2026 is quite the momentous year: not only is What Hi-Fi? celebrating its 50th birthday, but it's also 100 years since the TV was first invented by John Logie Baird in 1926.

The way TV technology (along with broadcast, film and smart features) has progressed over the past century is nothing short of astonishing: chunky CRT (cathode ray tube) TVs gave way to slimmer LCDs and then even slimmer OLEDs, while screen resolution has gone from cosy standard definition to widespread 4K to futuristic 8K.

We have seen the birth and death of plasma TV, while in 2001, What Hi-Fi? entered a new era of Sound and Vision to expand our coverage to TV/home cinema alongside hi-fi and audio. The 2000s also marked a historic time in broadcast TV as the UK switched from analogue to digital, and the introduction of Full HD resolution was a turning point in TV screen technology that paved the way for constant innovation and advancement in the 21st century.

The What Hi-Fi? review team has been at the forefront of all these technologies, and we've sifted through our magazine archives from the 2000s to today to find the very first instances of when a new TV format of the 21st century – Full HD, OLED, 3D, 4K, 8K and beyond – entered our test rooms to get the full review treatment.

They may not have been the best examples of each TV tech, but they were the very first of their kind to show off just what a new screen technology, format and resolution could offer.

NOTE: To read the full-size text of the magazine images below, click on the arrow sign on the bottom-left corner, and in some cases, further click on 'view original' at the bottom-right corner.

LCD 1080p: Sharp LC-45GD1E (2005)

In today's fast-paced world of constant cutting-edge technology, it's hard to imagine just how big a deal the advent of Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution was.

Standard TV broadcast was a mere 720 x 576 resolution, and we were perfectly happy with that on the 25-/32-inch CRTs and widescreen LCD tellies that were popular throughout the 90s. Freeview's digital terrestrial service started in 2002 in the UK, while the first "high-definition" BBC HD and Sky HD channels launched in May 2006.

For the best part of the 2000s, most LCD and plasma TVs were 'HD-Ready'. These TVs' native resolution was 1280 x 720 (or 768), but they were able to accept 1080i/1080p videos, and would simply downscale the picture to fit the lower resolution screen.

The first flatscreen LCD TV we encountered with a native 1080p Full HD resolution was this Sharp LC-45GD1E in 2005. We said the picture looked "stunning" when fed Full HD video from a home cinema PC, and that it displayed "an extraordinary absence of noise and motion-smearing."

It was less successful when upscaling standard definition content – a contrast to how advanced upscaling tech has become when dealing with 8K TVs (see below) – and we said cheaper, smaller 42-inch plasma TVs coped better here.

The Sharp's higher resolution came at a premium – £5500 for a 45-inch LCD TV! – so we deemed it more for the "connoisseur" rather than an "everyday TV." Besides, it really needed Full HD content to look its best, and that was hard to come by at the time.

Plasma 1080p: Pioneer PDP-5000EX (2006)

In the 2000s, plasma versus LCD was about as heated as, well, OLED versus LCD is today. Fujitsu launched the first commercial plasma TV in 1997, but it was the legendary Pioneer Kuro sets that everyone still remembers fondly as the peak of plasma screen technology.

Back in 2006, Pioneer was also the first to provide us with a plasma screen that finally did native Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. Despite us having already experienced Full HD resolution in LCD TVs, this Pioneer PDP-5000EX was the first set to offer "full 1080p compatibility... with the appropriate input interference" to accept Blu-ray and HD-DVD picture.

Our praise was effusive: "staggering picture quality", "this is the best plasma ever made", "this is what the telly looks like in heaven" – we weren't kidding when we said Full HD resolution wowed us in a way that we never thought possible.

With over two million pixels on screen, we found the definition "extraordinary". When fed 1080p content, the picture was "bright, sharp, colourful and consistently lustrous" and it also coped well with standard-def broadcasts.

Anyone wanting this premium new tech would have to cough up £7000 (a trend for every new TV technology, as we'll see below), but it showed just how revolutionary this new Full HD resolution was to the future of TV as we know it.

OLED: Sony XEL-1 (2008)

LCD and plasma TVs were widespread at the dawn of the new millennium, but a new panel technology – one that was close in spirit to the beloved plasma – was about to change the course of TVs forever.

Like plasma, OLED panels don't need a backlight. Instead, they use self-emissive organic light-emitting diodes that generate their own (white) light, which is put through a colour filter.

The advantage is that when an OLED pixel is turned off, it is truly off and therefore pitch-black. This results in perfect blacks without any hint of backlight bleeding through the image, superior contrast, and richer, punchier colours. Not needing an extra backlight panel meant OLED screens could be much thinner than LCD TVs, too.

The downsides are that the pixels have a limited shelf life due to their organic nature, they can't go quite as bright as LCDs, and at the beginning, larger screens weren't possible to produce due to the difficult nature of manufacturing these panels.

The Sony XEL-1 was the world's first OLED TV. It launched in 2007, with a screen size of just 11 inches and a depth of just 3mm. It boasted a high contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, while the display resolution was a paltry 960 x 540.

We covered its launch news in the May 2008 issue, which looked at the next-gen TVs entering the market. In 2009, in "the next big thing" TV feature (fifth slide in gallery above), we learned of 21- and 27-inch prototypes of the Sony OLED, while the XEL-1 got even skinnier at just 0.9mm!

Sadly, we haven't been able to find any other coverage or review of this Sony XEL-1 in our magazine archives. It would be a good few years yet before a full-size, full-production OLED TV hit our test rooms, while Sony finally entered the OLED market proper with the stunning A1 (KD-55A1) OLED TV in 2017.

3D TV: Samsung UE40C7000 (2010)

3D wasn't a new technology by any means in 2010. Cinemagoers had been experiencing it since before the television was even invented, with 1922's silent feature The Power Of Love widely considered to be the first commercially released 3D film, shown at the Ambassador Hotel Theater in Los Angeles.

Why would anyone want to watch 3D films at home, while wearing bulky glasses that needed charging? Was it headache-inducing or was it an immersive experience for films and gaming? The jury was split when we tested Samsung's UE40C7000, the first 3D TV to hit the What Hi-Fi? test rooms.

You needed a 3D disc and a Blu-ray player compatible with the format to make the picture (Samsung's own BD-C6900 3D player and a 3D Blu-ray of Monsters vs Aliens, in this case), but it did offer a genuine "depth of field" that was suitably three-dimensional.

If you didn't care about 3D at all, however, then the Samsung UE40C7000 was also a very fine TV in its own right. Across terrestrial TV, DVD and Blu-ray, this 40-inch LCD TV delivered "epic levels of detail", with a subtle colour palette that handled skin tones particularly well. Motion handling was impressively smooth, and the edge-lit LED backlighting balanced black levels, highlights and details well.

An "overall impression of unshakeable solidity" is high praise indeed for this five-star 3D TV.

Read the full review: Samsung UE40C7000

4K LCD TV: Toshiba 55ZL2 (2012)

The Toshiba 55ZL2 made headlines for being the first glasses-free 3D TV – that is, you wouldn't need to wear bulky active or passive 3D glasses to see the picture in three dimensions; the Toshiba's integrated camera and lens technology would track your eye movements and do the hard work for you!

It worked, but with caveats. The subtle depth of field was nice, it was less fatiguing on the eyes, and the picture didn't experience a drop in brightness as it did with 3D glasses. But the tech did require you to sit completely still; any fidgeting or movement would lead to a drop-off in focus, definition and 3D effect, which was less than ideal.

But who cares about 3D? Because the Toshiba 55ZL2 was also the very first 4K TV screen we tested, back when the new reality of "four times the resolution of Full HD/1080p" was still in its earliest stages.

There was no mainstream 4K content yet (and wouldn't be for a long, long time), but Toshiba's 4K picture hinted at what was to come. Fed some demo content of flowers, landscapes, and cityscapes from a hard drive, we said: "native 3840 x 2160 images look, frankly, astonishing. Detail levels are absolutely sky-high, and the most complex patterns remain steady and stable with the sort of casual efficiency that’s the mark of a properly effective device."

With Blu-ray and DVD films, the Toshiba TV's colour balance was "expertly judged", and we praised its black depth for being "excellent by the prevailing standards of LED-backlit LCD screens."

Costing £7000, the cutting-edge 55ZL2 was considerably more expensive than your standard Full HD 55-inch TV at the time, but nowhere near as expensive as the £25,000 84-inch Sony 4K and LG 4K LCD TVs that would hit the market later that same year.

For actual 4K content, we had to wait for another three years: in August 2015, BT Sport Ultra HD launched as the UK's first 4K channel, while the first few 4K Blu-ray discs hit the market in 2016.

Read the full review: Toshiba 55ZL2

Curved OLED: Samsung KE55S9C (2013)

Curved OLED TVs were a short-lived fad, not helped by the fact that you couldn't wall-mount them, viewing angles weren't great for anyone not sitting dead centre of the screen, and the early models quickly became outdated as they didn't support the upcoming 4K resolution.

But the Samsung KE55S9C is notable not for its curved screen, but because it was actually our first time seeing the OLED panel technology on a large screen beyond a mere 11 inches.

As with 3D, the test team argued about the curved screen continuously. Some found it a "distracting gimmick" as the picture distorted according to the curvature when viewing it from the side, while others (those sitting dead centre) found the curve led to greater immersion.

The frame surrounding the 55-inch screen also served as a (rather large) stand, and it was more curved than the screen itself, adding to the illusion. "That curve" was listed as both a Pro and a Con in our review.

What we all agreed on, though, was that OLED looked stunning, handling contrast far better than any LCD TV we had seen. "Dark scenes are some of the deepest and blackest we’ve seen, genuinely resembling the absence of light," we enthused, even if we would have liked subtler shading and variation in the extremes. Colours were rich and vibrant, while the picture was also crisp and clear.

Did we recommend it? Its "prohibitively expensive" £7000 price tag was three times that of our favourite 55-inch plasma at the time, and we can't imagine most people beyond early adopters took the plunge.

We didn't "really understand why we’re seeing curved OLED sets before flat ones" either, but it did point to an exciting future for OLED TVs.

Read the full review: Samsung KE55S9C

4K OLED: LG 55EG960V (2015)

We never tested the £10,000 LG 55EM970V OLED that first arrived in the UK in 2013, but in 2015 we did finally get to test a TV that combined two picture technologies we had been waiting on for years: 4K Ultra HD resolution and OLED.

And the LG 55EG960V was "everything we hoped it would be", delivering the two new technologies with "spectacular results" in a living room-friendly 55-inch screen size. The intensely pitch-dark blacks contrast brilliantly against bright whites, while the 8.3 million pixels on screen were delivered with crystal-clear and precise detail.

"The depth of colours is breathtaking. They aren’t just richer, there are simply more precise shades of them on the screen, giving a wonderfully vivid feel to the picture," we said. There were more subtleties revealed in the deep blacks than before, and while upscaling standard definition content was a little fuzzy around the edges, it was still a punchy picture.

Yes, it was also gently curved (but you could wall-mount it), it did convincing 3D, and its thin screen with floating effect looked rather "gorgeous", too. It was still more expensive than equivalent LCD sets, so we couldn't yet definitely say that OLED was better and better-value.

We can now, though, as OLED has gone from strength to strength and become more affordable in the past decade, delivering even more impressive picture quality with greater subtlety and accuracy alongside unrivalled deep blacks and punchy contrast – from the wildly popular and affordable LG C5 to our TV & AV Editor Tom Parsons' current favourite, the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Read the full review: LG 55EG960V

8K: Samsung QE85Q900R 8K QLED (2018)

Unlike the world of hi-fi, TV manufacturers are in a constant state of innovation and of pushing the boundaries of screen technology. It took ages for 4K UHD broadcasts, streams and discs to become a reality since the first time the screen tech was proposed, but it wasn't long after that 8K was being touted as "the next big thing."

Samsung got there first, with the QE85Q900R 8K QLED hitting our test rooms in 2018. The LED-backlit quantum dot screen (Samsung was still staunchly against using OLED then) had a mind-blowing 33 million pixels to 4K's eight, with this mammoth 85-inch set offering "the same pixel density (104ppi) as a 43-inch 4K model".

4K has pretty high resolution, but if you sit too close to the screen, you can start to see the individual pixels. The advantage of 8K was that you could sit as close to the screen as you want – we sat even a foot away – and still not see any pixels. With native 8K content provided by Samsung, it looked fabulous.

"Predictably, it’s all about sharpness and detail. The image is unbelievably lifelike, and draws you in to an extent that 4K simply can’t match. Naturally, it’s helped by the sheer scale of the 85-inch display – this is cinematic and then some."

The AI-based upscaling technology was almost as impressive, as it had to effectively "make up" so much of the picture on screen when watching 4K, Full HD or DVD content, which was sharp and detailed with no discernible "artefacts, shimmer or noise".

The problems? It's 85-bloody-inches massive, and black levels simply weren't deep enough, with backlight blooming issues pervading the screen.

Also, there was no actual 8K content and, eight years on, there still isn't any. 8K resolution remains an impressive technical feat, but without the practical availability of broadcasts or films (the sheer size of the file/disc needed to accommodate those 33 million pixels doesn't bear thinking), it's unlikely to overtake 4K resolution in the home in the foreseeable future.

Read the full review: Samsung QE85Q900R 8K QLED

Micro LED: Samsung 75-inch Micro LED 4K TV (2019)

While arch-rival LG was leading the way with OLED during the 2010s, Samsung was staunchly working on advancing LED-backlit LCD panel technology, such as its Quantum Dot Mini LED display.

In 2018, though, the brand veered away from LCD in spectacular fashion, with Micro LED, which made its debut at CES in Las Vegas that January.

Micro LED uses tiny, non-organic self-emitting diodes for each pixel, so it's capable of producing the perfect blacks we love from OLED, while also theoretically delivering brighter images, greater colour control, and a longer lifespan of 100,000 hours (just over 11 years of constant use).

Thanks to its modular architecture (each Micro LED screen is constructed using a number of small modules arranged in a grid pattern), these early Micro LED TVs could span huge sizes. They could be even thinner than OLED, too, and their inorganic nature meant they could be left on permanently – great for commercial purposes.

Since then, non-modular, more typical TV-style Micro LED screens have been produced by Samsung, but prices have remained staunchly sky-high – the 146-inch 4K version of Samsung's The Wall Micro LED TV will set you back an eye-watering £199,999 in the UK. Needless to say, both production and adoption of Micro LED haven't been widespread beyond B2B applications.

We did get to see a 75-inch Samsung 4K Micro LED model in 2019, and it gave us an insight into the complexity of its manufacturing process, as well as a taste of its potential picture quality.

The demo footage we saw gave us an impression of "stunningly punchy and vibrant image with truly exceptional colours. Everything looks real and life-like to an extent we've genuinely not experienced before."

"Perfect" bright whites contrast against "perfect" black backgrounds, while there is subtlety amongst the colours too, and viewing angles remain consistent no matter where we were in the room.

Micro LED TVs might well be the true successor to OLED, but even now, they're hard to get hold of at any sensible size, and they're well beyond the means of most people who aren't Premier League footballers.

Read the full hands-on review: Samsung 75-inch Micro LED 4K TV

RGB Mini LED: Hisense UR9 (2026)

With Micro LED parked, TV manufacturers have focused on advancing the backlight quality of LCD TVs, and so RGB Mini LED is the current TV technology du jour.

Unlike conventional Mini LED TVs that use a white backlight shining through a colour filter layer, RGB Mini LED uses independent red, green and blue Mini LEDs to generate colour directly. The result? Brighter pictures and more accurate colour reproduction.

Does that make RGB Mini LED an OLED-killer?

Not quite, at least not yet. Hisense led the charge here, with the Hisense UR9 (65UR9STUK) being the first RGB Mini LED we tested earlier this year, ahead of Sony's recent Bravia 9 II effort. The Hisense UR9 showcases a stable, consistent and controlled picture, with none of the flickering or shifting behaviour we find distracting on traditional backlit TVs. Subtle blooming effects are nicely controlled, too.

We praised the Hisense RBG Mini LED TV's ability to display "consistently strong" black depth, noting "impressive richness and stability to colours", while extra-bright HDR content is delivered with dazzling intensity.

It's impressive stuff for an LCD TV, but it still doesn't quite achieve the three-dimensional quality and solidity of a price-equivalent OLED screen. Deep black levels, subtle colour gradations and even the perception of bright whites against inky blacks are better reproduced on Sony's current best OLED TV.

"Despite its impressive local-dimming system," we said, "the Hisense simply cannot match the pixel-level contrast control of the Sony Bravia 8 II."

Read the full review: Hisense UR9 (65UR9STUK)

Over a decade on, and OLED still rules the roost when it comes to picture technology. Brands have also looked to advance OLED panel technology, with LG Display producing ever-brighter W-OLED panels and Samsung Display firing back with also-ever-brighter versions of its competing QD-OLED technology.

Considering how revolutionary Full HD felt in the 2000s – which was four times the resolution of standard def, which is the same jump in resolution between Full HD and 4K – it has been an astonishing rate of advancement for screen technology.

What will the next 50 years of TV look like? Considering the stunning picture quality available to us these days, it should look pretty darn spectacular.

MORE:

The best TVs of What Hi-Fi?'s lifetime

Our guide to the best TVs of 2026: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

22 of the best film scenes to test picture quality

How to optimise your 4K TV settings for Blu-ray, DVD and TV viewing

Nostalgia is a powerful force.

In the 50 years of What Hi-Fi?'s lifetime, we've seen the rise – and occasional fall – of several innovations, trends and fads, from Betamax to widescreen to, yes, 3D.

But are we looking back with rose-tinted 3D glasses? Are we, in fact, living in a golden era of home cinema, complete with perfect-black OLEDs, convenient HDMI eARC connections and affordable soundbar systems?

In honour of Home Cinema Week, I asked the What Hi-Fi? team what they thought about the matter. And it prompted quite the response, with some rather strong opinions popping up on both sides of the divide.

You can see their responses below – and feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments...

Yes – we are in a golden age of home cinema

While premium systems are still going to set you back a fair bit of cash, I still think this is a brilliant time to find a home cinema system if you are on a budget.

Of course, you are not going to get the same level of performance from an affordable TV screen compared to a model that costs thousands more. But the number of options out there for all price points feels like the best yet.

You can get a complete home cinema system for under £1000, which can include a bunch of five-star products that have performed brilliantly in our test room. For instance, the 50-inch TCL C6KS is available for about £429. The budget 4K model offers excellent brightness and contrast, and is an absolute bargain for the money. You could pair that with the Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar (£449) to upgrade the TV’s audio performance, delivering impressive Dolby Atmos effects and expressive vocals.

Budget systems might not suit everyone, but it’s great to see home cinema becoming more and more accessible.

I think it's incredibly hard to argue that we're not in a golden age of home cinema.

Home cinema has never been more accessible, whether in terms of price or practicality. At the same time, technologies such as Dolby Atmos and increasingly sophisticated room optimisation have made genuinely immersive sound achievable in spaces that simply wouldn't have supported it a decade ago.

All of this means that someone with a small budget and equally small and/or misshapen room can add an inexpensive, compact soundbar to their TV and find themselves audibly transported to the world of their movie, TV show or video game.

These days, you can even do this via certain tablet/phone and headphone combinations.

Of course, my argument depends on your definition of home cinema including soundbars, headphones and the like, which mine very much does, but even if yours doesn’t, the quality of ‘true’ home cinema has never been higher, either.

Sure, competitors in the AVR market have dwindled somewhat of late, but this hasn’t hindered quality, with Denon and Sony offering awesome entry-level models, Denon and Marantz producing the most feature-packed and user-friendly high-end models we’ve ever reviewed, Arcam and JBL producing uncompromising premium alternatives, and the likes of Anthem and McIntosh catering for the custom install and luxury markets.

Away from sound, meanwhile, the projector market has exploded with designs of all shapes, sizes, prices and technologies. For only a few hundred pounds, you can now buy a projector capable of producing a surprisingly watchable 150-inch image, and thanks to ‘coffee table’ and UST models with increased brightness and adaptive technologies, a projector can now be a viable option for a typical living room as well as a dedicated light-controlled space.

Still not right for you? TVs 100 inches and larger are now readily available and in many cases surprisingly affordable, allowing for a projector-sized experience with typical television convenience.

Essentially, whether your idea of home cinema is a £300 soundbar, a dedicated projector room or a six-figure custom installation, the choice and performance on offer today are unlike anything we've seen before. If that's not a golden age, I don't know what is.

No – we are not in a golden age of home cinema

There are lots of arguments to support the idea we’re living in a golden age of home cinema. New giant TV panel technologies are boosting performance, and the arrival of amazing wireless surround sound systems makes it much easier to get decent audio in the comfort of your own home than ever before. The list goes on.

But for me, there’s one reason I don’t think it’s fair to call it a golden age: the cost of living crisis. Yes, we are seeing a lot of great new tech appear. But the truth is most people are struggling with the price of groceries. So the fact that £5000 projectors and £2000 surround sound systems are better than ever is a bit of a moot point for most of us. I’m a firm believer we could only call it a “golden age” when the benefits of a proper, big-screen home experience are more openly available to people with regular sized bank accounts.

Which, outside of a few rare exceptions, still isn’t the case. Look at our best projectors, or best TV guide, and you’ll still see a number of four-star products with the strap “best cheap”. That’s because, while we’re seeing lots of innovation, it’s yet to trickle down to the mid, let alone the affordable end of the market. Until it does, I’m going to belligerently stick to my guns and refuse to call it a golden age. We only succeed when we all succeed, after all.

Even if we do live in an era of accessible 4K TVs and Dolby Atmos soundbars, there's little point if people aren't able to use these features properly.

This is, of course, due to the rise of streaming. And while there are plenty of upsides to streaming – it is highly convenient after all, providing thousands of films and shows at our fingertips – the cracks are beginning to show. Exclusive content is disappearing forever, with no legal way to watch it anymore. More and more services are springing out of the woodwork, and there seem to be monthly price increases at this point, making costs exorbitant if you subscribe to even just a few streaming services at a time.

This is especially true if you go for the premium tier on each service for 4K streaming and Dolby Atmos, which is now £17.99 a month on Netflix alone. This does mean the overwhelming majority of people are likely watching on the middle or lower tiers, which cap out at HD and 5.1. And even if you do shell out for the premium tiers, it's still a step down from the quality of 4K Blu-ray discs thanks to lower bit depth and compression.

Which wouldn't be a problem if physical media were still accessible, but it's becoming increasingly harder to watch 4K Blu-rays. Sony and Panasonic are the two mainstream manufacturers still offering 4K Blu-ray players, and neither has released a brand-new player in years. And with Sony ending physical disc production for the PlayStation, it seems highly unlikely that the next generation of consoles will have disc drives for 4K Blu-rays, or any other form of physical media for that matter.

Even if our actual home cinema systems are getting better all the time, it's becoming increasingly harder to use them at their full potential. As good as upscaling is these days, it's entirely possible that the average household has not actually watched their 4K TV at that resolution, let alone made use of HDR and all the other home cinema technology.

MORE:

These are the best AV receivers you can buy right now

Check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

And here are the best projectors

This week, we learned that AI music had surpassed 50 per cent of all uploads to the streaming platform Deezer, which means that more of the music being added to the platform was made by AI than by human beings.

In June, according to the streaming service, an average of 90,000 AI-generated tracks were uploaded every single day.

Deezer has already made efforts to crack down on fraudulent streams via its AI detection tool, but with such a vast quantity of music arriving on the platform, the company has gone one step further, pledging to “take down generative-AI tracks used to generate fraudulent streams, as well as those that haven’t been streamed for 6 months or more”.

Streaming fraud, also known as artificial streaming or streaming manipulation, refers to using bots to falsely inflate the number of streams a song receives. The phenomenon itself is nothing new, but fraudsters’ methods have changed with the rise of AI.

In the early days of streaming, bots were often used to play tracks repeatedly, garnering royalties by racking up astronomical listening numbers. As platforms caught on to the tactic, they began disabling accounts that saw sudden, unexplained jumps in listeners.

Recently, however, streaming services have seen AI being used to mass produce music for release under multiple artist accounts, each of which can receive a smaller amount of streams, thereby avoiding fraud detection methods.

Even the most evangelical of AI enthusiasts will be able to imagine the impact this has on musicians. Streaming royalties are not an infinite resource, and as a growing percentage of revenue is allocated to AI-generated music, a smaller portion can be paid to real musicians who have already suffered the financial losses associated with the rise of streaming.

With this in mind, streaming services have started taking action.

Tidal, for instance, recently added an 'allow AI content' switch, which is accessible through the platform’s settings page. When switched off, Tidal automatically greys out and skips songs tagged as AI-generated.

If you are using Deezer, the company’s AI detection tool allows you to scan your playlists for AI-generated content. The tool can be used across other streaming services, too, but to see which specific albums are the culprits, you’ll need to transfer your playlists and library to the platform.

AI-generated songs are also automatically removed from Deezer's algorithmic recommendations and editorial playlists. When stream manipulation is detected, the service excludes the involved streams from royalty payments.

Earlier this year, French streaming platform Qobuz also published an AI charter, pledging to remove AI-generated content upon detection.

Spotify claimed it had taken down 75 million AI tracks in 2025, but, notably, the platform doesn’t yet use automated detection to highlight AI music, opting instead for a voluntary tagging model that is reliant on creators' honesty. Apple Music employs a similar system.

According to Alexis Lanternier, CEO of Deezer: “We have reached a pivotal moment, but we have the technology to keep track of the development, and an ambition to do what’s right. If the industry can align and come together to create shared standards, we can build a healthy and sustainable music ecosystem, where great music wins.”

MORE

Tidal is the latest streaming service to clamp down on AI music – but there's a flaw

Spotify’s new AI assistant feature lets you talk to the app for “a more personal way to listen”

Best music streaming services 2026: free streams to hi-res audio

Music is awesome. Movies are also awesome. So by the laws of mathematics, music videos should be doubly awesome. At least that’s the prevailing theory at What Hi-Fi?.

Which is why, during our latest Home Cinema Week special event, we’ve taken the time to create this list, detailing our favourite examples of the art form.

From golden oldies that have been given a new lease of life via a remaster, to new classics from cutting-edge artists in their prime, as well as sounding and looking great, every entry on this list also offers a great way to test at least one part of your home cinema setup.

As always, the list currently only includes the What Hi-Fi? team’s personal favourites. We have a separate list detailing our picks of the best music videos of all time. If you think we’ve missed any, make sure to get involved in the conversation using the comments section below or our social media channels and forums.

We’re always interested to hear from you, our ever-discerning readers!

Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer (4K remaster)

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Peter Gabriel is one of the biggest names in music, with a decades-spanning career that started with prog rock legends Genesis, before blossoming into one of the most experimental solo acts to grace the latter quarter of the 20th Century. And while he’s still pumping out tunes to this day, there’s no denying that Sledgehammer from his 1986 album So, is still one of his most recognisable.

That’s as true of its music video as it is of the song itself. Made using claymation and stop motion techniques, the video required Gabriel to lie under a glass table for 16 hours, as they shot parts frame-by-frame. 40 years on, it’s also had an amazing remaster on Apple Music, bringing it up to 4K.

The mix of updated visuals acts as a wonderful accompaniment to the stellar track, which has aged like fine wine. Expertly blending a smorgasbord of genres, including pop rock, dance-rock, funk rock, and blue-eyed soul, Sledgehammer’s music video makes for a compelling listen and watch. We would challenge any hi-fi fan to hear one note of the track’s syncopated bassline and not immediately recognise it. Our only minor qualm is its subject matter (it’s about his crown jewels).

Watch Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer in 4K on Apple Music

Alanis Morrisette – Ironic (4K remaster)

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Ah, Alanis Morrisette. If you grew up during the late 90s and early 2000s, there’s a strong chance that at least one of her multitude of self-aware tracks featured in your formative years.

Which is why her classic hit, Ironic, isn’t just one of my favourite tracks; thanks to a 4K remaster, it’s also one of his favourite music videos. Sure, the video is basic, showing Morrisette driving a 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V in the snow, singing to various versions of herself.

But the upgrades are welcome, adding more vibrancy to the colours, a welcome dose of extra detail thanks to the higher resolution.

However, most importantly, the track remains a masterpiece with Morresette's vocals, which flip from booming, life-affirming bellows to subdued, vulnerable pleas over its four-minute run time, are a delight – one that will give any speaker a run for its money when it comes to dynamics.

Ah-ha – Take on Me (4K remaster)

Words by Dan Furn

We could hardly write a list of visually complex, system-testing music videos without Take On Me. Luckily, A-ha have seen fit to spoil us with a 4K remaster so you can really push your setup and enjoy the many, many hand-drawn sketches in glorious Ultra HD.

If somehow you haven’t seen this early music video masterpiece, the premise is simple – a young woman reading a comic book in a café is invited into the comic by its rather suave hero, where the two get chased by thugs in a black-and-white, pencil-sketch world.

This was, in fact, the second music video for the song, and catapulted the track to the top of several worldwide charts and created a pop culture phenomenon. It’s a music video that still resonates today – it’s clocked up well over two billion views on YouTube, has been referenced by everyone from Paramore to Family Guy and even saw a recent resurgence during the FIFA World Cup after being adopted by Norwegian fans.

The pencil-sketch scenes are ideal for testing fine detail, contrast and, of course, motion, as the 3,000 rotoscoped frames should be displayed without judder or blur – the chase scene in particular is an excellent stress test, and, to be honest, just a delight to watch.

Pink Floyd – Money (from Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMXLII, 4K Blu-ray)

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Pink Floyd is one of the most iconic bands in the world, especially if you’re a hi-fi or prog rock fan. And if you’re after an audio/visual tour de force to push your home cinema setup, we’d strongly suggest checking out the Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMXLII 4K Blu-ray.

Yes, we may technically be pushing the definition of what counts as a music video, but the remaster is an amazing achievement. The entire set, which saw the band play to an empty amphitheatre, has been expertly remastered to offer 4K visuals and Dolby Atmos. And honestly, they've done such a good job that, if you have the hardware to do it justice, the upgrades really do make you feel like you’re there, at the gig, watching it all live.

You can see cuts of the set, like the one above, online, but the Blu-ray is what you need if you want to get the ultimate experience. If you’re short on time, the performance of Echoes Part 1 and 2 are a particular highlight that theWhat Hi-Fi? team, myself included, keep returning to.

Featuring a magnetic performance from the band against a stunning backdrop, you really want a big screen TV, or even a projector, to do it justice. The Atmos mix of the live performance then brings it to life, offering a unique dome of sound capturing screaming guitar and making it feel like the band’s psychedelic tour de force is marching straight through your living room.

Buy Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMXLII at Amazon

Steven Wilson - Drive Home (4K remaster)

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Steve Wilson is a huge name in hi-fi circles. First, as the frontman of prog rock legends Porcupine Tree, second as a regular attendee and speaker at hi-fi shows across the globe, where he’s championed new technologies and the need for “good sound” for decades.

He’s also made a number of pretty awesome music videos over the years. But for What Hi-Fi?’s purposes, the 4K remaster of Drive Home is a particular favourite. The remaster was released in 2023 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Wilson’s third solo album, The Raven that Refused to Sing. The video is a work of art, with characters designed by Hajo Mueller and then animated by Jess Cope into a dark, evocative video that beautifully complements the track – especially with the new colouring by colourist Mozart Gabriel for the remaster, which helps evoke a true sense of melancholy and sadness.

The song itself is also incredible. Written after an intense period Wilson spent remixing classic prog bands’ work, it intentionally channels the spirit of King Crimson, Yes, Gentle Giant, and Jethro Tull. It’s a detached, haunting piece mixing flute, string and acoustic guitar parts with Wison’s vocals that slowly builds, only adding electric instruments much over halfway through its eight-minute, 20-second playtime.

My only bit of advice, outside of listening to it as soon as you can, is to jump over to Wilson’s website and invest in the Headphone Dust edition for the ultimate experience. The investment nabs you the Hi-res Atmos and 5.1 cuts of the song alongside an MKV file of the 4K video. Make no mistake, the stereo cut on the above video is good, but the Atmos and 5.1 versions are mind-blowing if you have the hardware to do them justice.

Buy the Headphone Dust edition of The Raven that Refused to Sing at Steve Wilson's website

Gunship – Dark All Day

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Our editor (me) is a big fan of two things: classic horror movies and synthwave. So, when a band creates a music video that combines both elements, well, you can imagine how excited they get.

Enter Gunship’s Dark All Day. The song merges the band’s iconic sound, which uses old synths to create a mesmerising, retro vibe, with a saxophone part from Tim Cappello and vocals from pop sensation Indiana.

Not sure who Cappello is? You’ll almost certainly recognise him either as the main saxophonist from Tina Turner's backing band during the 80s or the muscly front man wailing on his sax during the boardwalk scene of cult classic vampire film The Lost Boys. And the theme of vampires neatly brings us on to the video itself.

Available in 4K on YouTube, it starts with an animated segment, showing iconic vampire hunters from the 80s and 90s cinema battling a horde of the undead before flipping to a visually stunning live section halfway through. The second half, showing Indiana, Capello and the band playing in a pitch-black room with visceral, red blood pouring from the ceiling like rain – a clear homage to an iconic scene from a certain Wesley Snipes 90s vampire movie.

The result is a roller coaster ride that will test everything from your sound system’s rhythmic precision to your projector or TV’s motion handling and dark detail.

Avenged Sevenfold – Nobody

Words by Harry McKerrell

Look, I completely understand that this type of music isn’t to everyone’s taste. Heavy metal, progressive metal, metalcore, whatever you want to call it – it’s something of a niche within this world of Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter. In fairness, I actually quite like Sabrina Carpenter.

Even if this kind of thing isn’t your bag at all, please give Nobody a try. In abstraction, the track might take a few goes to get into, relying more on epic, pulsating soundscapes over catchy, refined melodies, but once it clicks, this is the sort of music that gets deep into your bones. Add the video into the mix, and it’s practically a spiritual experience.

I refer to bones quite deliberately. The accompanying video to Nobody is a miraculous masterpiece, wherein a man’s skeletal ‘soul’ leaves his body and begins wandering through the chaotic cosmos in search of matter, meaning and, you would hope, a bit of epidermis to cover his naked frame.

The result is mind-blowing, with Chris Hopewell’s spectacular stop-motion visuals giving the protagonist’s movements a charmingly comical clunkiness when set against awe-inspiring vistas of the shimmering cosmos. Just wait until you get to the 3:15 mark, where siren-like guitars accompany one endless tracking shot of skeletons fighting on some strange, semi-apocalyptic battleground. Goosebumps.

Avenged Sevenfold have gone all existential during the course of their last few albums, and it doesn’t get more Camus than this. I think the point of the whole thing is that we’re all already dead, like those monks who live with decomposing corpses to remind them of their own mortality. Cheery.

Pomme – Un Million

Words by Robyn Quick

You might not have heard of French artist Pomme, but she is one to watch.

Un million from the album Consolation is one of my favourite tracks from her, and not just because of the magical vocals and mesmerising instrumentals. The accompanying music video continues the minimalist approach of the song, as it is filmed in black and white, all on one spinning stage.

This setup could have resulted in an uninspiring final look, but there is beauty in the small details that make for a hypnotic watch and a great test for your TV or projector screen.

Pomme is dressed as a clown, complete with a ruffled neck collar and frilly sleeves. The intricate textures of the ruffles and a single tear running down her face call for a good level of detail without looking over-etched. As others join her on the spinning stage, this also challenges your system’s motion handling. There’s a delicate balance to strike between movement looking too smooth and juddery, and the swirling stage makes for a great test.

A bright sphere is the centrepiece of the video, which creates a gradual fade from white to black. With the right system, this gradient should look seamless, but there is the risk of banding where you can see the steps obviously between shades.

Talking Heads – Life During Wartime (from Stop Making Sense 4K remaster)

Words by Ioan Hazell

Few bands manage to pack all-out eccentricity into as digestible and catchy a package as Talking Heads. There is so much to talk about in this performance, from David Byrne’s wiry, maniacal dance moves to the contagious excitement of the band, who must have been aware of being at the height of their powers.

This performance of Life During Wartime from their 1984 concert film, Stop Making Sense, was blessedly remastered in 4K and for Dolby Atmos by 4AD back in 2023. At the time, I went to watch the re-release in an IMAX cinema and was astonished by the public response. Some people danced in the aisles; others wept in their seats. Nobody sat still.

While the purpose of resolution is always, to some extent, to revitalise the past, never before had I seen such a vivid example of its power. Coming away from the screening, my legs ached as if I had been at the real concert. My cheeks ached from an irrepressible grin.

With some of the downright coolest backing vocals, strangest gyrations, and grooviest basslines out there, this performance has to be seen to be believed. “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco” – yeah, right!

Buy Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense on 4K Blu-ray at HMV

MORE:
These are the best songs for testing hi-fi

We rank the best surround sound systems

Our picks of the best projectors

They seem simple, but there are actually a lot of pitfalls that are all too easy to fall into when buying and setting up a TV.

But based on my personal and professional experience helping numerous friends and readers, most of us are getting better at the buying part. It's the second, "setting it up" part that many people are still outright terrible at.

Yes, based on my time as every person and their dog’s home cinema personal shopper, I’ve been inundated with every question you can think of when helping people find the right TV for their specific needs and budget.

Does it have everything I need to watch the football?

Do I need to get a soundbar too?

Will it work with my Sony Betamax LV-1901?

I’ve heard all of the above and more while giving curated advice on which TV to buy over the years.

But what always throws me is that after spending hours asking questions, researching the set to make sure, when they actually buy one, they nearly always go silent.

And that would be fine if I could put my feet up, pour myself a nice whisky and toast a job well done, safe in the knowledge they’ve set it up right and are making the most of their new purchase.

Except, based on my experience visiting friends and family I’ve helped, and some of the messages I’ve received from readers, most aren’t.

And recently, there’s one big mistake I’ve seen in living rooms, which is especially damaging during the summer months – placing the set right next to a window.

Why is that a problem, you ask? The answer is simple and an issue we’ve flagged many times before: light pollution.

Our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, has been a vocal enemy of the phenomenon for quite some time. But for those who have missed our past warnings, it is a problem, as if you place your TV in an incredibly bright area, you will impede its picture quality, regardless of how good the set is.

If it doesn’t go bright enough or doesn't come with an antireflective layer, look forward to watching your own reflection. If you can still make out what’s happening, contrast will still be impacted. Truthfully, lots of ambient light will stop your TV from delivering its best, regardless of the picture settings you use.

So why, oh why, do so many of us put TVs directly next to windows? Yes, it sometimes makes sense with the room’s feng shui, but I’ve had people who’ve spent multiple thousands on a top-end OLED make the mistake.

Many then send me, less than diplomatic, messages asking why I've recommended a terrible TV. They then get even more irritated when I point out it's how they've positioning causing most of the problems they're flagging.

If you’re going to spend that much money on a decent TV, surely it’s then worth investing a little time in creating a space that will let it shine?

Blackout blinds are a godsend, or if that’s too much, honestly, even moving your TV a few feet away can make a difference.

So please, for my and the team’s sanity, heed this warning and make sure to give your TV a good home, one that will give it the space it needs to live up to its full potential.

MORE:

Check out all of our Home Cinema Week coverage

These are the best TVs we’ve reviewed

Our picks of the best OLED TVs

We rank the best soundbars for movie fans

It can be hard to sustain a love for film at the height of summer.

As the balmy prospects of barbecues, pub gardens and beach trips beckon, many home cinema set-ups lie forgotten, gathering dust in darkened rooms while their owners go off galavanting until the weather cools off again.

But we don’t believe that a love for the great outdoors has to come at odds with a passion for watching movies – least of all after compiling this list of products for Home Cinema Week that we think will give you the closest thing to a true home cinema experience, no matter where you’ve set up camp.

Of course, we aren’t suggesting any of these solutions as a total replacement for your dedicated system; but if the house is getting too hot to handle, these al fresco-friendly pairings might sate your cinephile desires without costing your daily dose of sunshine.

Best mobile set-up

Apple iPhone 17 + AirPods Max 2

We are well aware that the iPhone 17’s 6.3-inch screen can hardly be considered a premium viewing experience, but try fitting a flat screen TV into the passenger seat of a Toyota Aygo and you’ll get a taste for our thinking here.

The iPhone 17 features ProMotion, Apple’s variable refresh-rate panel technology, which automatically adjusts the refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz, depending on what you are viewing. This means that you can save battery life while rendering slower content but still keep up with the very speediest of action movies.

What's more, with a peak brightness of 3000 nits, you can be confident that you won’t have to worry about visibility, even in broad daylight.

This iPhone 17’s display also features HDR support in Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG formats, which should mean that all streaming services are able to look their best.

Fantastic though these visual features are, no home cinema set-up is complete without great sound. And for that we recommend the AirPods Max 2, which will be able to make the most of both Dolby Atmos and Apple Spatial Audio – both supported by the iPhone 17.

We awarded the AirPods Max 2 a five-star review, saying that these headphones “crossed the line from wireless audio into wireless hi-fi”.

So what’s behind our glowing praise? Well, for starters, they sound “detailed, dynamic and spacious” with an “appealing balance and cohesive organisation”, all necessary features for keeping up with busy action-packed moments and dense soundtracks.

Additionally, you’ll be able to block out intrusive sounds with Apple’s effective noise-cancelling, while their dynamic head tracking does a great job of keeping sounds positioned relative to the screen, for a stable and convincing soundstage.

We acknowledge in our review that movies wouldn’t be the top priority for many users, but, in this case, we feel confident that the AirPods Max 2’s “terrifically cinematic” spatial qualities will be just the ticket.

Best tablet set-up

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra + Buds 4 Pro

Still car-friendly, but with whopping proportions for a tablet, the Samsung Galaxy S11 Ultra is our top pick for home-away-from-home cinema. That is in no small part due to its 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which makes movies look “considerably bigger” than on the iPad Pro.

The S11 Ultra’s peak brightness of 1600 nits matches the iPad Pro, and should allow HDR scenes to come through with popping colours and satisfyingly deep blacks. The tablet’s anti-reflective screen also lends a helping hand in terms of clarity when viewing dimmer scenes outdoors.

Worried that your suitcase is starting to get too full? Well, don’t fret, because the S11 Ultra is only 5.1mm thick and is very unlikely to take your luggage over any weight limits, at a measly 692g.

In our upcoming review (spoiler alert!), we say that the tablet’s battery life should get you “well into a second day” of viewing, provided an eye is kept on screen brightness. So, unless you are planning on watching the entirety of the James Bond canon, this tablet has your back.

In this case, we think your best bet for audio is the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 4. These earbuds thrive in pairing with up-to-date Samsung devices that support the brand’s hi-res SSC UHQ codec.

With their grippy, responsive bass, and a detailed midrange, we enjoyed the sound of these earbuds when listening to compatible Samsung devices.

Controls for the earbuds are also integrated within your Samsung device’s native operating system, meaning that many of their features, from noise-cancelling adjustment to immediate pairing, can be accessed without having to fire up an app.

As well as ANC, the Buds 4 Pro feature head tracking, which works only when paired with a Samsung device. So, using them alongside the S11 Ultra will keep your movies’ soundstages stable.

These are a strong contender with battery life too, with 30 hours of charge (including a fully charged case) when ANC is turned off, and 26 hours with it switched on.

Finally, the Buds 4 Pro’s IP57 rating means that dust ingress and immersion in water up to a metre for around 30 minutes won’t cause any permanent damage. So if flash floods strike, you’ll be sacrificing your tent before your audio quality.

Best portable projector set-up

Anker Nebula Mars 3 + JBL charge 6

For those unwilling to sacrifice a big-picture experience, we have to recommend the Anker Nebula Mars 3 portable projector. You’ll need something to project your movies on to, however, unless you’ve parked your boat beside the white cliffs of Dover.

The Nebula Mars 3 packs a 1080p-resolution, LED-lit DLP projection system with a peak brightness of 400 ANSI Lumens into its portable body. Thanks to that brightness, the maximum image size for Mars 3 is claimed to be 150 inches – although pushing the size that far will inevitably sacrifice brightness.

We recommend striking a balance with an image size between 70 and 90 inches.

In our review, we were “really struck by how sharp and detailed everything look[ed]”, with little evidence of visible pixel structure even as we pushed the image beyond 100 inches. We were also impressed by the projector’s saturation and darkness while streaming HDR sources.

The Mars Air 3 has a battery life of 2.5 hours, which should be enough for most movies, but it can also be powered by mains if you are on a campsite with hook-up. If you are using the projector’s built-in speakers without mains, the run time will decrease.

Helpfully, this portable projector contains a Google TV operating system with an official Netflix app, which recognises the projector as HDR capable.

External sources include a single HDMI port, a USB port and integrated Bluetooth, wi-fi and Chromecast.

We are relieved about the Bluetooth functionality, because while the in-built speakers are actually fairly impressive, for a more cinematic experience, we suggest pairing this projector with the JBL Charge 6.

The Charge 6 is even more outdoors friendly than its four-years-running What Hi-Fi? Award winning predecessor, the Charge 5. In our review, we say the speaker has a “durable design that you feel confident will survive all sorts of adventures and inclement weather”. Perfect for rainy camping holidays.

And this isn’t just an impression: the Charge 6 boasts an IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating.

For connecting to other speakers, the Charge 6 supports Auracast, and wired connections are also made possible via USB-C, allowing lossless streaming for outdoorsy audiophiles.

Sonically, the JBL Charge 6 packs a punch in the low end, while maintaining a clear and solid midrange – ideal for picking out dialogue above bassy ominous soundtracks.

When it comes to battery life, this portable speaker has you covered, with 24 hours of charge, which can be extended to 28 hours by enabling the Playtime Boost setting. Notably, the Charge 6 can also be used as a portable charger for smartphones.

MORE

Check out our best portable projectors 2026: mini projectors to max out your picture

And our best Bluetooth speakers 2026: tried and tested for every budget

Stay up to date with the best over-ear headphones 2026: wired and wireless pairs tested by our in-house experts

Most movies would be lucky to have just one scene that’s considered an all-time classic, so the fact that Michael Mann’s Heat has two is just plain greedy – but only one of them is likely to earn you noise complaints from the neighbours.

Released in 1995, Heat united two Hollywood heavyweights for the first time. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino had both starred in The Godfather Part II in the mid-’70s but never actually shared the screen, so while Heat’s unrehearsed diner scene where the two face-off is certainly iconic, it won’t test your home cinema system like the film’s other most memorable moment.

Almost two hours into the film, De Niro’s Neil McCauley leads a small team of bank robbers on a heist that could net them a cool $12m if they manage to pull it off. And it seems to be going as planned until it comes to the getaway, when all hell breaks loose on the streets of downtown LA.

What’s most immediately striking is just how loud Heat’s heist sequence is. Even when you know it’s coming, the explosion of noise when Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer) opens fire on the police outside the bank is almost enough to make you jump clear out of your seat.

McCauley’s crew are armed with assault rifles, and in the film-makers’ quest for realism they chose to load them with full-load blanks, which means they use the same amount of gunpowder as real shells.

If you’ve got the volume cranked up, each volley of gunfire is a complete assault on the senses, and you should really be able to hear the difference between the weapons as the three thieves battle against Pacino’s detective Vincent Hanna, and what appears to be the entire LAPD.

Bullets pierce cop car bodywork as if it’s made of paper, while windscreens burst like balloons full of broken glass, with everything echoing off the surrounding office blocks and creating a wall of noise that puts most war films to shame.

Heat isn’t just a great test for the best soundbars or surround sound systems either, there’s plenty here for your eyes to feast on too.

Available to stream in 4K HDR, Heat is famous for its steely blue colour palette and is packed with scenes that juxtapose almost pitch darkness with the bright lights of LA’s seedier side.

You’ll need a TV that’s capable of drawing the detail out of dark scenes to really see what’s going on when Hanna and his team stake out the scene of an attempted break-in in the dead of night, or when McCauley pays a visit to the home of a suspected snitch.

The final shadowy showdown between the two alpha males takes place around the runways at Los Angeles International Airport, where dazzlingly bright lights periodically illuminate the Tarmac for approaching planes, making it a brilliant test for your TV’s contrast.

As with McCauley and his crew’s scores, time is very much of the essence here. Heat is only available to stream on Prime Video for the next two days before it disappears into thin air, so catch it while you still can.

Stream Heat on Amazon Prime Video

For even better quality, buy the Heat 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

MORE:

Check out the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos sound system

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Here are the best TVs right now

We are in Home Cinema Week, so it seemed appropriate to celebrate the occasion by marrying our festivities with the superb summer of sport we are enjoying in these balmy (perhaps that should be barmy) days of July.

So we took a look at some top sports (and okay, yes, one game) that have featured heavily in movies we have enjoyed over the years. This, as you will see, is an eclectic list, but each entry, we believe, stands up to be counted as a sporting scene, or subject to be revisited.

And please, do feel free to add your own suggestions for your fellow readers’ enjoyment.

Golf: Goldfinger

You all knew it was coming, so we’ll get this one ticked off first. The original James Bond, Sean Connery, made his third outing as 007 in this tale of a megalomaniac industrialist who wants to rob the US’s gold depository at Fort Knox.

Goldfinger was the film where the Bond franchise really got into its stride, with the introduction of the cool gadgets from Q department, and the humour that became one of the series’ trademarks.

And, of course, it has one of the canon’s great henchmen, in the steel-brimmed hat-throwing Odd Job, whom we first meet toting a golf bag for his boss in the money match that Bond and Goldfinger enter into.

(There’s then a lovely example of how times change in what would, in 1964, have been almost unimaginable ways, when Goldfinger apologises to Bond that he is still having to teach Odd Job the niceties of the game as his caddy: “Golf is not yet the national game of Korea, hey?” Well, it pretty much is now…)

The five-minute scene showing their match is a lovely duel of wits between the industrialist and the spy, with verbal feint and counter-feint interspersed with the thud of gold bars hitting the green, the thwack of the ball – and some spectacular cheating all round.

It sets up the relationship between the characters beautifully, and is a lovely example of how they don’t make ’em like they used to – this is a scene given time to breathe by the director. Wouldn’t be allowed now…

Buy the Goldfinger 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Buy or rent Goldfinger on Apple TV

Baseball: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

The Naked Gun took its cue, of course, from the brilliant TV series Police Squad!, which took its cue from Airplane!. There are worse places to seek inspiration.

This type of silly slapstick is commonplace now, of course, but it’s great to look back at the original and find that it can still make you laugh.

Of course you’ve seen it all before, and of course it’s hit and miss, but that’s almost the point. It’s a relentless barrage of verbal and sight gags that simply refuses to pause for breath; and, once the momentum has built up, it proves utterly irresistible.

This scene finds our hero, Frank Drebin (the incomparable Leslie Nielsen), having to take on the role of home-plate umpire in a baseball match in an attempt to foil an assassin’s plot. It is, naturally, utter carnage, extremely silly, and still able to elicit real belly laughs.

From the first strike, when Drebin seems to forget that he is not there only to find the assassin but has to call the game as well, it isn’t long before he is making it all about him, moonwalking down the third-base line, and frisking the players as he goes.

It’s a real joy. “Steee-riiike” indeed.

Buy The Naked Gun 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Watch The Naked Gun on Amazon Prime Video

Tennis: Strangers on a Train

From the utterly ridiculous to the sublime. This is Hitchcock in peak mid-season form (with apologies to PG Wodehouse, but to continue the sports theme), and one of the master’s movies that film and media schools regularly study.

