April’s in the rearview (or should that be review?) mirror, but oh wowzers, what a month it was for our team of hi-fi and home cinema experts.
Not only did we run a special Vinyl Week event to celebrate Record Store Day, (which really should be a national holiday at this point) we also gave seven, count that seven, products five-star ratings.
Here’s what you need to know about them.
Article continues belowAcoustic Energy AE309 Mk2
The Acoustic Energy AE309 Mk2 are the floorstander siblings of the AE300 Mk2 standmounts we reviewed last year.
That gives them some pretty big shoes to fill. The standmounts not only earned a five-star recommendation, but they also went on to win a What Hi-Fi? Award and hold a special place in our editor’s letter to Santa to this day. All in all, an impressive resume.
Thankfully, from the moment we got them singing, the AE309 Mk2, impressed, offering a similar balanced, natural sound that will delight many hi-fi fans. As we say in our review:
“Those looking for compact and talented floorstanders should pay close attention to the Acoustic Energy AE309 Mk2 – their wonderfully balanced sound gives class leaders at this level a real run for their money.”
Five stars
Read our full Acoustic Energy AE309 Mk2 review
Samsung HW-Q990H
Speaking of products with big shoes to fill, next up we have the Samsung HW-Q990H, which is the successor to not one, but two What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Dolby Atmos soundbar systems – the 2024's HW-Q990D and 2025's HW-Q990F.
Comprising a central soundbar accompanied by a wireless subwoofer and twin satellite speakers, it doesn’t make any big changes to the firm’s Award-winning formula visually. And with real-world testing out of the way, we can confirm it doesn’t rework the wheel sonically either. But the small refinements that Samsung has made add up to make it a clear step forward and one of the best soundbar systems you’ll find right now. As we say in our review:
“While it may look like a subtle upgrade on paper, and it even looks borderline identical to its predecessor when we unbox it, Samsung has made some worthwhile under-the-hood refinements with this soundbar package. Its ability to capture a touch more detail and nuance, and place spatial sound effects with even greater precision, makes this system another step up in a lineage of soundbars that have improved year on year.”
Five stars
Read our full Samsung HW-Q990H review
JBL Summit Ama
The Ama are the smallest and only standmount option in JBL’s Summit series of high-end speakers. Like their Summit Pumori (£79,999 / $82,500) and Summit Makalu (£49,998 / $68,000) siblings, they are named after a mountain, hence the name “Summit”. And, despite costing a cool £14,999 ($19,999 / AU$35,000), they are also the cheapest of the three.
Thankfully, after plugging them into our reference system, while we found they require careful partnering to shine, when matched with appropriately high-end hardware, they sound undeniably great.
If you have system partners to do them justice, you’ll be treated to a bold, punchy, dynamic performance with impressive detail resolution and a punchy, but not overbearing, bass. As we say in our review:
“The Summit Ama are one of the costliest standmounters we have ever reviewed, but their breadth of talents is hugely impressive. That they can rock should be no surprise to anyone familiar with the brand’s heritage, but it's their blend of insight, dynamic expression and finesse that marks them out as something special.”
Five stars
Read our full JBL Summit Ama review
Sony PS-LX3BT
The PS-LX3BT is one of two Sony turntables to make it into this month’s column. Retailing for a modest £299 ($400 / AU$469), it sits in the entry-level segment of the market. As a result, like key rivals including Rega Planar 1 Plus and Pro-Ject Primary E, it aims to be as plug-and-play as possible, but comes with the added allure of a built-in phono stage.
And, to our surprise, unlike many previous challengers to Rega and Pro-Ject’s reigning cheap champs, the Sony is a very competent option if ease of use is your primary concern. While purists will probably be better off paying a little more for the likes of the Planar 1 Plus, the PS-LX3BT is still very capable. During all our testing, it delivered robust, well-organised, sound, that was full of detail.
As we say in our verdict: “As an affordable and effective way to get your records spinning, the Sony PS-LX3BT is hard to top – it’s easy to use, easy to listen to, and very easy to recommend.”
