Rewind: Austrian Audio’s open-back headphones rated, Pro-Ject’s new turntables revealed and more

What Hi-Fi? Rewind Austrian Audio headphones

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Happy Monday and welcome to the latest Rewind column, where we detail all the big developments in the world of hi-fi and home cinema to have occurred over the past seven days.

The past week was another busy one with our team delivering their final verdict on two new sets of headphones, as well as fresh announcements from iconic record player brand Pro-Ject.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Pro-Ject unveiled two new record players

Pro-Ject T2 Super Phono on a yellow background — (Image credit: Pro-Ject)

Last week iconic turntable maker Pro-Ject unveiled not one, but two new spinners. Specifically, it lifted the lid on its new T2 and T2 Super Phono.

As the names suggest, the T2 and T2 Super Phono share the same core circuitry and general specifications and target the same mid-range market. The only difference is that the latter comes with a built-in phono stage.

The solid specs and inclusion of a What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sumiko Rainier cartridge with both models has us hankering to get them into our listening rooms for testing. Stay tuned for more details on both once we get them in for review later this year.

Read the full story: Pro-Ject's new T2 duo of turntables are here to provide you with "years of musical bliss"

LG’s new flagship OLED went on pre-order with a new name

The LG G4 OLED TV photographed on a white stand in a showroom, with a soundbar positioned in front. On the screen is the blue ceiling of a building. — (Image credit: Future)

Last week LG finally put its next-generation LG G4 OLED TV up for pre-order with a stand. The company also snuck in a minor change to the TV’s naming convention. Specifically, if you want to order the LG G4 with a stand, it’s now being sold as the LG G4S. Despite the additional letter, the G4S is otherwise identical to the G4, featuring the same connectivity, next-generation MLA panel tech and processor.

Read the full story: The LG G4 OLED TV is now up for pre-order with a stand, known as the G4S

We reiterated the importance of audio quality

This week the What Hi-Fi? team took the time to respond to reader comments suggesting Spotify’s basic tier is good enough for most people. Specifically, our editor-in-chief reiterated the difference hi-res and good hi-fi makes to any listening experience – so long as you can afford it.

Read the full story: Can't hear the difference between Spotify and hi-res quality? That could be a blessing in disguise

Austrian Audio’s open backs earned perfect marks

Austrian Audio The Composer open-back headphones — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

On top of the sea of news and features, our team also delivered its definitive verdict on Austrian Audio’s latest open-back headphones, The Composer.

Putting them through their paces with everything from a Mac and a DAC to our full-fat reference system they continuously impressed, offering insightful, analytical and balanced audio. The only downside is that the headband doesn’t offer enough adjustment options to provide a comfortable fit for people with small heads…

Read our full Austrian Audio The Composer review

Our TV testers wrote a wishlist for OLED TV makers

Samsung QE65S95D QD-OLED TV — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

We’re big fans of OLED TVs. That should be obvious if you have checked our best TV buying guide recently. But this week our intrepid TV tester and staff writer Lewis Empson took pen to paper to detail why he thinks more companies should follow Samsung’s lead and offer Mini LED options alongside OLED. You can get the full argument as to why using the link below, but the short answer is a simple one: money and more choice for consumers.

Read the full story: I wish more TV brands would copy Samsung's 2024 strategy

We checked out the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2

Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 noise-cancelling over-ears — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Despite having 'two' in the name, the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 is actually the pro music and mixing specialist’s third stab at the flagship consumer wireless headphone market. And based on our testing, from an audio perspective they’re a definite step in the right direction.

Featuring sturdy build quality, a great control app and superb clarity and detail that rivals more established rivals, the Aonic 50 Gen 2 are a solid choice for music fans in many ways. The only thing that kept them from a perfect five-stars was their slightly inconsistent ANC, which didn’t prove as effective as we’d have liked during testing.

Read our full Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 review

MORE:

These are the best wired headphones we've reviewed

We detail the best TVs we've tested

Check out our picks of the best record players

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.