From the set-up, where professional tennis player Guy (Farley Granger) falls into conversation with charming psychopath Bruno (Robert Walker) on a train, it’s a study in psychology, guilt and ambition. For Bruno proposes that, since it seems they each have someone inconvenient in their lives who would be far better off out of the way, they should swap murders. “Criss-cross”, as Bruno says. That way, there is no motive for the police to follow, and each of them can have a cast-iron alibi.

Guy doesn’t really take things too seriously. But then Bruno carries out his part of the bargain. And he expects Guy to follow suit.

There is an earlier scene at a tennis match, where the crowd’s heads are turning to the left and right in time with the thwack of ball on racket. With one exception, where a man in a fedora is staring across the court. It is truly unsettling, and sets the psychologically dissonant tone of the movie beautifully.

The main tennis scene, though, is near the denouement. Guy is playing a tennis match, while Bruno is desperately trying to retrieve the cigarette lighter from a drain that he intends to plant to mark Guy as a murderer. Guy, then, needs to finish his match as quickly as possible to prevent the unthinkable. Hitchcock’s brilliance as a suspense film-maker is all here: cuts from one protagonist to the other, desperately reaching fingers for the lighter just out of reach. It’s all stress and anxiety – with the music to enhance all those emotions.

Truly a masterful scene from the master of suspense.

Rent or buy Strangers On A Train on Apple TV

Cricket: Fire in Babylon

This astonishing documentary isn’t really about cricket at all. I mean, it is, of course, but it’s about so much more than simply the game. It is without doubt a worthwhile watch even for those who know nothing about the game – it’s certainly a clear example of where sport and politics definitely mixed.

At face value, this is the story of the great West Indies team that dominated world cricket for about two decades from the mid-1970s.

But just a few minutes in, it becomes clear that this, really, is more of a story about societal change and civil rights, both in the West Indies and the UK; the story of former slave colonies breaking out from under the yoke of empire and finally being able to control their own destinies as free men.

And what men.

When you hear the likes of Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Clive Lloyd, Andy Roberts and the incomparable Michael Holding (and many more) explaining just how important the team was to West Indian and black people all around the world, you can see that the cricket wasn’t the main issue here. And they knew it.

From the pummelling the team took against Australia in 1975, via then England captain Tony Greig’s infamous “I intend to make them grovel”, to world domination for years, these men shouldered the responsibility for the pride of more than a nation – for West Indians everywhere.

And, because it’s the West Indies we’re talking about here, the soundtrack is also a wonderful collection of calypso, ska and reggae tracks – indeed, Bunny Wailer is also a prominent interviewee.

It’s a bit tricky to get hold of at the moment, although it is available to stream with a bit of a search – and you can buy the DVD or Blu-ray, of course.

I urge you to make the effort. This is a fascinating, sobering, yet uplifting documentary that highlights hugely significant societal change; and, much as I love cricket, it’s that that makes it so important.

Buy the Fire In Babylon Blu-ray on Amazon

Football: Marvellous

This Bafta-winning drama, based on the true story of Stoke City's beloved kit-man, Neil "Nello" Baldwin, again takes the sport as the hook, but is actually about so much more. Neil, superbly played by Toby Jones, is a man with learning disabilities – not that he acknowledges that himself. He simply refuses to let life get him down.

The film is both sentimental and remarkably profound at the same time. Fairly early on in the film, for example, Neil says: “I always wanted to be happy. So I decided to be.” Easier said than done for most of us; but for Neil, it’s his way of life.

Neil, a Stoke City fan, has the almost unbelievable knack of making friends, or at the very least acquaintance, with some of the great and good, from all spheres of society: to which end he finds himself on the umpire’s boat at the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race; archbishops and senior politicians all fall under his spell; and, most importantly for Neil, so did Lou Macari, Manchester United legend, and (soon into the movie) newly appointed manager of Stoke City FC.

Macari ends up employing Neil as the kit man for the squad, seemingly on a whim; but it soon becomes clear to the manager that Neil offers his squad far more than simply clean kit.

The joy of this movie is its simplicity, and the almost unbelievable situations in which Neil finds himself. And yet, as the various cameo appearances in the film confirm, all of this really happened.

Lou Macari, Gary Lineker, former top-level referee Uriah Rennie, and circus ringmaster Norman Barrett (sorry, I hadn’t mentioned that Neil was also “Nello”, a circus clown) all make appearances, as does Neil himself, to reassure Toby Jones that it all happened just as he is depicting it.

It’s a charming, moving, funny film that is all the more affecting because it’s true. A real delight.

Buy the Marvellous Blu-ray from Amazon

Stream Marvellous on Amazon Prime Video

Fencing: The Princess Bride

I admit some bias here. The Princess Bride is one of my top five favourite movies, and it’s our family film. It merits its place in a list of movies with great sporting scenes and connections because of the epic fencing duel between country-boy Westley, played by Carey Elwes, and Mandy Patinkin’s swordsman Inigo Montoya.

The movie plot is a film within a film, with a sick little boy (Fred Savage from The Wonder Years) being read a story by his grandfather (Peter Falk). And then, a couple of quick interjections apart, we get on with the fairy tale. There are wonderful cameo performances from the likes of Billy Crystal, Peter Cook and Mel Smith, and it’s a great tale that will (genuinely) delight young and old.

One of the standout scenes, though, is the duel between two of the heroes of the story. It’s a beautifully choreographed set piece that brings to mind Robin Hood from 1938, starring Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone. Athletic, good-humoured and genuinely impressive, this is a hugely entertaining tussle, with dialogue to match – “I know something you don’t know.”

And it’s one of the most memorable scenes in a movie full of memorable scenes. Inconceivable though that may sound.

Buy The Princess Bride Blu-ray from Amazon

Rent or buy The Princess Bride from Apple TV

Poker: Casino Royale

We top and tail our list with Bond, without apology. It might not be a sport, but Texas Hold ’em is a hugely televised game that, therefore, merits its place on this list.

This scene is classic Bond (see Goldfinger above) with Bond meeting his protagonist in public. This time, rather than the golf course, it’s the casino where our two stags butt heads. And this time it’s nearer the end of the movie than the beginning.

Anyone who knows anything about poker will know that the hands being dished out to these guys are completely insane – many millions to one against, etc – but that’s hardly the point. There is much shuffling of chips, many bold stare-downs, a slew of sardonic smiles and plenty of tension-filled pauses. Just what you want, then, in your Bond movie.

In many ways, it is similar to the Goldfinger golf match: the scene is granted time to play out in a way that has been increasingly rare in this era of jump cuts and incessant action – and it feels all the better for it.

Mads Mikkelsen gives us a glimpse of the Hannibal Lecter to come in his portrayal of Le Chiffre, and Daniel Craig, in his first outing as 007, proves all the doubters over his casting well and truly wrong.

This is classic Bond. Just don’t expect your own hands of hold ’em with your mates ever to come out like that.

Buy the Casino Royale 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Rent or buy Casino Royale from Apple TV

MORE:

Check out all of our Home Cinema Week coverage

Here are the best TVs and best soundbars you can buy right now

What is home cinema?

It sounds like a simple question, but it’s one that I think is worth considering during our Home Cinema Week, and I suspect you'd get wildly different answers depending on who you asked.

For some, it's impossible without an AV receiver, a projector and at least seven speakers. For others, it's a big TV and a Dolby Atmos soundbar. I'd even argue that, in the right circumstances, it can be a pair of headphones connected to a streaming box.

Perhaps that's controversial, but I genuinely think home cinema is pretty much anything you want it to be.

Now, before anyone thinks I'm trying to rewrite the rules, let me be clear: if your goal is the very best home cinema performance possible, the traditional route is still the right one. A quality AV receiver paired with a carefully matched speaker package and, if your room allows, a projector, remains the pinnacle of what's possible.

I'm fortunate enough to experience setups like that regularly. We evaluate AV receivers, Atmos speaker packages and projectors in a dedicated home cinema test room, and when everything comes together, there's simply nothing else quite like it. I've also owned a traditional 7.1.4-channel system myself, so I know exactly what that experience is capable of delivering.

But here's the thing: somewhere along the way, I think we've started to confuse the best home cinema with the only home cinema.

My own current setup is proof that those aren't the same thing.

When I moved house, I swapped my traditional separates system for Sony's HT-A9 wireless speaker system and a subwoofer. Is it as accomplished as the 7.1.4-channel system I had before? No. But it suits my living room far better, it took minutes rather than days to install, and it still produces a wonderfully immersive Dolby Atmos performance that regularly reminds me why I love this hobby.

And when everyone else has gone to bed, my favourite way to watch a film is with AirPods Max connected to an Apple TV 4K. Is that better than listening through a room full of speakers? Of course not. But it's very immersive in its own right, and it lets me enjoy late-night movies without disturbing the rest of the house.

That's still home cinema to me.

In fact, I'd argue that if you've deliberately chosen a setup because it helps you become more immersed in the films, TV shows or games you love, you're already part of the home cinema community.

Whether that's a flagship projector and a 7.1.4-channel speaker package, a premium Atmos soundbar, a wireless surround system or even a tablet paired with headphones capable of reproducing Dolby Atmos through spatial audio technologies, the goal is the same: to bring the magic of the cinema into your home.

The equipment is simply the means of getting there.

None of this is meant to diminish traditional home cinema. Quite the opposite. If you have the space, budget and enthusiasm to build an AVR-powered surround system, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so.

But I don't think owning that sort of system should be the entry requirement for calling yourself a home cinema enthusiast.

After all, very few of us started there.

Most enthusiasts build their systems over time, upgrading piece by piece as budgets, homes and family life allow. Others discover that a high-quality soundbar or wireless speaker system gives them the balance of performance and practicality they're looking for. Neither approach is more legitimate than the other – they're simply different stages of the same journey.

One day, I still hope to convert my garage into a dedicated home cinema room featuring an AV receiver, a projector and at least 12 speakers.

Until then, I'll continue enjoying films through my wireless Atmos system. I'll continue watching late-night movies through my AirPods Max, too, and I'll continue recommending traditional separates systems to anyone who wants the very best performance money can buy.

Because I don't think those things are contradictory.

The best home cinema I've experienced has been in dedicated cinema rooms filled with high-end equipment. The home cinema I use most is in my living room. And some of my favourite movie nights have happened when wearing a pair of headphones.

They're all different. One is objectively capable of higher performance than the others. But all of them remind me why I fell in love with home cinema in the first place.

To my mind, that's what really matters.

MORE:

Check out all of our Home Cinema Week coverage

Here are the best projectors, best AV receivers and best surround sound systems

And here are the best TVs and best soundbars

A soundbar is a must-buy for any home cinema enthusiast who doesn't have the budget and/or space for a full speaker package – but, with a wealth of options, how do you know which one is right for you? You could start by looking at the size.

While size may not be everything, it does have a big impact on how the bar performs and how it fits into your home entertainment set-up. Let me explain.

Like a glove

First of all, and most obviously, you need a soundbar that fits your space. You might be tempted to get the biggest, most powerful model you can afford, but if it doesn’t fit in the area allotted, it's not going to be much good.

But there's a lot more to it than just making sure it physically fits into your TV cabinet. There are also the aesthetics to consider. Remember, you'll have to look at it every time you settle down to watch something, so you want a soundbar that’s of a piece with its surroundings.

I was so keen to try out the Sonos Arc Ultra for a feature a while ago that I eschewed the tape measure altogether. As you can see from the photo at the top of this article, it made my ageing LG TV look like it had wings.

For the neatest look, go for a soundbar that’s roughly the same width as your TV, or slightly shorter. We’ve made some pairing recommendations below to get you started.

A soundbar that’s too big for your TV won’t simply look awkward; it will skew the sound, too. Soundbars are designed to project sound from just below the screen, and if yours extends way beyond the dimensions of your TV, it could throw the staging off.

Made to measure

There are other, more practical considerations, too. You need to make sure the soundbar doesn’t obstruct the bottom of the screen while you’re watching – otherwise you could miss elements such as a key plot development, visual gag or match-saving tackle.

Most premium TVs let you adjust their height to accommodate a soundbar. But it’s still vital you measure the bar’s height first to make sure it fits.

Your TV cabinet might have a shelf on which your soundbar fits perfectly, but there are other factors to consider.

Lots of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars have upwards-firing drivers to add height channels to the mix – that way, a helicopter on-screen will sound as if it is passing overhead. But if your soundbar is on a shelf, those height channels will be shooting straight into the underside of the surface above. Imagine turning your hi-fi speaker against the wall, and you get the idea.

Wall-mounting avoids a lot of these pitfalls, but that brings hazards of its own – the most important being weight. A big soundbar such as the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max tips the scales at 18.5kg, so you want to make sure your wall is up to the task of supporting it. No one needs their movie watching interrupted by the soundbar thundering to the floor, ripping off half the wall in the process.

The best soundbars for big and small TVs

So now you know what to look out for, which models of soundbar should you consider? We have collected some of the best below to match to your TV size.

The best soundbars for small TVs

When it comes to choosing a soundbar, you might restrict your choice to the big hitters (Samsung, Sonos, Sony), but that would be a mistake. Lesser-known brands can deliver too – just take the Creative Stage Pro.

At 55cm wide, it’s small enough to fit under a 32-inch TV, though you will have to find space for the separate subwoofer. Despite its small size, it delivers a surprisingly cinematic performance, with impressive detail and solid low-level dynamics.

Stepping up a gear is the Sony HT-SF150, which is ideally suited to a 43-inch TV. It is also very affordable, yet feels much more premium, and has Bluetooth for wireless playback from your phone or tablet. Sony’s S-Force Front Surround technology is on board, too – this applies processing to make the sound more enveloping, adding more weight and separation to the mix.

But probably the best of the small soundbars is the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which we have no hesitation in recommending – it has won a What Hi-Fi? Award for five years running. It offers Dolby Atmos but without the upwards-firing drivers. It still puts in a convincing performance, though: rich, three-dimensional and full of detail. It will even serve bigger TVs well, such is its power.

The best soundbars for bigger TVs

At 114cm wide, the Sonos Arc is more than twice the width of the Beam, making it ideal for TVs around 55 inches in size (such as the Sony Bravia 8 II and TCL C7K and LG C6).

It has 11 drivers (two of which are upwards-firing) to create one of the most convincing Atmos performances you can get from a single-chassis soundbar. Placement is superb, and there’s great weight and dynamism to the sound.

The Focal Mu-so Hekla is another great option at this size, though it doesn’t come cheap. Though when you consider that it’s basically a home hi-fi system as well as a soundbar, it looks like considerably better value.

Because of its unusual skillset, it is an odd shape, and so harder to accommodate than a more traditional bar. But one listen and you’ll know that it’s worth it.

The best soundbars for massive TVs

If your TV is more like an advertising screen than a television, then you have some great options for soundbars.

The Samsung HW-Q990F managed to outdo even its Product of the Year predecessor. This soundbar package comes with a subwoofer and two surround speakers, making it a bit more intrusive than a simple ’bar alone. But a big TV demands a big room, so hopefully you’ll have space for these extra components.

And it’s worth making space if you can. The subwoofer unearths new levels of bass, but manages to sound wholly integrated into the overall sound at the same time.

The Sonos Arc Ultra is Sonos’s flagship soundbar, and another Award winner. Its sound is clean, precise, spacious and three-dimensional, with enough scale to do even huge TVs justice.

The KEF XIO also won a What Hi-Fi? Award last year – a stunning feat for KEF’s first-ever soundbar. It blesses larger TVs with impressive musicality, tight bass and a full-bodied midrange.

Finally, the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max is a hulking beast of a ’bar. It stands 127cm wide and weighs a whopping 18.5kg. Good luck getting it in place, but once you have, the results are glorious.

MORE:

The best soundbars you can buy

The best Dolby Atmos soundbars around

Strapped? The best budget soundbars

Streaming can feel like fantastic value, with huge libraries of movies and TV shows available for a relatively low monthly fee.

But when you add up the cost of a full year of access, especially to multiple services, the picture starts to look rather different.

How different? We've crunched the numbers, and the results might surprise you.

Paying the price

Streaming isn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things – the top, all-singing, all-dancing tiers of Netflix and Disney+, for example, cost £18.99 and £14.99 a month, respectively.

Many people (though clearly not all) probably don't even notice that coming out of their bank account each month. But while these prices might seem relatively low, they soon add up.

Here's what you'll pay over a year for the top subscription (we hate ads and love 4K / Dolby Atmos) of each streaming service:

Watching the costs add up

The annual cost of TV streaming services

Price

Netflix

227.88

Disney+

179.88

Amazon Prime Video

119.88

Apple TV

119.88

Mubi

227.88

Shudder

59.88

Crunchyroll

83.88

Paramount+

131.88

075150225300

£

Price Data

Product	Value
Netflix	227.88
Disney+	179.88
Amazon Prime Video	119.88
Apple TV	119.88
Mubi	227.88
Shudder	59.88
Crunchyroll	83.88
Paramount+	131.88

For the equivalent of an annual Netflix subscription, you could buy 11 4K Blu-rays at £20 a pop (more if they're on a deal, as they often are). That's nearly one a month.

There are other factors to consider. Most of us have more than one streaming service because of their different content libraries, which makes the habit even more expensive. And with life having a tendency to get in the way, some months we won't watch very much at all.

