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Welcome to the 2024 Sound+Image Awards, our celebration of the best and best-value consumer audio and AV products available in the Australian market today, and our top recommendations of the year. Use the 'jump' list above to move between the difference sections.
Since 1989, the Sound+Image Awards have celebrated the very best each year in audio and AV. Products are eligible to win a Sound+Image Award only if we’ve had them in for a full Australian review in Sound+Image, Australian Hi-Fi, or our special editions Audio Esoterica and Best Buys Audio & AV. From all those reviews over the last 12 months, we select the stand-out products which have particularly thrilled us with their performance, their ability to punch above their weight, their great cleverness at swinging Atmos effects around a home cinema, or the spine-tingling experience of their musical delivery.
We held a glitzy Awards Presentation Evening at the Sydney Central Hotel on April 6, after the Australian Hi-Fi Show had shuttered on Saturday. The healing crystal trophies were handed out… including a final award of the evening honouring the work and career of Kiat Low, first at Orpheus Loudspeakers and then Duntech. Kiat received our Lifetime Achievement Award, bringing him into the hallowed ranks of Sound+Image Lifetime Achievers.
The rest of our Awards are listed right below, although to read their full Awards write-ups you should head to the Special Awards Edition of Sound+Image, which is on sale now, and has full information on every award-winner. Where we have a full review online, we have linked through to that from the awards listings here.
So let’s honour them all, while remembering that it’s all about the music, and also the movies, and sometimes the lovely shiny knobs on the front as well.
Let the Awards commence!
Turntables
TURNTABLE OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$1000 (joint winner)
JBL Spinner BT
AU$649.95
Judges' Comment: The phono output is the best quality, the line-level output the most versatile, and Bluetooth wireless playback the most fun. Solid performance and a cool aesthetic from JBL.
Click to read our full review.
TURNTABLE OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$1000 (joint winner)
Lenco LBT-225
AU$699
Judges' Comment: With four different paths to playback plus impressive build and features at the price, this Lenco will suit those looking for classy looks and high-value vinyl sound.
TURNTABLE OF THE YEAR AU$1000-AU$2500
JBL TT350 Classic
AU$1999
Judges' Comment: Few extras on this direct-drive first-ever turntable from
JBL, but a clarity of vinyl sound that ticks all the boxes for speed, tone and straightforward wonderful music.
TURNTABLE OF THE YEAR OVER AU$2500
Denon DP-3000NE
AU$4499 without cartridge
Judges' Comment: Showing the rise of direct drive at higher levels, Denon’s turntable is built like a battleship and delivers rock-solid stability for your chosen cartridge.
PHONO CARTRIDGE OF THE YEAR
Denon DL-103R
AU$479
Judges' Comment: An iterative improvement on a classic cartridge available since 1962, Denon’s DL-103R brings extra weight with improved separation and midrange response.
VINYL ACCESSORY OF THE YEAR
Audio-Technica AT-VM95HIFI Set
AU$896
Judges' Comment: VM95 cartridges are so easy to swap in and out that you can keep this selection of upgrades on hand to tailor your vinyl listening to the needs of the day.
CD & streaming
CD PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Marantz CD 50n
AU$3200
Judges' Comment: While streaming may be the future, there are a million silver reasons to stick with a CD collection, and the Marantz CD 50n delivers disc-based music (and much more) beautifully.
WIRELESS LOUDSPEAKERS OF THE YEAR
Sonus faber Duettos
AU$6995
Judges' Comment: The Duetto speakers sound fantastic, and they nail the active streaming speaker brief in a highly consumer-friendly way, while being able to add TV and audio inputs.
Read our full review.
Headphones
WIRELESS HEADPHONES OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$500
Sennheiser Accentum Plus Wireless
AU$399.95
Judges' comment: The ‘Plus’ version of Sennheiser’s Accentum Wireless headphones are dull lookers but better to hear, being solid performers on the fundamentals of sound quality.
