April is finally here, which means we’re oh so close to it finally being summer, where we can dust off our BBQ aprons and enjoy the two minutes of sunshine we get each year (in Blighty).
But for our team of hi-fi and home cinema experts, there’s no respite in sight, at least if March is anything to go on, as we’re still seeing a flood of new hardware in our viewing and listening rooms. Over the past 30 days, a staggering five products earned five-star ratings.
And while we love the symmetry, that’s a lot of new products to keep track of, which is why we’ve penned a fresh entry into our regular Pick of the Month column, detailing everything you need to know about our reviewers’ latest recommendations.
Article continues belowLG C6 (OLED65C6)
The LG C6 is the latest step-down OLED from the Korean home cinema giant responsible for not one, but three of last year’s What Hi-Fi? Award-winning TVs. So it has some pretty big shoes to fill.
Thankfully, while its specifications sheet makes it look like a very minor upgrade on the outgoing, and now cheaper, LG C5, the C6 managed to impress our reviewers from the moment they unboxed it.
Brighter and a smidgeon more accurate, with every test disc we noticed a number of subtle improvements that make it the new benchmark for 2026. Hence its new prime position in our best OLED TV guide, and our reviewers’ verdict:
“The improvements aren’t so massive that an owner of a recent C-series model (or one of its closest competitors) should feel the need to immediately upgrade, but if you are in the market for a step-down OLED, the LG C6 is the new benchmark. And it’s a benchmark that its rivals will find very hard to match, let alone surpass.”
Rating: five stars
Read our full LG C6 (OLED65C6) review
Moon 371
Though aficionados have traditionally turned their nose up at them, there’s a lot to like about streaming amps. All the sonic grunt you need to power stereo speakers, paired with the handy ability to stream from your music provider of choice (ours is Tidal).
And last month, we were treated to a true specimen of a streaming amp in the shape of the Moon 371, which proves the category has a place in the enthusiast market as well as more casual circles.
Featuring an eye-catching design, all the streaming smarts you need, and being capable of delivering a fluid, refined sound full of expressive dynamics, it’s well worth any hi-fi fan considering. Hence our verdict:
“Moon has done a great job with the 371 streaming amplifier. It is a neat and stylish package that ticks all the boxes as far as features go, while being a pleasure to use. Add the excellent sound quality into the equation, and it becomes a proper alternative to the best streamer/amplifier separates combinations on the market.”
Rating: five stars
Read our full Moon 371 review
Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2
Valerion is a relative newcomer to the projector market, having started life as a Kickstarter project back in 2024.
Which is why we’re happy to see it come out of the gate strong with the VisionMaster Pro 2, the first Valerion product we’ve ever tested.
Part of the growing wave of “home cinema in a box" projectors flooding the market, the Vision Master 2 sits in the same class as the BenQ X3100i, which we continue to use as a reference point in our viewing rooms.
The idea is simple: give people all the hardware they need to power a movie night in a single box. And as a result, the intimidating-looking unit comes packed with a lot of hardware. Highlights include a triple (RGB) laser lighting system feeding into a 4K-capable DLP optical set-up, and a stereo 12W speaker system.
And, in the real world, despite the company’s youth, the VisionMaster Pro 2 is a very competitive performer capable of delivering a punchy, immersive home cinema experience.
As we said in our review: “From its picture quality to its design, features and even audio performance, the VisionMaster Pro 2 consistently punches above its weight.”
Rating: five stars
Read our full Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2
Yamaha YH-4000
In hi-fi terms, the YH-4000 are in a tough spot. Like the poor saps who played straight after Eddie Van Halen stunned fans at the band’s first gig, with his never-before-seen guitar tapping technique, they have a hard act to top in the shape of the five-star YH-5000SE.
But by striking a lot of the same chords as their Award-winning siblings, while simultaneously carrying a lower price tag, they managed to truly win our reviewers over.
Featuring the same 50mm orthodynamic (planar magnetic) driver as their higher-end sibling and a near identical design, the subtle cuts Yamaha has made are the right ones and let the YH-4000 deliver a solid, albeit occasionally clinical performance.
Whether it was bopping pop, booming rock or complex classical arrangements, paired with a price-appropriate source the headphones delivered impressive levels of clarity, definition and sonic agility.
As we said in our review: “The Yamaha YH-4000 set new standards for the price when it comes to detail resolution and composure. They are wonderfully comfortable, too.”
Rating: five stars
Read our full Yamaha YH-4000 review
Rotel DX-5
MORE:
These are the best stereo amps we’ve tested
Our picks of the best wired headphones
We rank the best TVs money can buy
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