Five stars
Read our full Sony PS-LX3BT review
Sony PS-LX5BT
The PS-LX5BT is the step-up option to the above PS-LX3BT. At first glance, you may struggle to spot the difference between the two and wonder what specific benefits you’re getting for the added £100 ($100 / AU$150). Truthfully, the tweaks are very subtle: a step-up cartridge, slightly different arm tube, mat and finish, and detachable interconnect cables.
Ultimately, it does perform very similarly to its cheaper counterpart. But there are noticeable sonic upgrades that more serious listeners will appreciate. A smidgeon more detail, slightly more cohesive, clearer sound, those sorts of things. Those small improvements add up to make it a worthy option for entry-level buyers with a little more cash to spare who want a truly plug-and-play turntable. Hence, our review verdict:
“On paper, the cheaper PS-LX3BT might appear to be the better-value buy. But if you’re looking for longer-term satisfaction thanks to a noticeable step up in sonic performance and versatile features, the PS-LX5BT more than justifies its place within the market.”
Five stars
Read our full Sony PS-LX5BT review
Merlin Tarantula
Who doesn’t love a good speaker cable review? This month, that sentiment was particularly apt, as we had the opportunity to put the Merlin Tarantula to the test. And it delighted our hi-fi review team.
Some of our readers seem belligerently reluctant to pay anything other than the absolute minimum for their cables; but for those willing to invest in every part of their system, the Tarantula is an extremely attractive option. One that is capable of delivering a balanced and informative presentation and expressive dynamics. As we say in our review:
“The Tarantula ticks all the boxes as far as we are concerned. While not cheap, it remains sensibly priced and has the kind of sonic characteristics that will slot in effortlessly with a wide range of systems.”
Five stars
Read our full Merlin Tarantula review
LG C6 (OLED65C6)
The LG C6 is the first new OLED launching this year that we have had the chance to test properly and put through the full What Hi-Fi? paces. Like a lot of the entries on this month’s list, it comes from a line of products with a pedigree, with every generation of the C-series since the LG C2 winning at least one accolade at our yearly What Hi-Fi? Awards.
The biggest upgrade, sadly, is limited to the larger 77-inch and above options in the range. Those come with a brightness-boosting Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel. The 65-inch model we reviewed, though, has a traditional WOLED panel. The main upgrades to this set, then, are its improved chipset and minor refinements made to its tuning and the like.
While we are a little sad the 65-inch model isn’t as big a technical leap as its larger siblings, there’s no denying it’s still an excellent OLED and a clear step up on last year’s Award-winning LG C5. As we say in our review:
“While it might seem at first glance to be the least exciting model in LG’s 2026 OLED TV range, the ‘normal’ sized C6 is, in fact, a revelation. This is a big upgrade by C-series standards. We don’t typically get too excited about processor upgrades, but the Alpha 11 Gen 3 has forced a brighter and richer performance out of the same OLED EX panel technology, and improved upscaling and shading subtlety.”
Five stars
Read our full LG C6 (OLED65C6) review
Audio-Technica AT-VM740xML
Looking for a new cartridge to complement your turntable? Willing to spend a couple of hundred for it? Then we have a new recommendation for you to consider, in the shape of the Audio-Technica AT-VM740xML.
In the world of cartridges, Audio Technica is a big name, so the AT-VM740xML, which aims to overhaul the company’s moving-magnet range automatically piqued our interest. Sitting in the upper echelons of AT’s new VMx range it’s designed to work with record players costing less than £1000.
During testing we found that, while some premium elements have been tweaked to keep costs down, for its target market this is an excellent choice. It offers hassle-free setup, and a sonic performance that will delight listeners who favour balance over oomph; we highly recommend it.
As we say in our review verdict: “Audio-Technica’s AT-VM740xML is a superbly balanced cartridge that ticks all the boxes.”
Five stars
Read our full Audio-Technica AT-VM740xML review
MORE:
These are the best budget turntables we have tested
We rank the best OLED TVs
Our picks of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars
