The World Cup 2026 and the intense heat wave aren’t the only things whipping us into a frenzy as we head into the peak of summer. This is also the time of year when our test rooms get super busy, as brands across the consumer audio/AV industry ramp up their product launches and drop off their latest next-big-thing with alarming (and also exciting) frequency.
On the home cinema side, we have big news: Sony’s first RGB Mini LED TVs are finally in our test rooms, while Denon’s new flagship Dolby Atmos AV receiver is waiting to be tested.
On the hi-fi side, we have our hands on the first samples of the long-awaited Acoustic Energy AE Active speakers and the new AudioQuest DragonFly Copper DAC, while Pro-Ject’s latest turntable could prove to be a sizzling head-to-head with a current Award-winner.
As always, feel free to drop us a comment below or send us an email to whathifi@futurenet.com if you have any questions about the products we’re testing, and we’ll do our best to get back to you with an answer. Enjoy the summer, and stay cool!
Sony Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II
After more or less two years of teases, Sony’s first RGB Mini LED TVs are in our test rooms for their full reviews.
Sony is grandly referring to its RGB Mini LED TVs as ‘True RGB’ models, and it is pitching the flagship model – the Bravia 9 II – above the awesome, Award-winning Bravia 8 II QD-OLED. Can the new, backlit model really be better than its OLED sibling? We’ll be testing the TVs side by side to find out.
At the same time, we will also be testing the Bravia 7 II, Sony’s step-down True RGB model. Far from being the poor relation, there’s every chance this could prove to be the performance-per-pound champ of the new range.
Acoustic Energy AE Active
We have had to wait even longer for a sequel to one of our favourite active speakers. We’ve been recommending Acoustic Energy's AE1 Active speakers for the better part of a decade, and the new AE Active (£1250 per pair) hope to continue that legacy.
Unlike most active speakers these days, which include Bluetooth, digital inputs, and network streaming features for added convenience, the new AE Active remain staunchly analogue throughout their signal path to “preserve audio integrity”; they offer only RCA and balanced XLR inputs. The two-way speakers feature a 27mm aluminium-dome tweeter and a new 12.5cm ceramic/aluminium mid/bass cone, each powered by dedicated 50W Class A/B amplifiers.
The cabinet, internal damping, reflex port and internal components have all been updated, and you can connect a source directly thanks to on-board volume controls. Can this old-school approach still have a place for modern hi-fi fans? We can’t wait to find out.
AudioQuest DragonFly Copper
We thought AudioQuest’s DragonFly range of very simple and excellent USB DACs was long gone, but the High End Vienna 2026 show gave us a nice surprise in the form of the new DragonFly Copper.
It has the same form that we loved so much in the Award-winning but now retired DragonFly Cobalt: a tiny, USB-stick-shaped DAC/headphone amp with a 3.5mm port at one end to connect your wired headphones, and a USB-A port for plugging into your laptop. A USB-C adapter is included for use with latest smartphones.
The Copper (£229) promises to be the most efficient and most powerful DragonFly yet thanks to a new 32-bit ESS Sabre chip, while the dragonfly logo still lights up according to the sample rate being played up to 96kHz. Can it still impress us in light of newer feature-packed, versatile rivals?
Pro-Ject Debut Reference 10
Pro-Ject’s Debut range of turntables have long been the sweet spot of its extensive offerings, combining excellent performance with affordability, and with two What Hi-Fi? Award-winning products – the Debut Pro and the current Debut Evo 2 – among its ranks.
The Debut Reference 10 is the most expensive Debut yet at £999. It promises, too, to be its “most accomplished model yet”. It is based on the excellent Debut Pro’s build and features, with new elements including a longer 10-inch tonearm with an aluminium/carbon fibre construction and a “resonance-resistant” acrylic platter. It comes fitted with the Pick-It Pro moving-magnet cartridge, which can be upgraded.
At this price, it faces competition from the Award-winning Rega Planar 3 RS Edition and the new Technics SL-1500CS – it could be one of the most exciting and formidable trio of turntables we have tested in a long while.
Roksan Caspian 4G
Roksan’s Caspian 4G Streaming Preamplifier and Power Amplifier made quite the impression when we first laid eyes (and ears) on them at their launch demonstration at the start of the year. We finally have the duo in our test rooms, and are looking forward to put this rather stylish-looking top-of-the-range pairing.
The power amp boasts 105 watts of Class A/B amplification, while the preamp features extensive connectivity, including HDMI eARC input and moving-magnet phono stage. The BluOS streaming platform sits at the heart of the pairing, which brings networked hi-res streaming features and popular app services into the mix, while Roksan’s engineers have paid plenty of attention to the internal circuit and the physical design to ensure it sounds great and is user-friendly, too.
The £6500 / $8250 is almost sensible considering the amount of technology and features you get in two boxes; let’s hope it lives up to the high expectations.
Denon AVC-A1H
Denon’s flagship AV receiver is currently in our home cinema test room, warming up for its big review, which we will be publishing during our special Home Cinema Week (week commencing 20th July).
As you would expect, this is an absolute powerhouse of an amplifier, with 15 channels of amplification and 150W per channel. Fancy building a 9.4.6-channel Dolby Atmos home cinema? Then this could be the receiver for you.
Of course, it will need the sound quality to back up that impressive specification if it’s going to get a recommendation from us. For starters, it will need to sound better than its cousin, the Marantz Cinema 30, which is our current premium AVR of choice. Let’s see if it can manage that.
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