Suddenly, it doesn't seem such great value.

Admittedly, you do get unlimited viewing of the streamer's entire catalogue, but you never own any of it – if you cancel your subscription, all of your favourite films and TV shows are gone, just like that.

Also remember that some services (Prime Video, we're looking at you) charge extra for certain films and shows not included in the subscription price. So you could end up paying more on top.

Let's have a look at what this looks like over five years and a decade.

And these are at today's prices. Price rises are a given – Netflix has increased its prices in the UK four times since 2021. Take more than one service, and you're looking at a hefty bill.

Someone with Netflix and Disney+, for example, will pay over £400 a year, over £2000 in five years and a whopping £4000 in a decade.

Consider that a 4K Blu-ray costs around £20-25, gives you better picture and sound quality and is yours to keep forever, and streaming starts to look like very poor value indeed.

And that's before you consider how streaming changes your relationship with the content itself.

Faced with an endless carousel of content, all of which feels free (even though it isn't), you inevitably adopt the infinite scroll mentality – even if you like the look of something, you keep searching in case there's something better.

It all becomes disposable, with low-budget fare such as Is It Cake? sitting alongside critically acclaimed films such as Emilia Pérez. When everything is flattened, nothing stands out. This is the landscape we find ourselves in.

There's no curation; that's the problem. Whereas a Blu-ray is a considered purchase – something you'll watch more than once, in the best possible quality, and may even work your way through its extensive list of special features. Now that's value for money.

A word on our methodology

We've made certain assumptions here. As mentioned, we've based our prices on the best possible picture and sound quality for each service (though not the family plans, which would push prices up even further), as we assume that's what our readers desire. Most streaming services have cheaper tiers if you're willing to suffer worse quality and adverts.

Some services can also be bundled together to save money, such as Netflix and Disney+ with Sky. Though that means paying for Sky as well.

Some (such as Disney+ and Shudder) also offer annual plans, which are cheaper than paying month by month. But then you're locked in for a set period, instead of having the flexibility to cancel your membership at any time.

Prime Video is cheaper for Prime members, though that comes with its own cost. And Mubi's Go plan (which we've used in our calculations) includes a cinema ticket each week, so you can remember what it's like to watch a film properly.

MORE:

Sony has waged war on physical media, and I think it’s terrible news

I’ve never felt as tense in the cinema as I did watching this comedy – and it wasn’t just because of Seth Rogen’s performance

Now Showing: challenge your home cinema system with these top-notch discs

Home Cinema Week is in full swing, and so far it has been a joy to delve into topics from 4K projectors to dissecting the definition of home cinema itself.

But we shouldn’t forget the story of how we got to the point of being able to have home cinema systems in our houses. That’s right, we are going way back to the early days of cinema.

I have found the perfect place to venture down this nerdy rabbit hole. Hidden in a residential corner of Kennington in London, there is a rather grand red-brick building with a story to tell.

The building used to be part of Lambeth Workhouse, with notable residents such as a young Charlie Chaplin throughout the late 1800s. It had a life as a hospital, but now it has taken its latest form as the Cinema Museum.

Founded in 1984, the museum is run by volunteers. It acts as a treasure trove to remember and celebrate the history of cinema. There are artefacts and memorabilia everywhere you look, from 100-year-old film cameras to cardboard cut-outs of Lara Croft.

On the top floor is a small cinema featuring plush velvet seats and disused signage, which is still used for screenings throughout the year.

The museum is open on selected dates every month, so I bagged myself a ticket to a tour led by our guide Andy. He tells me that much of the collection was rescued from rubbish bins back in the 1970s in Scotland, when many picture palaces were being demolished at an alarming rate.

Despite it being in the peak of one of the recent UK heatwaves, with everyone glugging from water bottles every few seconds, the volunteers conducted their tour with unrelenting enthusiasm and curiosity.

Really, there is too much to talk about – and I don’t want to spoil all the amazing finds for those of you who want to attend. So, just to whet your appetite, here are my three favourite spots at the museum.

The Latham Loop

One thing that is immediately made clear is that the early days of cinema were not for the faint of heart. It was an incredibly dangerous career, with experiments with new technology leading to numerous deaths and injuries.

Perhaps the most well-known cause of these incidents was the material used for the projector film itself. Early filmmakers tried out a whole bunch of materials, Andy says, from paper to celluloid.

The latter was more durable and flexible than paper, but it was also highly flammable, and the heat from the lamp light source only fanned the flames (so to speak).

That meant that there were countless fatalities during many screenings in the early days of cinema, including the audience members and staff. One of the most infamous examples of this comes from the Paris Bazar fire in 1897, which killed more than 100 people.

On top of that flammability, the celluloid would frequently be pulled and jolted through the projector, which led to rips that left the film unusable. That meant that films could never be very long, as longer lengths risked more of the film being damaged. A small yet essential innovation then made filmmaking a little easier. Enter the Latham Loop, which is – you guessed it – a small loop in the film strip that reduces the tension and pulling of the celluloid.

It’s still used today, and the film cameras scattered around the museum each feature that all-important loop. Keep your eye out for it the next time you have the chance to see a film projector in real life…

The birth of cinema sound

We take audio for granted now, but in the early days of cinema, it was an almost impossible dream.

The Cinema Museum houses a variety of ways that sound was delivered with picture, including vinyl, which had the sound recorded separately and was used until the early 1930s. Andy tells us that this caused its own problems, as the distributors would sometimes send the wrong record with the film. On top of that, the disc would have to be perfectly synced up with the projector, which would certainly be quite a skill to master.

Also on display is a 10-inch record used in the Hepworth Vivaphone. The ultimately unsuccessful audio attempt was made up of a gramophone record that the actors lip-synched along to, meaning you had to make sure the record matched the image.

This was all quite a challenge for cinema managers, and there was a fair bit of pushback as it was expensive and complex to integrate these methods into the cinema itself.

Compared with modern sound systems, where we can adjust voice-sync with the touch of a button, we certainly have it easy.

Frankenstein’s lab

There aren’t a huge amount of movie props around the museum – the focus is more on the behind-the-scenes of the cinema; but this bizarre-looking item sits between both categories.

The strange octopus-like item in the image above is actually a mercury arc rectifier, and its job on early film sets was to convert an AC to a DC current.

When it was being used, it would have a little bit of liquid mercury at the bottom, which would have produced a bright blue light. Sadly, I didn't get to see this in action as it is long out of commission, but it would have looked like something from another planet.

The director of the 1931 Frankenstein movie iteration, James Whale, clearly thought the same, as he spotted it behind the camera during filming and asked for it to be added to the set of the crazed scientist’s laboratory.

The scary-looking piece of kit would not have made a huge impact on screen as it was filmed in black and white, but it still played a key part in movie history. Thank you for your service, strange mechanical Kraken.

If you are looking to delve into the history of cinema with knowledgeable guides and early movie-making kit, the Cinema Museum makes for a fascinating visit. And who knows? It might give you a newfound appreciation for your fast-working AV setup.

MORE:

How watching Nosferatu taught me a valuable AV lesson

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

And check out the best TVs

I love the idea of a soundbar. Who wouldn’t want the quality of a proper home cinema sound system in a form that fits unobtrusively below the television? Just one box and none of the wiring spaghetti. That was the highly appealing promise offered by the first soundbar What Hi-Fi? reviewed, the Yamaha YSP-1.

That was back in 2005, and I distinctly remember the What Hi-Fi? team’s excitement about this new concept; and, with certain provisos, how much we liked that product.

The YSP-1’s design was hugely ambitious for the time. It featured 42 drive units and clever processing technology that could focus beams of sound to produce a proper multi-channel effect, all from a single, one-box product.

Over the years, I have grown increasingly disappointed with the direction of soundbar design. The cleverness of the YSP concept hasn’t been used as a foundation to progress the category.

Single-unit soundbars largely seem to have given up trying to deliver proper surround sound – the kind that wraps around you – choosing instead to focus on Dolby Atmos to deliver a sense of height. The days of a single soundbar enveloping the listener in a (mostly) convincing soundfield are long gone.

If you do want more of a surround soundfield, manufacturers now offer soundbar systems with separate speakers that sit behind you, and usually a subwoofer, too. Such systems, good as they can be, seem well removed from the original, minimalist soundbar idea.

So, if you are looking for a simple way to improve your TV’s sound, I would like to suggest an alternative. Given that single soundbars often no longer even try to emulate true surround sound, maybe forgo the idea altogether and try stereo.

Stay with me on this.

The stereo system could be a pair of powered speakers or even a traditional two-channel amplifier driving a pair of passives. As long as you can get a signal in, whether through HDMI, optical, coaxial or analogue, and can position the speakers on either side of the screen, it will work.

Not convinced? Think of it this way. Soundbars tend to be pretty thin and long in proportion. It is impossible to use anything other than tiny drive units in such an enclosure.

It isn’t unusual to have a driver count in double figures, so internal volume is at a premium, leading to restriction in the kind of amplification and power supplies that can be fitted

While clever use of DSP and a lot of engineering know-how get a surprisingly capable sound out of such limited ingredients, the two-channel route I have suggested allows much more scope for the designer.

The drive units are larger, and there is more space for amplification, power supplies and drive units to breathe. The result, in my experience, is better sound almost across the board.

Sure, the result is limited to stereo, and you’ll have to live with that. There isn’t necessarily a separate subwoofer to augment the lows, either – but even relatively humble solutions such as Fyne’s Cubitt 5 can produce a sound of such insight, resolution and subtlety that similarly priced soundbars are invariably left floundering.

Height information, too, is off the menu. But, for me, the extra expression in voices and greater dynamic finesse more than compensate. Soundtracks sound more thrilling, and dynamics have more delicacy and punch.

Bass may not be as prominent, unless you add a subwoofer to your stereo pair of speakers, but it is invariably more tuneful and better integrated.

Then there is the added bonus of stereo music sounding better, too. Even the best soundbars on the market tend to struggle to convince with music, but a good, dedicated stereo system won’t.

So, if you want to improve the sound from your TV, I suggest leaving the herd and going full retro with a dedicated two-channel set-up rather than a dedicated soundbar. Take the jump; I suspect you’ll be happy you did.

MORE:

Convinced? Here are the best active speakers you can currently buy

Not so sure? Here are the best soundbars

When you have a home cinema speaker package that is centred around some five-star stereo standmounts, it makes sense to make as much use of them as possible.

That is why, for this premium cinema set-up, we have married the KEF Q Concerto Meta speaker package with Arcam’s AVR5 AV amplifier.

The system

• Projector: Epson EH-LS9000 (£2999 / $3999 / AU$7299)
• Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB820 (£349 / $550 / AU$849)
• Streaming box: Apple TV 4K (£199 / $150 / AU$299)
• AV amplifier: Arcam AVR5 (£1499 / $1999 / AU$3995)
• Speaker system: KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 (£2549 / $4050 / AU$5650)
• Total system price: £7595 / $10,748 / AU$18,092

The AV receiver

Arcam puts sound performance as the main selling point of all its amplifiers, not merely bunging as many features into the box as possible to appeal to its buyer. More features means the potential for more issues with sound, and that is not an acceptable compromise for the brand.

That single-minded insistence on sonic ability is also why the Arcam will power only seven channels of amplification. It will process up to 12 channels of Dolby Atmos, but you’ll need to add external amplification to drive those extra channels, should you want to do so.

What it will do here, though, is provide a brilliant 5.1 experience – and should you want to take advantage of those Dolby Atmos capabilities (which we would urge you to consider) you can invest in a pair of KEF’s Q8 Meta Atmos toppers. Then you would be using the Arcam amp to drive a 5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos system, without the need for extra external amplification.

Importantly, you would also have an impressively musical two-channel option as well, removing the need for a separate stereo set-up. If space is at a premium, this is a neat solution that should suit most people really well.

A glimpse at the images at the top of this page reveals that this is a substantial set-up, though. And more than seven grand is quite the outlay, of course. But consider that this is a system that can cover both stereo and home cinema – and perform both with aplomb – and things don’t seem quite so eye-watering.

It is, however, a set-up that requires a dedicated space. This is serious home cinema, after all, so a permanently plumbed-in projector and screen, and a room that can be made dark, should be your first aim.

Assuming you have the appropriate space to accommodate it though, this set-up is simply stunning value for money.

The nimble, surefooted Arcam can handle movie scores and sound effects with impressive ability. This really is an impeccable musical performance, and it’s one that can go really very loud without seeming to feel the strain.

The speaker package

An impeccable musical performance can apply equally as well to the KEF speaker package, of course – no great surprise with the five-star stereo abilities of the Q Concerto Meta standmounts that perform the front left and right channel duties.

It’s not all about that pairing, though. The KEF Kube subwoofer holds its own, with a powerful and dynamic low-end kick, and the Q1 Meta surrounds, despite being smaller than their front-channel siblings, certainly don’t let up on a movie as far as sonic scale goes.

No, this package puts in a truly impressive surround-sound display, putting us squarely in the centre of any movie action, while also revealing the subtle abilities of its centre channel by making dialogue pin-sharp and clear.

The projector

While the sound is a massive part of any home cinema experience, it would all be for naught, of course, without a brilliant 4K picture to do it justice.

Which is where the projector comes in. A Best Buy in the What Hi-Fi? 2025 Awards, the Epson EH-LS9000 is, for us, the top performer in its category.

It may not have a native 4K resolution, rather getting to its 4K image via pixel-shifting, but that technology, far from being the red flag it might once have been, has proved time and time again to be capable of producing brilliantly sharp and detailed picture quality. And so it proves here.

The Vivid preset (perhaps surprisingly – certainly unusually) is the setting that, for us, makes the most of the LS9000’s specification and processing. It produces a picture with quite exceptional vibrancy and three-dimensionality without making things look forced or veering drastically away from cinematic intent.

As we say in our review: “Playing Thunderbolts on 4K Blu-ray… we’re instantly struck by the sharpness and detail of the image. There’s an awesome solidity and depth to the picture, which is particularly impressive at the 100-inch scale of our screen, and you almost feel as if you could reach into the image and poke the little figures in the distance.

“Colours are both vivid and natural, and the shading is excellent: the sky over the desert fills the top third of the image and blends beautifully from very light blue on one side to a deeper, more vibrant blue on the other.”

The Blu-ray player

Talking of blue, we would urge you to invest in physical media for a home cinema of this quality. There are fewer and fewer 4K Blu-ray players available to buy these days, with the prevalence of video streaming, but there is no doubt, in our eyes, that the format is the best way to get a top-notch 4K image.

The Panasonic DP-UB820 is our current Award winner, and has been claiming What Hi-Fi? Awards since 2019.

And, as we say in our review verdict, “If you’ve bought into the 4K Blu-ray format and have a suitable home cinema set-up, you need a dedicated player that can deliver on multiple fronts. The Panasonic DP-UB820 is just that, supporting all major HDR formats, delivering a hugely immersive and impactful picture, backed up by a strong audio performance.”

The streamer

While a Blu-ray disc is perfect for those full-on movie nights, we are not obsessive or unrealistic enough to say that everything we watch should be via that somewhat restrictive medium.

Video streaming has come on leaps and bounds over the past decade and more – and the quality of the 4K images on offer is now extremely impressive. The very best option, though, for a home cinema such as this is undoubtedly Apple’s brilliant TV 4K.

Suffice to say that its predecessor romped away with Awards aplenty, and this superb little box is better than it in every department. For us, this is a no-brainer.

The high street has been struggling in recent years, and it's easy to see why.

The convenience of online shopping is compelling, as is the ability to read reviews (both ours and from other buyers) and to do your research in the next browser tab along. For bigger purchases like a TV, you can also see the dimensions and measure exactly where it'll go. Plus, you can compare prices across hundreds of retailers from the comfort of your sofa.

But there are still plenty of reasons to buy a TV from your local shop. You'll be supporting a local, possibly independent business. The staff can give you expert advice. And, of course, you can see the set for yourself in the flesh.

A TV is a big purchase. You wouldn't buy a car that you hadn't seen for yourself.

So please, go forth and buy your next TV from a shop. Just don't make these five classic mistakes when buying in-store.

Mistake 1 – assuming the picture will look the same at home

You might be bowled over by the stunningly bright picture in the shop, but wait. In-store, TVs are put into a special demo mode to make them look as eye-catching as possible under the glare of the shop's bright lights.

This mode amps up the brightness and colour volume, but doesn't fare well with fast motion like sport or gaming. Which is why most in-shop TVs only show nature footage to showcase their bright colours.

To get a more realistic idea of how it will look in your lounge, you can ask the shop to put it into a different mode for you – try Filmmaker mode for cinematic fare. Sadly, you can't ask them to dim the lights.

And if they won't change the mode? Make sure you read our review of that particular model for a thorough analysis of how it performs.

Mistake 2 – not measuring up

We get it – you're in the shop, the TV looks so alluring and you can picture it right at home in your lounge. So what if you haven't measured the space first? It'll fit. Of course it will.

Maybe. But then maybe not. And if it doesn't, you've got two choices: navigate the shop's returns policy, or live with a TV that's just too big for its space. Of those two, we would opt for the former. Having to look at a TV that doesn't fit every day would just remind us of our rash decision-making.

Instead, look up the dimensions and measure the space before you head to the shop. And make sure it's the correct size model too – there's a big difference between the 42-inch LG C6 and the 48-inch one.

