 40 ST siblings having already been given the full review treatment and earned five stars, has lightning struck a third time?
After weeks of testing we’re pleased to confirm it has. The Cyrus 40 CD is an excellent spinner for music fans with hefty disc collections and the supporting hardware to do it justice.
It follows the same design-blueprint as its siblings, featuring a premium half width anodised aluminium body with a glass front panel.
Under the hood, technical highlights include the use of the same custom digital circuitry as its other 40 series siblings. The tech is based on a 32-bit ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M chip and HyperStream IV Dual DAC technology.
The only big difference is that the tech has been “optimised” to deliver the best audio possible for a CD player specifically.
The end result is a premium CD player that sounds great when partnered with appropriate hardware.
Paired with our reference Burmester 088/911MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, the 40 CD delivered superb levels of detail, precision and clarity, making it an easy recommendation.
Score: 5/5
Read our full Cyrus 40 CD review
MORE:
These are the best projectors we’ve tried and tested
We rate the best wireless headphones
Our picks of the best stereo amps
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