We've seen a raft of announcements over the last month, ranging from powered stereo speakers, to flagship smartphones and even a new rival in the competitive noise cancelling headphones market. While there were quite a few products to choose from, we've whittled it down to the five we're most looking forward to testing.
So, in our second edition of On the Radar you'll find the latest flagship foldable phone from Samsung, which is slimmer and more powerful than its five-star predecessor, as well as the first-ever over ear headphones from the plucky British tech brand Nothing.
Cambridge Audio also unveiled its latest streaming amplifier, which is a follow up to a five-star amp from 2021 that boasts more power and an upgraded DAC.
Finally, we have two new pairs of powered speakers; one courtesy of Elac which sits at the more affordable side of the market, the other a super-premium pair from Focal and Naim with a price tag that rivals a brand new Mercedes Benz.
Elac Debut ConneX DCB61
Elac has launched a bigger and more powerful successor to one the best pairs of active speakers you can buy right now.
The Debut ConneX DCB61 follow up on the equally catchily named Debut Connex DCB41, this time with dedicated 60W Class D amplifiers in each speaker which power a new 16.5cm polypropylene mid/bass woofer.
Elac claims that this will create "deep, punchy bass", while the 19mm soft-dome tweeter (which is powered by its own 20W amplifier) is set to offer smoother and more accurate high end frequencies.
You’ll find a wide range of connectivity options on these speakers, including USB-B, optical, HDMI eARC, a moving magnet phono stage and Bluetooth.
Read our full Elac Debut ConneX DCB61 story
- Price: £699 / $899 / €799
- Release date: Available now
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Samsung’s latest foldable flagship smartphone is here, and it could be the portable AV champion that we’ve been waiting for.
With a 21:9 cover display that looks perfect for watching cinematic content, and a huge 8-inch interior screen (both displays are OLED, by the way) the Z Fold 7 has not one, but two displays which are primed for movie watching.
HDR10+ is supported, and so is Samsung’s ProScaler feature, which upscales video content to look sharp and detailed on the Quad HD displays.
These new AV upgrades come in a supremely slender new body which is an astounding 4.2mm when unfolded, and there are plenty of top notch smartphone features including a 200MP main camera and loads of AI-backed software features.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 story
- Price: £1799 / $2000 / AU$2899
- Release date: July 2025
Nothing Headphone (1)
British technology brand Nothing may still be in its infancy, but we can’t dispute its ambition. With countless smartphones and wireless earbuds under its belt, Nothing is expanding into a new product category: wireless over-ear active noise-cancelling headphones.
Nothing has called in a major name in British hi-fi to bring these wireless cans to market, as they’ve been tuned by Kef. Each earcup houses a precision-engineered custom 40mm driver, with polyethene surrounds that aim to deliver minimal distortion and better performance at low frequencies.
Elsewhere, you’ll find Nothing’s signature transparent design as well as a staggering claimed 35 hours of battery life with ANC turned on.
There’s some big competition to contend with from the likes of Sony, Bowers & Wilkins and Bose, so Nothing needs to bring its A-game with these new headphones.
Read our full Nothing Headphone (1) story
- Price: £299 / $299 / €299
- Release date: Available now
Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE
Cambridge Audio has upgraded one of our favourite streaming amplifiers; naturally we’re intrigued as to what’s new.
At the heart of this upgrade is a new ESS SABRE ES9018k2m DAC, which Cambridge Audio claims will deliver an “emotive sound with exceptional clarity, resolution and musicality”. This is paired with 150W of Class D amplification into 8 ohms via a new Hypex NCOREx module, meaning it should have no trouble powering larger and more demanding speakers.
Streaming is a core component of this amp, so you shouldn’t be surprised to see an extensive list of supported services, including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer, as well as Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast and aptX HD Bluetooth.
Physical connectivity also looks solid, with RCA line input and balanced XLR inputs for analogue sources, as well as two optical, a coaxial and USB inputs for digital sources. There is also HDMI ARC, a moving magnet phono stage and a subwoofer out connection.
Read our full Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE story
- Price: £1999 / $3299 / €2399
- Release date: Available now
Focal Diva Mezza
Focal’s Diva Utopia powered speakers proved to be a hit in our hi-fi testing room towards the end of last year, despite the hair-raising price tag of £29,999.
So, what if there were a bigger, more powerful, and more expensive version of these enthusiast speakers? Wonder no longer, as Focal has unveiled the Diva Mezza, complete with a "completely re-engineered" Naim Audio electronics system to power them.
Inside each stylish speaker unit are three Class A/B amplifiers powering the drivers: 90W to Focal's inverted 'M' beryllium tweeter, 130W to the 6.5in (16.5cm) mid drivers, and 280 watts for the 20.5cm W' cone bass drivers.
That adds up to a staggering 500W per speaker, up from the 400W peak offered on the Diva Utopia system.
However, with great power comes a great price increase, and with a price tag of £55,000, only serious audiophiles need apply.
Read our full Focal Diva Mezza story
- Price: £55,000 / $69,000 / €65,000
- Release date: Available now
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Check out our picks for the best active speakers
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