New hi-fi speakers, a five-star treat for vinyl fans, an amazing Sony projector and more

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

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.

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)

Michell Apollo phono stage with Muse power supply on wooden rack — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

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

Technics SL-1200GME turntable on a white background — (Image credit: Technics)

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

Sony Bravia Projector 7 home cinema projector — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

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

Photo of Bruce Springsteen, performing live onstage on Born In The USA tour, playing Fender Telecaster guitar - photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns — (Image credit: Getty Images, Richard E. Aaron)

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

Triangle Capella 2 — (Image credit: Triangle)

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

Alastair is What Hi-Fi?’s editor in chief. He has well over a decade’s experience as a journalist working in both B2C and B2B press. During this time he’s covered everything from the launch of the first Amazon Echo to government cyber security policy. Prior to joining What Hi-Fi? he served as Trusted Reviews’ editor-in-chief. Outside of tech, he has a Masters from King’s College London in Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion, is an enthusiastic, but untalented, guitar player and runs a webcomic in his spare time.

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