Trust me, as someone who once assumed the Sonos Arc Ultra would fit on my TV cabinet, I know the importance of measuring first.

Mistake 3 – trusting it will sound OK

Understandably, most TVs are on mute in the shop. It's the only way; otherwise, you'd be met by a cacophony of demo soundtracks as soon as you walked through the door.

Which poses a problem – how do you know what it sounds like? An obliging member of staff might turn the volume up for you, but given all the other sounds in the shop, that will only show how loud it can go.

We have the same issue at trade shows. While companies are keen to talk up their TVs' sound quality on a stand at a trade show, it's impossible to tell how they actually sound. The only real way to find out is to get it into a lounge or testing room, pull the curtains and settle in for some serious viewing. Which you can't really do in a shop.

The salesperson might tell you it sounds great, but don't assume that's true. Again, check our review, and leave yourself some budget for one of the best soundbars to accompany your new TV. Because even a relatively affordable soundbar will outdo most TVs' sonic abilities.

Mistake 4 – taking it home yourself

For most people, buying a new TV is a once-in-a-decade experience, if that. So we don't blame you for wanting to get your new purchase home as soon as possible. But we would urge a note of caution – are you sure you've got room in the boot of your car? Unless you're driving a transit van, you're going to struggle to get a 65-inch TV in there.

Even if you are driving a transit van, do you have the means to secure your new TV and stop it sliding around every time you turn a corner? And as for speed bumps...

It's far better to get the shop to deliver it instead. Yes, it might take a few days, so you'll be stuck with your old TV a little longer (or with nothing, if your old set is kaput). But once you leave the shop with it, a new TV is your responsibility. Any screen cracks from it being bounced around in the back of your Kia Rio are on you.

Mistake 5 – making an on-the-spot decision

This is probably the biggest error of all. Yes, the salesperson might have a compelling pitch, and yes, they might offer you a small discount if you agree to buy there and then. But without reading up on the product to see what it offers and how it compares to what else is available, you could end up buying the wrong TV for you. That's an expensive mistake.

Instead, do your research beforehand, read our reviews, measure up and compare prices. Then, when you do go to the shop to see it for yourself, you'll be armed with plenty of knowledge so you're not swayed by the sales patter. This gives you a much better chance of buying the TV that's genuinely right for you.

A new TV is a big decision, and the right one should serve you well for many years to come. Happy viewing!

MORE:

The best TVs around

Which TVs have the best sound (as well as great pictures)?

How to choose the right TV: a complete guide

I don’t know about you, but I’m rather excited to see The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s cinematic take on Homer’s peerless epic poem.

Ignoring all of the tedious internet chatter and naysaying from self-appointed experts who really should take the time, in the very spirit of their beloved wandering Greek hero, to go outside and touch some grass, early signs point to the blockbuster to end all blockbusters. Reviews seem positive, to say the least.

Nolan at the helm? Check. A star-studded cast working at the top of their respective games? Check. One of western literature’s greatest stories providing the riveting source material? You betcha’.

“But they’re not using the original overlapping bronze armour, and those helmets should be made of boar hide. And why does Odysseus have an American accent?”

Go dump yourself in the River Styx.

I’ll be booking my tickets to The Odyssey as soon as I can, and while my optimism might end up crashing down like the walls of once-glittering Troy itself, I’m relatively confident that you should be doing the same.

Forget Avengers: Doomsday, the cinematic event of the year is here!

The second-best composer named Ludwig

I’m excited for all of those aforementioned reasons of director, production and cast, but I’m also keen to see The Odyssey on the big screen because it once again brings together two of cinema’s most potent trump cards: Christopher Nolan and his composer du jour, Ludwig Göransson.

Nolan has recruited the services of the ever-enthralling Hans Zimmer for many of his greatest barnstormers, including the Dark Knight saga and Interstellar, with Göransson latterly becoming a sort of Zimmer 2.0 as he begins to forge his own reputation as one of the world’s premier composers.

This is the man who did the music for Disney Plus’s The Mandalorian and, under Nolan’s charge, Oppenheimer. Projects don’t get much bigger than that.

The Oppenheimer score is, while we’re on the subject, truly worthy of the movie which it accompanies – we use Can You Hear The Music regularly as a track for testing home cinema and hi-fi – but it is Göransson’s work on the lesser-know (certainly less-understood) blockbuster Tenet that has me setting sail on my Trireme and making for the multiplex to discover what the Swedish composer can do for The Odyssey.

If you’ve seen Tenet, you’ll know exactly the sort of challenges which must have faced Mr. Göransson as he prepared to give it his best. About as confusing as trying to solve a Rubik’s cube inside a hall of mirrors, it stands alone as one of the most mind-bending and elliptical of all of Nolan’s creations.

When you consider this is the man who gave the world Memento and Inception, that’s some feat.

A soundtrack built to last

Thankfully, the accompanying score is a triumph, and one I use often whenever I’m digging deep into the capabilities of a new pair of headphones or a box-fresh (but properly run-in, of course) amplifier. In fact, it’s become something of an obsession even when I’m outside the test rooms – a sort of musical comfort blanket that I don’t seem to be able to take off.

POSTERITY is the track that has lodged the deepest roots in my psyche – so much so that I’ll often simply whack it on without thinking whenever I have a spare moment of silence which needs filling, lest the voices are given room to make themselves heard.

At nearly 13 minutes long, it is by far the longest track across the Tenet score, yet what’s remarkable about POSTERITY is that not a second feels wasted across what is a sprawling, Herculean runtime.

That obviously means you’ll need to set aside quite a bit of time if you’re using it for testing; but the reward is worth the considerable effort. POSTERITY, in the same vein as Hans Zimmer’s Supermarine (written for another Nolan movie, Dunkirk), is all about the progression, about the slow but inexorable build-up as it rises and swells from glowing embers to a roaring, engulfing blaze.

Not once is that repetitiveness ever dull. POSTERITY has such a potent sense of momentum that it enraptures from its first note, hooking you in by virtue of its unrelenting intensity and strange, hypnotic instrumentation. I have previously described some of the sound produced as being like a zither being whacked with a bit of old drainpipe, and in truth, I’m yet to come up with a better description.

Drainpipe and zither it is.

There’s a lot, then, for your system to capture. Not only that inexorable build as the composition becomes denser and more intense, but the very particular tone and feel of the piece conjured by its oddball instrumentation and unique soundscape. It’s also a treat if you want to see how your system conveys both small-scale and big-picture dynamics, from the chuntering analogue synthesisers to the intermittent stabs of drums and pianos.

Or it might just be one piano, singular.

You don’t have to stop at POSTERITY, either. FREEPORT recruits those strange zither-like synths to great effect, again trading on continuous instrumental loops punctuated by intermittent percussive whacks and electronic pulses to keep your system’s dynamic reproduction honest.

Or, if you want something quieter and more delicate, the sparseness of THE PROTAGONIST is well worth seeking out, offering up woozy synth rumbles accompanied by a rich, mysterious guitar.

RAINY NIGHT IN TALLINN makes for a similarly keen showcase of how well a system or set-up can really put a piece of music together. It bounds constantly between a mesh of styles and tones in a manner that is as bamboozling as Tenet’s very subject matter.

RAINY NIGHT accompanies the movie’s intense ‘opera siege’ opening scene, so if you want the full audio visual experience, seek it out to see how sound and screen work together in harmony.

As an aside, it’s well worth watching Tenet for its peculiar use of music and non-diegetic sound. For instance, the accompanying soundtrack will often be too loud or overbearing as a way of expressing – or perhaps masking – the mood and intentions of the characters on-screen. Check out this scene in particular and you’ll get the idea.

Music maketh movie(s)

Music is just as important to a great movie as anything on the screen itself – Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton aside, sound and sight go hand in hand when delivering the true masterpieces of modern cinema.

Where would Star Wars have been without John Williams? How diminished would the Lord of the Rings trilogy become without Howard Shore? Where is Sergio Leone without Ennio Morricone?

While the prospect of Christopher Nolan directing an adaptation of Homer's Odyssey is sufficient to have most right-headed people champing at the bit to get to book a screening, the addition of Ludwig Göransson providing the music should be more than enough to have you hammering on the doors of your local Cineworld as if they were the gates of Ilium itself.

Around this time last year, my local cinema closed – seemingly for good. Defying all odds, its doors are once again open, meaning I’ll be able to experience for myself the sights and sounds of Nolan’s epic adaptation in all of the 12-channel, Dolby Atmos-powered glory. It’s not quite the Waterloo IMAX, but it’s the next best thing.

The Odyssey has all the makings of a milestone cinematic event. Now that it’s finally in cinemas, I can’t wait to see – and hear it – for myself.

MORE:

Read last month’s edition: cool yourself off with the 6 finest test tracks and albums to soundtrack the start of summer

Yes, there is an ultimate prog rock album for testing hi-fi – at least according to What Hi-Fi? readers

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

New Marantz hi-fi; Sonos launching the beta version of its new app; something about a football tournament – there was a lot to deal with last week.

Which is why we have taken the time to write a fresh entry of our regular Rewind column, detailing all the top stories any discerning home cinema or hi-fi enthusiast should be aware of.

Without further ado…

Marantz launches some new hi-fi

If you’re a Marantz hi-fi fan, then we have good and bad news. The bad news is that last week the firm retired two classic products: the Award-winning PM6007 stereo amplifier and CD6007 CD player.

The good news is that it has replaced them with the new entry-level Model 70 integrated amplifier and CD 70 compact disc player.

The two feature a wealth of upgrades, designed to help them offer “much improved” audio over their predecessors. Highlights include everything from new optimised circuit layouts to improved “vibration-resistant” chassis. And if that wasn’t enough to get you excited, we have even better news: we have both products in our listening rooms right now and hope to publish our definitive reviews shortly. Watch this space.

Read the full story: End of an era as Marantz waves goodbye to two hi-fi classics and unveils new entry-level Model 70 integrated amplifier and CD 70 compact disc player

Sonos releases the beta version of its new app

Two years ago, Sonos released a “redesigned” app, which was so hated by customers that the firm’s then CEO stepped down. So last week, when the multi-room audio specialist launched the beta version of another new version of its app, it caught our attention.

Will it be enough to win back customer trust? It’s too early to tell; but the firm has worked hard to learn from its mistakes, promising the new version has been designed based on learnings gathered after its engineers spent “hundreds of hours” watching and learning from its users’ habits.

Read the full story: The new Sonos app hits its public beta phase – but will it be enough to win back fans?

We had a chat with Tiny Vinyl about its new turntable

Tiny Vinyl is an interesting company that created a new four-inch record format last year. Now, 12 months on, it has also launched a new Tiny Vinyl Player, bespoke-designed for said format. Eager to find out more, our intrepid contributor, Joe Svetlik, had a chat with co-founders Jesse Mann and Neil Kohler to discuss the firm’s journey to launch and future plans.

Read the full story: How Tiny Vinyl made the world’s smallest turntable

MORE:

These are the best turntables we have reviewed

We rank the best hi-fi systems

Our picks of the best stereo amps

Home cinema, when it’s done right, is a truly magical experience.

Watching a movie you love, on a giant screen, in the comfort of your own home, wearing your Ninja Turtles pyjamas with a cat on your lap and whisky in hand (the last three may just be me). To quote the Goo Goo Dolls, it’s “the closest to heaven that I'll ever be”.

It’s this magic that makes me and the wider What Hi-Fi? home cinema team be part of that lucky minority that truly loves what they do. Specifically, testing the latest and greatest hardware so we can, in a small way, help others enjoy that magic.

But the trouble is, getting there is more complex than most people think, as the magic is heavily dependent on what hardware you’re using – especially if you’re going for a setup our technical editor, Ketan Bharadia, would deign to call “a proper home cinema”, with a multi-speaker surround sound system, long-throw projector, decent AVR and source.

Why? Because, despite the common assumption (even among some of our forum users) that home cinema sound is somehow different to hi-fi sound, and you can get a good setup just by bolting together five-star parts, the truth is, matching is still incredibly important.

And my experience helping test the KEF R Meta speaker package and Denon AVC-A1H (reviews incoming) this week proves that point.

Listening to the speaker package, we started with our reference Marantz Cinema 30 AVR and, not giving any spoilers away, as you'd expect, combining two accomplished pieces of hardware delivered excellent results. The system sounded expansive, cohesive and wonderfully controlled, creating a fabulously immersive home cinema experience.

Watching a difficult test scene from our Dune: Part One 4K Blu-ray, the setup was masterfully in control of every part of the frequency range. Subtle dynamics underneath the scene's pounding drums were suitably present, and the unit delivered a real sense of direction as a flight of ornithopters swooped from right to left and then behind the viewer.

But as we continued, and particularly when we switched to our F1 test disc and spent some time listening to stereo music, our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, pulled a face – the same one he always does when something's not quite right. One by one, we all did the same until, in near unison, we asked, "Does anyone else think this sounds just a touch too smooth?"

Yes, the sound was refined and effortlessly composed (and remember, at this level we're nitpicking about very small but important differences in performance), but the combination perhaps leaned a fraction too far towards smoothness. It wasn't lacking quality – far from it – but there were moments when we wanted just a little more bite and urgency.

Which is no surprise as our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, who is taking the lead reviewing the speaker package, openly described it as “smooth and refined”.

That's not a dig; in fact, in some setups, it's a strength. But it's a problem here because if you jump to our Marantz Cinema 30 review, you’ll find the same words, “smooth, refined and always in control”, at the top of the page.

The two have a very similar sonic character, and while that creates a beautifully cohesive presentation, it also nudges the overall balance a little further towards refinement than we'd ideally like.

It's less that the pairing doesn't work – it clearly does – and more that combining two components with such similar personalities slightly softens the sense of attack.

Enter the Denon AVC-A1H. During testing, the Denon proved to have a more dynamic, more assertive character that complemented the KEF package differently, adding a little extra energy and attack without upsetting its natural balance.

From the moment Led Zeppelin's iconic Whole Lotta Love started, the F1 scene felt more electric, with the Denon adding more bite to guitarist Jimmy Page’s groove.

Then, the moment John Bonham’s iconic drum line lands, it hits with the gut-churning impact you’d expect from a drummer critics openly praised for his "hard-hitting" playstyle. That’s all before we start describing the added heft and impact of the race.

To be clear, this isn't a dig at the Marantz. In fact, the Marantz/KEF combination is an excellent one in many respects, producing a spacious, balanced and hugely accomplished sound.

We simply found that, in this particular system, the Cinema 30's refinement combined with the wonderfully smooth presentation of the KEF R7 Meta front speakers tipped the balance just a little too far towards relaxation. Swap in a more assertive AVR, or pair the Marantz with more overtly energetic speakers, and that balance shifts again.

Lewis summed the idea up nicely, describing it as being like cooking. “Even if you like salty food, if you add several salty ingredients, it’s not going to taste good.”

So, please remember, when setting up a home cinema, don’t just think of the individual parts; think about how they’ll work together as a system and complement one another.

Even if you’re watching at home alone (outside of the aforementioned cat), when it comes to hardware, home cinema is a team game.

MORE:

These are the best projectors we’ve tested

We rank the best surround sound systems

Our picks of the best AV receivers

It has been quite a week for TV reviews here at What Hi-Fi?, with the arrival of Sony's new RGB Mini LED TVs causing much excitement in our test room.

This excitement has extended to the deals section, as both TVs are seeing generous discounts despite only just being reviewed.

They're not the only discounts available, however – there are five-star soundbar systems and JBL speakers on offer, while the LG G6 has also just been re-reviewed and is seeing a tasty saving.

These are all products that have been reviewed and rated by our expert testing team. They have to get at least four stars to earn our recommendation, so we only share deals on the best.

We'll go into more detail about why we like these products below, but for now, feel free to have a peruse:

The Sony Bravia 9 II is Sony's latest flagship, and one of the first TVs to use the new RGB Mini LED display technology. It's a breathtaking TV with colours that surpass every other TV we've ever tested, and is also exceptionally bright. Its sophisticated dimming system is also one of the best we've seen, but it can't quite beat the pixel-level control of OLED.

At better than half price, the Samsung S90F is exceptional value right now. The OLED TV is currently our top pick out of the best 50-inch TVs, thanks to its punchy picture, flawless gaming specifications and practical stand design.

The Sony Bravia 7 II is the Japanese company's step-down RGB Mini LED offering, with vibrant, natural colours and excellent depth and solidity for a backlit TV. Use the code SONY10PERCENT to get £200 off one of the best backlit TVs we have ever tested.

The Samsung HW-Q990H is the Korean brand's follow-up to an Awards winner, and the Dolby Atmos soundbar system doesn't disappoint. With a soundbar, two rear speakers and a very good subwoofer included, the Q990H is excellent at delivering an immersive, spacious sound with excellent height effects.

The JBL Authentics 300 may have retro looks, but it's a versatile speaker with seamless usability and a forthright, confident sound. Now at a new lowest price.

Now that we've tested the LG G6 with the correct, updated software, LG's latest flagship has now been awarded the full five stars. With punchy picture quality, flawless gaming specifications and excellent app support, this is a TV of serious ability.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

And the best TVs for all budgets

Interested in the bigger picture? Here are the best projectors we have tested

With age comes wisdom, so it perhaps isn't surprising that many of the oldest hi-fi brands around today are still at the top of their game.