WIRELESS HEADPHONES OF THE YEAR OVER AU$500
T+A Solitaire T
AU$2499
Judges' comment: The T+As are gems, alone in a territory of wireless performance quality that no other pair we’ve heard can occupy, and also a fine listen via cable or USB-C.
Read our full review.
HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR
Stax SRM-D10 II
AU$2499
Judges' comment: It’s a very particular solution to a particular need: a compact semi-portable driver for Stax electrostatic earspeakers. Yet it is delivered with irresistible craftsmanship and quality.
TVs & projectors
TELEVISION OF THE YEAR (joint winner)
Hisense 65U8KAU
AU$2499
Judges' comment: Seeing out its time in Mini LED Pro glory, the 65-inch U8KAU shows Hisense moving from its high-value niche into high performance. The 2024 iteration (U8NAU) is now incoming.
Read the UK What Hi-Fi? review.
TELEVISION OF THE YEAR (joint winner)
TCL 55C845
AU$1999
Judges' comment: A super-bright Mini-LED picture with everything you need to optimise it, Google TV interface, and look for bargain pricing now that new models are arriving. It’s hard to believe the quality you get for the money.
Read our full review.
AV PROJECTOR OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$2000
BenQ GV31
AU$999
Judges' comment: BenQ has upgraded its circular projection concept with higher quality visuals but the same extraordinary simplicity of set-up and battery operation.
Read our full review.
AV PROJECTOR OF THE YEAR AU$2000-AU$4000
XGIMI Horizon Ultra
AU$3499
Judges' comment: A beautiful 4K long-throw projector which delivers equally alluring images, Android streaming and a built-in harman/kardon sound system.
AV PROJECTOR OF THE YEAR OVER AU$4000
BenQ W4000i
AU$4999
Judges' comment: A theatre-level projector with first-class image quality and a fast gaming mode which knocked 10 seconds off our Gran Turismo lap times.
Read our full review.
UST PROJECTION SYSTEM OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$10,000
Epson EH-LS650B
AU$3999 ($5799 with 120-inch ALR screen)
Judges' comment: Firing up from below makes for convenience in set-up, but presents challenges in projection. Epson delivers an impressive complete solution here.
UST PROJECTION SYSTEM OF THE YEAR OVER AU$10,000
Leica Cine 1 - 100
AU$13,999 + screen
Judges' comment: Leica turns its glass-making skills from highly-engineered cameras to ultra-short-throw home projection, and delivers one of the year’s most desirable products.
Read our full review.
AV Sound
AV RECEIVER OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$2500
Sony STR-AN1000
AU$1699
Judges' comment: Externally it looks the same as the previous model, but internal upgrades and updated abilities bring Sony’s new midrange receiver back to the top of its class.
AV RECEIVER OF THE YEAR AU$2500-AU$5000
Marantz Cinema 40
AU$5000
Judges' comment: Marantz’s second top integrated AV receiver brings nine channels of high-quality power – with finesse and a great deal of versatility in delivering them.
AV RECEIVER OF THE YEAR OVER AU$5000
Denon AVC-A1H
AU$11,999
Judges' comment: From 15 channels of amplification to the convenience of its HEOS streaming, Denon’s AVC-A1H brings everything you could possibly want in a modern multichannel audio-video component – and manages to fit it all in a single box.
Soundbars
SOUNDBAR OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$1000
Yamaha SR-B40A
AU$645
Judges' comment: We had to fight through a furfie to realise the quality of performance from this simple but effective 2.1-channel soundbar and subwoofer combination.
SOUNDBAR OF THE YEAR OVER AU$1000
Yamaha True X system
AU$1599
Judges' comment: Genuine 4.1.2-channel performance from soundbar, subwoofer and a pair of satellite rears which can be used as wireless speakers in their own right.
Read our full review.
Hi-Fi Amps
HI-FI AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$2500
Yamaha R-N1000A
AU$2299
Judges' comment: A well-chosen set of digital skills with solid amplification and sound in a stereo amp suitable for both music and, with its HDMI input, for full TV and movie entertainment too.
