A look back to 1976 and the first issue of What Hi-Fi? magazine

If a week is a long time in politics, then 50 years in hi-fi and consumer electronics is a lifetime.

And there’s no denying it: in October 1976, when the first issue of What Hi-Fi? arrived in newsagents, the UK was another country.

Those old enough to remember the first Ford Fiesta, The Brotherhood of Man or James Callaghan don’t need me to remind them that what passed for modernity in 1976 wasn’t always, frankly, at the cutting edge of anything.

But 1976 was a year of disruption: Concorde took flight, the Sex Pistols shocked the nation on live TV, and the two Steves launched Apple.

That is the pioneering spirit we claim for What Hi-Fi? – leaving the The Best of The Stylistics (the UK’s No. 1 album when we launched) to handle the era's smoother, safer side.

That first issue cost 35p at a time when a pint of beer cost 32p (and our current cover price (£5.99) is more-or-less comparable to a pint now, depending on where you live and the lavishness of your local).

And, like every single issue that followed it, the first issue sought to be an impartial and trustworthy guide to the best way to get value for your hi-fi money. Beyond that, mind you, it has undergone quite a number of changes.

There was very little colour in the magazine; what little there was inevitably belonged to advertisements rather than editorial content.

And there were so many adverts: from manufacturers still going strong and from those who’ve fallen by the wayside, and from a huge number of hi-fi retailers (it seems every sizeable town had a least a couple of independent dealers).

And just as the ads reflected the times, so did the editorial content. Turntables still ruled the hi-fi roost, of course, so the comparisons of decks, arms and cartridges were widespread.

Cassette featured heavily too, both in terms of decks and cassettes themselves – if you wanted to know about variances in wow and flutter between brands, What Hi-Fi? had you covered.

Music centres (remember them?) got a look-in too, as did the first of the exciting new Video Cassette Recorder machines. There was a 'Sound & Vision' element to What Hi-Fi? from the very start.

From there on, the magazine simply evolved to reflect the tastes, preferences and requirements of its readers.

Digital audio started to come on strong at the beginning of the '80s, and by the middle of that decade, the all-conquering Compact Disc was making significant inroads into vinyl’s dominance – the idea that the future was small and shiny, rather than cumbersome and easily damaged, was pervasive.

Tests of groups of turntable cartridges dwindled, replaced by phalanxes of CD players – and a little later, CD recorders. Of course, as we all know, analogue and digital audio have in fact managed to remain happy bedfellows.

And as technological advance followed technological advance, What Hi-Fi? adapted accordingly. Fifty years later, we now reach millions of people around the world every month, online and in print.

From the record-breaking adoption of the DVD to the era of flatscreen TVs and high-quality streaming, technology has shifted at breakneck speed, yet our core philosophy hasn't budged.

Our methodology remains unchanged: products are reviewed by a dedicated team in a controlled environment, evaluated strictly against their peers. We remain entirely insulated from marketing, PR, or commercial pressure.

All we ask for is a product; we provide the fair, square, and final word, in order to ensure you spend your money wisely and get the best "bang for your buck".

Whatever the technological future may hold, What Hi-Fi? will be there to help you enjoy your music and movies in the best possible quality.