We've delved into the archives to shine a light on some of the industry's longest-running manufacturers that continue to serve music fans worldwide to this day. These are true veterans of hi-fi – all over 70 years old – who we think deserve to be called out.

Some companies have changed hands or been resurrected from the dead, others have been comparatively untouched. But whatever their journey, all are still making great hi-fi products – and that's something worth celebrating.

Thorens (1883)

One of the oldest electronics companies in history, the legendary turntable purveyor actually started out manufacturing music boxes, clock movements and, at the turn of the 19th century, Edison-style phonographs – several decades before the era of the record player would catapult the brand to world-renowned fame.

Founded by Hermann Thorens in Sainte-Croix Vaud, Switzerland, Thorens produced its first turntable in the late 1920s and went on to become one of the most revered manufacturers of record players in the '50s and '60s.

Many notable models – the TD 124, TD 150 and TD 160, to name just a few – helped build that reputation. The Thorens TD 160HD we tested in 2008 even made our list of the very best turntables of our lifetime.

The brand filed for bankruptcy in 2000, before being revived by Swiss businessman Heinz Rohrer and later, in 2018, by former Elac Electroacoustic managing director, Gunter Kürten. Today, Thorens has a number of decks in circulation, including the TD 1600 and TD 1601, which are based on the classic TD 160 design.

• Best record players: best turntables for every budget

Ortofon (1918)

Cartridge manufacturer Ortofon – a portmanteau of the Greek words “orto”, meaning correct, and “fon”, meaning sound – began life as a very different beast.

In Denmark after the First World War, two engineers, Axel Petersen and Arnold Poulsen, began their experiments to synchronise sound and picture on film, which they achieved with their 'Petersen and Poulsen System' in the early 1920s.

The duo later transferred their technological know-how to help create a new cutter head for the gramophone industry – a cutter head that record manufacturing companies around the world soon adopted.

That was followed by a mono pickup (or cartridge) and pickup arm so that records cut with the superior head could be reproduced with decent enough audio quality.

Various models of mono cartridges came to the market and, in 1959, the first stereo cartridge arrived. The rest, so it goes, is history. Over 100 years since its story began, Ortofon is now among the most renowned and celebrated turntable cartridge manufacturers.

• Best cartridges: budget and premium options for your turntable

Celestion (1924)

Celestion is a big name in the guitar world thanks to its decades spent manufacturing guitar speakers, but the hi-fi industry also owes a great deal to the British brand.

Soon after it was founded in 1924 by Cyril French (who was later joined by two of his brothers), Celestion manufactured one of the world's earliest cone loudspeakers, based on the design of Eric Mackintosh.

The company became one of the pioneering speaker driver manufacturers in the decades following. It made drivers for the legendary B&W P1 and Spendor BC1 speakers in the '60s, for example, and, amid multiple acquisitions and name changes, the brand continued to make award-winning designs, such as the ribbon tweeter.

• 22 debut speakers from iconic hi-fi brands

Bang & Olufsen (1925)

When engineers Camillo Bang (the tech guy) and Svend Olufsen (the business man) made the transition from experimenting with making radios in their parents' houses to an actual electronics business in the mid 1920s, success came quickly.

The company's first commercially available product was in 1927 with the B&O Eliminator, which enabled a radio to be powered by the mains, as opposed to the huge batteries which were the norm at the time.

The 1930s saw the company outgrow the family home and move into a purpose-built factory in Struer (where B&O still operates), at which point the brand we know and love today began to show its stylish face.

In 1939 it launched the Beolit radio, kickstarting both a successful line of radios and the famous 'Beo' prefix that's still very much in use today. The company later expanded into TVs with the 17-inch Beovision Capri TV, as well as record players and speakers.

• An inside look at Bang & Olufsen as the company turns 90

Tannoy (1926)

To borrow an excerpt from our Tannoy: after 90 years, what does the future hold? piece, "Tannoy wasn’t always Tannoy. It was the Tulsemere Manufacturing Company in 1926, when broadcasting was in its infancy and the first talking film had yet to be shown.

"Radio sets needed huge batteries, which in turn needed huge chargers. Enter one Guy R Fountain, who came up with a new type of electrical rectifier, with the aim of making home-friendly chargers.

"This did rather well, and Fountain founded a company named after the two metals used in the rectifier: Tantalum and lead alloy. The Tannoy trademark first appeared in 1928 and quickly became associated with inescapable public address systems. They even made it into the British House of Commons."

Having provided PAs to the British Ministry of Defence and RAF airfields during WWII, and inventing the Dual Concentric speaker in the years following, Tannoy finally entered the place most of it subsequent efforts would reside: the home. And it has had a fair bit of success...

Roberts Radio (1932)

While many audio companies started life as a manufacturer of radios before expanding into other areas of hardware, Roberts has stuck at that trade for almost 90 years.

You could say that Leslie Bidmead's decision to sell his motorbike, to enable him and co-founder Harry Roberts to pay for the company's first factory, has paid-off. And then some.

Roberts Radio has become as synonymous with British heritage as Harrods and a cup of tea (it even has three Royal warrants to its name), and has successfully kept up with the fast-moving audio industry over the years.

The company launched the first portable DAB radio just before the millennium, a smart streaming radio in 2007, and the award-winning 'Stream' range in 2014.

• Best DAB radios: portable, Bluetooth, in-car

Wharfedale (1932)

Wharfedale has launched enough pairs of anniversary speakers in recent years to remind us that the British brand is fast approaching its centurion.

The company's first speaker was built in the cellar of the llkley home of founder Gilbert Briggs, who designed Wharfedale speakers over two decades and wrote over 20 books on high-fidelity audio.

The Bronze speaker started life purely as a drive unit (enthusiasts assembled their own cabinets) before being housed in a wooden cabinet a year later as an option for those who wanted an ‘extension’ speaker.

Wharfedale's invention of the first two-way loudspeaker in the 1940s, and the use of ceramic magnets in its speakers, have been among Wharfedale's most notable achievements. The brand went on to be defined by the monumental success of its Diamond speaker range, launched in the '80s and still enjoying success to this day.

Leak (1934)

International Audio Group (IAG), the parent company of Wharfedale, Quad and Audiolab, has recently resurrected Leak after a 40-year hiatus.

Founded by Harold Joseph Leak in 1934, Leak was a British hi-fi trailblazer during the mid-20th century.

Its Point One valve amplifier range from 1945 arrived as the first amp to deliver 0.1 per cent total harmonic distortion; its innovative Sandwich speakers heralded true-piston cone action by sandwiching polystyrene foam between outer skins of stiff aluminium foil; and its 1957 Trough-Line is still considered one of the greatest FM tuners ever made.

Electronics and speaker production ceased under the Leak name in the late '70s as then-owner Rank pulled the plug on the brand after years of struggling to compete with Japanese manufacturers – but the brand returned in 2020 with a classic pair of hi-fi separates.

Quad (1936)

Wharfedale has enjoyed a rather special, 70-odd-year relationship with one other audio brand: Quad.

In the '50s, the two brands embarked on a US and UK tour to allow audiences to experience live versus recorded music first hand, and their current position under International Audio Group (IAG) allows them to continue joint amplifier and speaker demonstrations at industry shows to this day.

Quad (which stands for Quality Unit Amplifier Domestic) has had an illustrious history of its own, of course, perhaps no more so than with its 1957 Electrostatic Loudspeaker (ESL), the very first full range electrostatic loudspeaker.

As we've noted in What Hi-Fi? reviews of the many versions that have blessed this world, such as the Quad ESL-2812, few audio designs have attracted such fanatical loyalty from their owners or such fascination from those who covet them.

Today, Quad still has two ESL models in its catalogue, alongside amplifiers and music systems which have helped the brand remain a formidable force.

Pioneer (1938)

While these days Pioneer perhaps has stronger sway in the home cinema market, the Japanese giant has plenty of two-channel pedigree.

We're talking about a brand that began in 1938 when its founder, Nozomu Matsumoto, released the A-8 dynamic speaker after years of research, and which went on to make a name for itself in car audio.

Pioneer manufactured the world's first separate stereo system, component car stereo and in-car CD player, and was a major player in the LaserVision phenomena in the '80s. What's more, Pioneer plasma TVs remain legendary.

SME (1946) 

While SME (originally The Scale Model Equipment Company) is known today for its exceptional high-end turntables, including the SME Synergy, winner of the coveted What Hi-Fi? 2019 Temptations Award, it was in operation for over a decade before it entered the record player market.

SME was formed in 1946 to manufacture scale models and parts for the model engineering trade, before turning its head to precision engineering for aircraft instruments and business machines.

It wasn't until 1959, when the company's founder, Alastair Robertson-Aikman, needed a pick-up arm for his own use, that an experimental model was built. Upon its positive reception from friends and industry folk, the company started commercially producing tonearms – a business it has only recently stopped in order to focus on its core turntable business. Its first turntable, the Model 30, came in 1991.

In 2018, SME also acquired the rights to the iconic Garrard turntable brand – another revered hi-fi veteran – from IGB Gradiente S.A, a Brazilian firm that took over the brand in the late '70s.

Sony (1946)

Everything and everyone has to start somewhere to get anywhere, and for consumer electronic conglomerate Sony that was with a small company called Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation.

It built Japan's first tape recorder, the Type-G, and in 1958 changed its name to Sony – a combination of the Latin word 'sonus', meaning sound, and 'sonny', which was seen as a desirable word to describe a young gentleman. Yes, really.

The Sony branding had already been used three years prior on its TR-55 transistor radio, the first of many transistor radios and the first Sony product to be sold overseas (in Canada).

Sony's history is, of course, full of landmarks in radio, audio and TV: its first TV, the TV8-301 8-inch portable transistor, launched Sony's TV business in 1960; the first-generation Walkman went on sale in 1979; and it was one of the leading developers of the Compact Disc and the Blu-ray Disc.

It's pretty remarkable that Sony continues to have such a presence, and success, in almost every corner of the audio market to this day, arguably now most notably by dominating the headphone and wireless earbud market.

Klipsch (1946)

It all started with one man (Paul W. Klipsch) and one idea (horn-loaded speakers). In a tiny tin shed in Hope, Arkansas in 1946, Klipsch designed, hand-built and patented the now-legendary Klipschorn, the only speaker in the world that has been in continuous production for over 70 years – and yes, they're still made in Arkansas, albeit no longer in a shed, and largely unchanged from the original design.

The first commercial production run of 12 units was built by the Baldwin Piano & Organ Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, with another built by hand in a local cabinet shop, before the first actual Klipsch factory (now the company's museum) got up and running in 1948.

Other early Klipsch horn-loaded speakers, such as the Heresy and Cornwall from the late '50s, also continue in modified form in the company's line-up today.

JBL (1946)

You may have noticed by now that 1946 was a noteworthy year in hi-fi history. JBL was yet another now-notable name to come onto the scene in 1946, named after its founder James Bullough Lansing, an audio engineer and speaker designer who, by that time, had already enjoyed success with his Altec Lansing electronics company.

JBL's first products, the D101 15-inch loudspeaker and D175 high-frequency driver, were unsurprisingly, then, mimics of Altec Lansing designs. Soon came the 375 high-frequency compression driver – the first 4-inch diaphragm driver – and recognition from Leo Fender, who chose to implement one of JBL's drivers into its guitar amplifiers.

Lansing tragically died, and in 1969 JBL was sold by vice president Bill Thomas to the Jervis Corporation (now Harman International, owned by Samsung), pushing JBL into the world of pro and consumer audio.

The JBL L-100 speakers were launched at CES Chicago back in 1970 and were a huge hit for the company, not only JBL's all-time, best-selling loudspeakers, but the best-selling system of that decade from any brand. Fortunately for the brand (and fans of it), JBL was able to honour that legacy with the JBL L100 Classic.

McIntosh (1949)

Founded in 1949 in Maryland, USA, McIntosh has been making its iconic products in Binghamton, New York since 1951. Known for consumer and professional electronics, the company's distinctive front-panel teal illumination has meant McIntosh amps are always easy to pick out of a line-up.

Famously used to power Woodstock and the Grateful Dead's 'Wall of Sound', the company also branched out into speakers and turntables, bringing its trademark styling to a new audience.

The signature power meters even made their way into in-car audio in the 1990s, supercharging the next couple of decades alongside a resurgent high-end audio and home cinema market.

The McIntosh Group, including the McIntosh brand, Sonus Faber and Sumiko, was acquired by Bose in 2024, having previously been owned by an American private equity group.

New products continue to appear, with the DS200 streaming DAC showcasing how McIntosh has moved with the times while maintaining their distinctive style and overall brand identity. Long may that continue.

MORE:

The What Hi-Fi? Hall of the Fame

How to buy second-hand and vintage hi-fi speakers

How to build the perfect hi-fi system

When was the last time you sat down and really listened to a piece of music? And I mean really listened – no phone, no interruptions, not even any getting up to use the toilet. A proper, dedicated, bum-on-seat listening session with your eyes closed, just you and the music.

As someone with two young children and a phone, the answer for me is: far too long ago. So when I heard that Pitchblack Playback was celebrating its 10th anniversary, I thought it high time I went along.

For the uninitiated, Pitchblack Playback is a listening session held in total darkness. They select an album, and you sit there with the lights off and listen to it in its entirety with no distractions – no phones, no talking and definitely no singing along. They even hand out eye masks for a total blackout experience (they have to keep the fire exit signs illuminated for safety reasons).

As someone who enjoys sitting down, good music and not talking, it sounded like my perfect evening. So I headed to The Castle Cinema in Homerton to hear Thom Yorke’s debut solo album The Eraser, which has just turned 20 years old. And I can honestly say I’ll never hear it the same way again.

Driven to a lack of distraction

The inspiration behind Pitchblack Playback came from playwright Samuel Beckett via UK record label Ninja Tune. The event’s founder, Ben Gomori, attended a preview of Amon Tobin’s album ISAM at the Soho Hotel, complete with tour visuals on the screen. “I was really struck by this environment of sitting and listening to an album without any distractions – and not even any talking – on a great sound system,” he tells me before the Thom Yorke session. “And I wanted to take that idea and bring it to the general public.”

ISAM came out in 2011, long before hi-fi listening bars really became a thing. Lockdown was also just a glint in Boris Johnson’s eye, so sitting in the dark with a load of strangers might have seemed a strange proposition. But in other ways, the time was ripe: these were the days when albums were constantly being leaked via dodgy download sites, usually in the form of highly compressed MP3s, so Gomori thought “why not give people a chance to hear it properly rather than a poor quality copy?”

His initial idea was to include visuals, like the ISAM preview he attended. But a chat with a friend set him off in a new direction.

“He asked if I was going to do visuals, or whether I was going to do it in the dark to enhance the music,” Gomori explains. “He’d just seen a production of a Samuel Beckett play called Not I at the Royal Court, which is completely dark apart from a spotlight on a character’s mouth as they deliver a monologue. It was just a flippant comment, but it changed everything.”

Originally the nights focused on new releases (think MGMT, Explosions In The Sky, Christine And The Queens), but it was only once they started doing classic albums from the likes of David Bowie and Miles Davis that word really spread. Some labels were hesitant to commit without an audience already established, but these classic cuts came with loyal followings.

The events are typically held in cinemas, as they have the “holy trifecta”: a great sound system, comfortable seating and a dark environment. But they have also been held in planetariums in Bristol and Glasgow, as well as listening rooms, arts centres and various audio-centred spaces all over the world.

Unless an album is available in Dolby Atmos or 5.1, the stereo version is upmixed to surround sound to make the most of the venue’s sound system (if it has such a system, that is – Pitchblack plays stereo in venues that are set up for it, like Listener in Paris and Shhh in Mexico City). Listening in stereo through a surround system would be "pretty underwhelming”, Gomori says, though he does admit that very rarely an album does sound worse upmixed, and so they stick with stereo instead (“Though it’s only happened, like, once”).

Venues are meticulously researched before qualifying, and seating plans checked beforehand – you don’t want seating in a big, long rectangle with people really far away from the front, as that would worsen their listening experience.

Gomori won’t play anything in less than 16-bit, and will always strive for a 24-bit recording if there’s one available. “I always want the highest resolution possible – even though not many people would notice – as I want to give you the best chance of hearing every detail, every nuance, and the best possible sense of space,” he says.

Though how people choose to enjoy it is up to them. “We’ve had a few people fall asleep,” Gomori says. “It’s usually dads. I’ve had to prod them awake at the end. Whereas some people lie down in front of the subwoofer to really absorb the bass.”

Whichever end of the spectrum you fall on, Gomori argues that carving time out for music is more important than ever, especially given how addicted we’re all becoming to our phones. And in a post-pandemic world, where you need no longer leave the house to meet most of your essential needs, the value of shared experience can’t be overstated.

“It’s about taking time out of your week and just sitting down with a piece of art and engaging with it with no distraction,” he says. “We need experiences like this in our lives.”

Given that you’re sitting in the dark, wearing an eye mask, and not talking to anyone, I’m dubious just how ‘shared’ an experience it will be. But Gomori is insistent that people do form bonds here.

“I call it shared introspection,” he says. “Maybe none of your friends like a certain artist, but you can come here and meet other superfans. I’ve seen complete strangers making plans together afterwards, which is really nice to see.”