HI-FI AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR AU$2500-AU$4000
Roksan Attessa Streaming Amplifier
AU$3149
Judges' comment: The inclusion of BluOS streaming makes this a thoroughly modern amplifier, while the basics of power and control are impressive at this price.
Read our full review.
HI-FI AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR AU$4000-AU$10,000
Advance Paris A12 Classic
AU$4449
Judges' comment: We love the look, the connections are exhaustive, and the A12 Classic’s valves glow softly as it makes its beautiful music. It’s a big welcome to Australia for Advance Paris.
Read our full review here.
HI-FI AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR AU$10,000-AU$50,000
Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 800.2
AU$22,000
Judges' comment: Gloriously smooth and musical sound along with the power to drive any speaker on the planet: the 800.2 is a high-level amplifier which proved itself a true all-rounder.
Read our full review.
HI-FI AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR OVER AU$50,000
Halcro Eclipse Stereo
AU$69,990
Judges' comment: An object lesson in the importance of state-of-the-art amplification in an audio chain, yet also an audio work of art in itself: this is Australian hi-fi at its best.
STEREO PRE-POWER AMPLIFIERS OF THE YEAR
Advance Paris X-P700 / X-A220 Evo
AU$2299 + 2 x $2900
Judges' comment: High performance and delightful aesthetics at attractive prices – this pre-power combination gets the three-box formula absolutely right.
PHONO STAGE OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$5000
OAD UltraFidelity UP1
AU$2799
Judges' comment: Simplicity inside, excellent versatility outside: this is an Australian-made product that challenges all comers on the value of its sound quality.
PHONO STAGE OF THE YEAR OVER AU$5000
Perreaux VP4
AU$7490
Judges' comment: Perreaux’s VP4 shows how smarts and sound can merge seamlessly even in a primarily analogue product like a phono stage. Top tech from across the Tasman!
Loudspeakers
STANDMOUNT SPEAKERS OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$2500
PMC prodigy1
AU$2399
Judges' comment: PMC successfully brings its technology and signature sound to a far more affordable level with this pair of plain-looking but stunning-sounding standmounts.
Read our full review.
STANDMOUNT SPEAKERS OF THE YEAR AU$2500–AU$5000
Dellichord FR6
AU$4995
Judges' comment: The best thing about the FR6 speakers is not their isobaric complexity, it’s the simple pleasure of listening to their music.
STANDMOUNT SPEAKERS OF THE YEAR OVER AU$5000
Serhan Swift mµ2 Mk II
AU$7499
Judges' comment: Music just seems to flow effortlessly from the mµ2 Mk ll, the original tweaked in significant ways to make this Australian speaker still more involving.
Read our full review.
FLOORSTANDING SPEAKERS OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$10,000
Richter Wizard Series 6Plus
AU$2899
Judges' comment: The best Wizards yet without any shadow of a doubt: cleaner, tighter and more extended bass, enhanced midrange accuracy, and sweeter yet more lively highs.
FLOORSTANDING SPEAKERS OF THE YEAR OVER AU$10,000
PSB Synchrony T800
AU$18,999
Judges' comment: We would rate these Synchrony T800 loudspeakers among the very best-sounding we have ever heard, irrespective of price. At their actual price, it’s no contest.
Read our full review.
ACTIVE SPEAKERS OF THE YEAR
Airpulse SM200
AU$1450
Judges' comment: These active (not streaming) speakers were designed as studio monitors, yet also deliver clean powerful performance in a home hi-fi context.
Cinema design
'GOLD' AWARD FOR CINEMA DESIGN
Wavetrain Cinemas – 'The Cloister Cinema'
Judges' comment: Our Award joins global recognition for this stunning home cinema and the full design service here delivered yet again by Sydney’s Wavetrain Cinemas.
Read our full article on The Cloister Cinema!