A heat wave. Having to go back to work. Not being able to keep up with all the latest hi-fi and home cinema news. There’s a lot of stuff for us to deal with right now.
And while we can’t do much about the first two problems, we can help you with the third, with our latest Rewind column.
Once again, our team of experts detail all the top hi-fi and home cinema developments you need to know about over the past week.
We reviewed Focal’s new hi-fi system and Dolby Atmos soundbar hybrid
We first saw the Mu-so Hekla at a press event last year, where it piqued our interest. Built as a partnership between Focal and Naim, the unit aims to offer buyers a premium Dolby Atmos soundbar that can also function as a dedicated hi-fi all-in-one system.
After finally getting one into our test rooms nearly eight months later, we can confirm it was worth the wait. While its size makes it slightly awkward to place on traditional TV racks, it’s undeniably a fantastic performer, both for films and music. So much so that our reviewers reported:
“As far as all-in-one systems go, the Focal Mu-so Hekla offers the best of both worlds. It delivers all the drama you could want from a soundbar when watching movies, with controlled bass and authoritative overall sound that elevates each scene.
But you can also feed it a delicate piece of music and be treated to a finessed performance that makes you feel the emotion of each note. It might come at a high price but, if you have the funds, its performance more than justifies the cost.”
Read our full Focal Mu-so Hekla review
Sony’s dissected soundbar delivers the sonic goods
The Hekla was one of two atypical Dolby Atmos systems that we reviewed last week. We also got to put the swish new Sony Bravia Theatre Trio through its paces.
As the name suggests, the unit has three parts: a tiny Sonos Beam (Gen 2)- sized central channel and twin left and right channel satellite speakers. As well as widening the soundstage, the satellites also house the unit’s upfiring Dolby Atmos drivers.
While the setup is a little atypical, it managed to impress our testers, offering a huge, immersive soundstage and cohesive, convincing Atmos performance. Hence our five-star rating and verdict: “An ingenious Dolby Atmos system that combines huge scale, impressive cohesion and excellent usability in one stylish package.”
Read our in-depth Sony Bravia Theatre Trio review
Bang & Olufsen launched a “new” music system
Bang & Olufsen unveiled its sort of new music system, the Beosystem 300c Dune Grey Edition, last week.
We say “sort of new”, as it's largely built around a restored Beogramm 3000 Series turntable – a record player that first launched all the way back in 1985. Pairing the iconic turntable with a pair of the firm’s modern Beolab 8 wireless speakers, it aims to combine retro chic with cutting-edge performance.
As always, the design is eye-catching, with the press shots turning more than a few heads in What Hi-Fi? towers. Sadly, as is often the case with B&O hardware, it’s also ultra exclusive, with the firm releasing only 100 systems, each costing £22,800 / $30,000 / €27,000.
Read the full story: Bang & Olufsen's limited-edition turntable system is sleek, stylish and very exclusive
We had a chat with AudioQuest about the new DragonFly
The original 2012 DragonFly DAC is fondly remembered by many millennials, being one of the first devices of its kind and a convenient way to elevate any mobile device’s audio performance.
In fact, our editor (me) used it nearly every day during his days as a cub reporter who frequently had to travel. Which is why, last week, we took the time to talk to AudioQuest director of marketing, Stephen Mejias, to see if he has similar hopes for its recently launched new DragonFly with Gen Z.
Read the full story: “It would be disingenuous to say that we have a plan for attracting younger music fans” – AudioQuest on the new DragonFly and getting Gen Z into hi-fi
Monitor Audio launched three new hi-fi and home cinema speaker systems
Systems are all the rage right now, which is why it makes sense that Monitor Audio wants to get in on the action with its newly launched Radius Series 4G line of speaker systems.
The series currently offers three options: the Radius 1, the Radius 3, and the Radius On-Wall.
The units are designed to work equally well for stereo hi-fi, or home cinema multi-speaker set-ups and have been designed to “raise the performance benchmark of the compact speaker category”.
In keeping with that, Monitor Audio has already made some big performance claims about the series, boasting they will offer “genuinely high-fidelity sound”.
Here’s hoping those claims ring true when we get the new speakers in for review.
Read the full story: Monitor Audio’s versatile hi-fi and home cinema system boasts “genuinely high-fidelity sound”
MORE:
These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars we have tested
Our reviewers rank the best hi-fi systems
The best turntables for serious music fans, according to our experts