I’m about to see for myself, as we head into screen one, where the lights will soon go out.

Back in black

Gigs just aren’t for me. I love the music, it’s the people that turn me off. Crowds unnerve me, and while I can appreciate the atmosphere a good gig creates, I would take a listening room any day of the week. The beer’s much cheaper, for one. And given the choice between hearing a mastered studio session that’s the best of dozens of takes, or a live performance whose quality depends on so many variables (how the band feel on the day, the venue’s acoustics, even the behaviour of the people in the crowd around you) I know which I would pick.

The Eraser is a great album to hear at Pitchblack Playback for three reasons. First, I’ve had it since release in 2006, so I’ll know if I can hear a difference versus listening to it at home. Second, Thom Yorke once told an interviewer that the album is designed “to be listened to in an isolated space”, which this very definitely is. And third, it’s just a great album.

It’s a completely different listen through The Castle Cinema’s sound system. Thom Yorke’s trademark wailing and bleeps and bloops are a lot more immersive through the spatial arrangement, of course, but it all just hits with so much more scale and impact, from the opening piano chords of the title track to the warm digital glow of the closing song Cymbal Rush.

Not that I find myself immersed straight away. Wearing an eye mask in a dark room is a strange sensation, akin to sensory deprivation. But you soon get used to it – after my initial paranoia has subsided, and I’ve stopped worrying that everyone else there is making faces at me, I sink further into The Castle’s generous seating for some serious listening.

At least, I try to. I had assumed that cut off from any visual stimuli, I would concentrate solely on the music, but my mind keeps wandering between topics as scattered and glitchy as Yorke’s beat structure. And then I remember that this is what real listening feels like – the music is subconsciously influencing my thoughts, while I drift in and out of what’s playing. It’s how I used to listen to music, back in the pre-smartphone days when I would carve out big chunks of the day to spend doing nothing but. It’s like meditation, but a lot less boring, with cracking beats instead of mystic woo-woo.

I’m certainly getting the introspection part of shared introspection. But is it really a shared experience?

Towards the end of the album, curiosity gets the better of me and I peek out from behind my eye mask. It’s like seeing the passengers on a long-haul overnight flight – masks on, every one of them, bodies firmly in the recline position. I swear I can hear someone snoring, but I can’t pick them out – for all I know, they could all be asleep.

The album comes to its lo-fi conclusion, and after a few seconds of silence the house lights come up just enough to bring us back into the room. Masks off, everyone seems a little dazed, even giddy. We start shuffling out, the first lucky leavers receiving a free poster that Yorke’s label XL have donated (there aren’t enough to go around, sadly).

I don’t see any strangers forming lifelong bonds, but there is a feeling among us, something unspoken, as we emerge, blinking, into the sunny summer evening: that we have heard something familiar but in a completely different way, that we’ve really listened, not only to the music but a lot else besides.

MORE:

I don’t have the budget for a turntable – is a hi-fi listening bar a worthy alternative?

Five of the best hi-fi listening bars we would love to visit

I listened to David Bowie in a 360-degree show, and now I've seen what spatial audio can do

The latest projector to enter our test room is not quite like anything we have seen before. It’s the “world’s first mobile theatre system”, sporting four Dolby Atmos satellite speakers that are housed in the projector’s body.

It can also deliver a 4K picture, with a claimed brightness of up to 3500 ISO lumens. You can push the screen size as big as 300 inches, and it is built around a DLP optical system illuminated by a triple-laser lighting system.

That is all wrapped up in a package weighing a rather hefty 33kg with a set of wheels on the bottom.

That all means that, in theory, you should be able to take everything you need for a movie night in an all-in-one system. It doesn’t come cheap, and will set you back £4499 / $4999 / AU$8999.

Does it deliver on its promises? After we reviewed the product in our test room, it became clear that there are two aspects in which the X1 Pro excels, and two that hold it back from greatness. Let’s dig into it.

Nifty speaker design

The 7.1.4-channel speaker system is arguably the most exciting element of the projector. Each of the four satellite speakers can be placed around the space. They offer a compact yet practical build, with the fronts measuring 8 cm across and the rears coming in at 6 cm wide.

They also include little stands on the bottom with a rubber foot that folds out, making for a sturdy base. On top of that, you can charge them when they are inside the projector, or you can use their individual USB ports to give them some juice.

There’s also a subwoofer inside the projector’s body, which features two drive units, each measuring 13cm in diameter.

It’s a first to see such an elaborate speaker set-up for a portable projector in our test room, and is a draw if you are looking for an entire home cinema system in a box.

Rich, punchy picture

As well as the clever sound and speaker design, the X1 Pro delivers a punchy image performance that makes for pleasant viewing.

When watching Thunderbolts, we note in our review: “The villain’s brightly coloured costume stands out against the background, which makes for an engaging experience.”

Edges of characters and items are crisp and clean, and there is little noise in textures, contributing to an overall picture that feels sharp without tipping into being over-etched. It could do with an extra level of detail considering the price point, but it is still clear enough to see strands of hair and creases in clothes.

When we move to a brighter environment than our dark test room, a fair bit of detail and punch is lost, of course. But this set-up would be watchable with a bright movie when watching outside with the sun still up.

But image looks unsubtle

While it delivers an engaging image, the X1 Pro is not the most subtle of projectors. Its colours look a little over-emphasised, and they verge on unnatural. This becomes clear when watching Civil War as an army chopper lands on lush grass, where the foliage appears a tad too vivid to look realistic.

There is also an issue with the projector’s black depth. During Sinners as Michael B Jordan’s Stack has a terse conversation in a low-lit barn, we found that it “delivers the dark background with a fair bit of banding that verges on grey at points”.

Shadow detail leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to darker skin tones, and it is hard to make out the subtle differences in textures in these areas.

Disappointing sound performance

Unfortunately, while we like the compact speaker design, the sound performance itself rather lets the package down.

The sound is certainly more room-filling than the majority of portable projectors that come with built-in speakers, but we expect a more immersive performance from the 7.1.4-channel system.

With its Dolby Atmos presentation, the system lacks the immersive height and width effects to immerse us truly in the film. And there’s not a huge sense of precision around the space, with obvious gaps in the soundfield.

The bass performance is also underwhelming. Instead of packing a meaty weight, it lands with a rather flat softness. In our review when watching Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, we say: “Punches should sound deep and impactful, but they lack the powerful drive necessary to convey the right level of force.”

The X1 Pro’s portable, innovative design and punchy picture are not to be dismissed. But the high price tag and lacklustre audio mean that it seems more sensible to invest in a separate projector and sound system to get the best performance from both.

MORE:

Here’s our full review of the Nebula X1 Pro

Check out the best projectors

These are the best portable projectors

Ever felt that you’d like a direct link to the mind of a What Hi-Fi? writer? Well now you can get just that, by joining us on Substack!

Okay, so perhaps we’re not talking about a ‘direct link’ to our minds, but my inimitable colleague Kashfia Kabir and I have launched What Hi-Fi?’s Substack as a way for us to discuss the things that are on our minds, give you more of an idea of our thoughts on specific products and topics, and deliver insights into our processes.

So far, we have written about the unlikely new hero of OLED tech, what it’s really like covering a hi-fi trade show, why we review as a team, and why, of all the amazing products we get to test, a dinky DAC is the one Kash is most excited about.

To be clear, these are articles that you won’t find anywhere else – even on whathifi.com.

But what is Substack? Great question.

Substack is essentially a very cool blogging platform where writers such as us can deliver articles directly to their readers. Subscribe to us on Substack, and you can receive our weekly articles as emails in your inbox.

It’s free to sign up, and we send our articles on a Saturday morning, giving you a lovely extra dose of What Hi-Fi? to enjoy over a weekend cup of tea and some buttery toast.

If that sounds like your sort of thing, head over to the What Hi-Fi? Substack, or simply whack your email address into the box below. Easy-peasy.

And if you have a burning question about how we work, or a topic you’d love to get our thoughts on in a future Substack article, let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

A good pair of floorstanding speakers come with virtues aplenty: extended bass, thanks to larger enclosures and extra woofers, no need for an additional subwoofer and a sense of scale and authority that most bookshelf speakers can’t rival.

Best of all, finding a quality option in the £700-£1000 price bracket has recently become easier, with numerous brands developing their entry-level offerings.

Last year, our favourite was the Fyne Audio F501E, which came out on top as 2025’s Product Of The Year at the What Hi-Fi? Awards. It would be sensible, then, to pick up a pair and go forth with unwavering confidence in your choice. Well… not so fast!

Fantastic speakers though the F501E are, they have recently come up against tough competition from Dali’s Sonik 5 speakers. Designed to replace the company’s Award-winning Oberon 5, the Sonik 5 have a sound that gives speakers north of their price a serious run for their money, as do the Fynes.

So, which should you go for? Let’s get stuck into it.

Dali Sonik 5 vs Fyne Audio F501E: price

The Sonik 5 cost £899 / $1800 / AUS$1749, while the F501E are available for £999 / $1299 / AU$1999. So, right off the bat, there’s a £100 disparity between the speakers. But considering the larger size of the F501E, you quite literally get more speaker for your money.

But, because the F501E have been on the market for longer than the Sonik 5, we think they are more likely to see a discount during big sales events. Indeed, we have seen discounts of as much as £100 this year, which, when they strike, bring the speakers down to the same price for UK customers, making this a draw.

**Winner: draw**

Dali Sonik 5 vs Fyne Audio F501E: build & design

The Sonik 5 are smaller than the F501E in all dimensions. Standing at just 83cm, compared with the Fynes’ 98cm, these speakers have a significantly smaller footprint and will fit into most listening spaces with ease.

Admittedly, due to their diminutive height, some thought is necessary when it comes to positioning the speakers, especially if you are planning on sitting close to them, which, from our test room’s sofa, leaves the tweeters well below ear height.

The Sonik 5 are available in four finishes: natural oak, white, walnut or black ash. Each of the finishes has a fairly unobtrusive look, which we think is particularly well exemplified by our walnut test pair.

The cabinets’ high-grade laminate looks convincingly wood-like, with a pleasant, natural feel. Overall, these speakers have a subtly refined air.

That impression of refinement is only enhanced by the build quality. Although they are not heavy speakers, they are appropriately solid and well-constructed, and the included magnetic grilles connect firmly and complement the speakers visually.

Inside the cabinets, the Dalis employ a two-way design, using a 29mm soft-dome tweeter and two 13cm mid/bass drivers made from the company’s trademark mix of fine-grain paper pulp reinforced with wood fibres. A flared reflex port at the back of the speakers optimises airflow to reinforce bass.

Due to their reflex port, the Sonik 5 sound best when placed slightly away from the wall, so we wouldn’t recommend tucking them in too tight.

The Fynes, too, are sturdily built, and are now available in a walnut finish alongside the original black option. While their basic aesthetic does leave a somewhat monolithic impression, costs saved on aesthetic tweaks have afforded the inclusion of Fyne’s proprietary Isoflare driver technology within their entry range for the first time.

The IsoFlare design, which sees a 19mm titanium-dome tweeter mounted at the centre of a 12.5cm multi-fibre mid/bass woofer, is said to result in improved sound dispersion and integration between drivers.

Unlike the Dalis, the F501E use a two-and-a-half-way design, and the lower 15cm multi-fibre driver is tuned by a downward facing port in a configuration that the company calls Basstrax. Here, the port fires onto an upward facing cone to disperse low frequencies evenly across 360 degrees, making these speakers adaptable to different placements.

Fyne has also used a fluted surround to the mid/bass driver which it claims terminates the cone more effectively, for reduced distortion and improved clarity.

In terms of design, choosing between these speakers will depend heavily on buyers’ tastes and listening spaces. Both speakers have serious strengths: the Dalis take the lead for aesthetic charm, while Fyne’s Isoflare design works wonders in terms of stereo imaging.

As these speakers excel in different areas, at this stage, it’s neck and neck.

**Winner: Draw**

Dali Sonik 5 vs Fyne Audio F501E: compatibility

The petite Sonik 5 are unlikely to dominate most listening spaces, while the Fynes will need a bit more room to sit comfortably.

The Fyne’s Basstrax system does a lot to make the speakers less fussy about placement, though. In our 3 x 7 x 5m (hwd) test room, we find they sound best when positioned about 70cm away from the wall, but they don’t prove too particular about being placed closer.

The Dalis are somewhat more choosy about placement and need to come further into our test room – 80cm from the wall – to avoid bass dominance. Additionally, due to their compact height, we suggest tilting the Dalis slightly upwards when listening close, so that the tweeter axis lines up with your ears.

For stereo imaging, we think the Fynes sound best angled slightly in, while the Dalis perform better when facing straight out into the room. Thanks to their Isoflare design, the Fyne’s have a more precise stereo image than the Dalis, which remains stable as we move around the test room.

The Fynes have a slightly higher sensitivity of 90dB/w/m compared with the Dalis 88dB/w/m, and a claimed impedance of 8 ohms rather than 6 ohms. Both speakers work well with a range of amplifiers, from Arcam’s A5+ (50 watts per channel) and Naim Nait XS3 (70 watts per channel) to PMC’s Cor (95 watts per channel).

**Winner: Fyne Audio F501E**

Dali Sonik 5 vs Fyne Audio F501E: sound

The Sonik 5 are a highly talented pair of speakers. We are impressed by how much they do with their humble dimensions, with punchy bass, intricate dynamic tracking and a stable soundstage.

Across the frequency range, textures are presented with finesse. The Dalis’ midrange, in particular, wrings every last drop of emotion from vocal parts, with palpable humanity and warmth across genres.

Basslines are tight and well-textured, contributing to the Sonik 5s’ propulsive rhythmic drive. Thanks to the dynamic precision of these speakers, which brings out the fine details in decaying notes, percussive hits and basslines alike, their neat low frequency performance doesn’t diminish their rhythmic power.

In our review, we say that the Sonik 5 have a “layered soundstage, which retains focus and precision, even in dense arrangements”. Width is no issue for these speakers, either, and they can be positioned quite some distance apart before holes begin to appear in the stereo image.

The F501E won 2025’s Product Of The Year at the What Hi-Fi? Awards, so there isn’t much question about their sound quality.

The sophisticated and muscular sound of these speakers impresses us right away, with an ability to effectively convey a variety of sonic worlds, from “the majesty of a full blown orchestra” to A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory.

Speaking of low end, the Fynes have no trouble generating authority and punch on command. But they are also highly proficient in terms of treble, managing to handle “less than perfect recordings” with grace, “avoiding edge and undue harshness”, thanks to their balanced tonality.

Bass is taut and tuneful for price-standards, but while they might be capable of delivering more bass than the Dalis, we find that the Dalis reveal textures and dynamic subtleties in low frequencies that the Fynes sacrifice to their more powerful sound.

Nonetheless, the alignment of the drivers’ acoustic centres contributes to a well-integrated sound, with a stereo image that remains stable even as we move off axis. Improved driver integration also lends the Fynes’ midrange a crisp and forthright tonality that lets vocal lines shine through with emotional sincerity.

We find that the F501Es, a highly expressive pair of speakers, “track rhythms with determination while communicating changes in musical momentum in a natural and convincing manner.” They are rhythmically sure-footed and composed, but the Dalis take the lead here, with their snappy, more powerful sense of rhythmic drive.

While they may not be able to dive as deep as the Fynes in terms of bass, the Sonik 5 creep ahead in terms of textural detail, while also providing emotive dynamics with more than enough punch.

**Winner: Dali Sonik 5**

Dali Sonik 5 vs Fyne Audio F501E: verdict

Talk about a clash of titans. Both of these speakers boast performances that competitors will have difficulty matching. The Fyne F501E is the current What Hi-Fi? Award winner, so it’s something of a shock to see them beaten by the Sonik 5.

That’s not to say the Fynes aren’t excellent speakers in their own right. If you have the space to accommodate these towers, they are a rewarding listen with more extended bass than the Dalis and an exceptionally well-integrated sound.

But for a more precise performance, propulsive rhythmic drive and unobtrusive looks we recommend the Dali Sonik 5.

**Overall winner: Dali Sonik 5**

MORE

Read our Dali Sonik 5 review

And our Fyne Audio F501E review

How to choose the right speakers and get the best sound

Then, why not check out our guide to the best floorstanding speakers you can buy for every budget

There could be some big changes for the social movie platform Letterboxd. The brand is reportedly in talks with potential buyers including Netflix, Sony Pictures and Paramount, according to Puck.

Letterboxd's co-founders Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow will still own 40 per cent, but the fate of the remaining stake in the social network is up in the air as the current holding company, Tiny, seems to be looking to sell.

For those not in the know, the movie cataloguing site allows you to rate and review films. You can follow your friends and to see what they are watching, and tailor your profile to show your top four favourites.

As of July this year, there were a whopping 26 million users worldwide. That includes numerous celebrities, such as Ayo Edebiri, Charli XCX and Ed Sheeran. Even our furry friend Paddington leaves the odd review.

One of the prerequisites for working at What Hi-Fi? is that you have to be a massive movie nerd (joking, kind of). That's because testing out the latest home cinema and AV kit involves watching a variety of films to see how well they perform. We watch the same scenes again and again to compare different models, and that is a lot more fun if you genuinely love watching movies.

I have gushed about Letterboxd before and it's still the first thing I reach for once I have watched a movie. Users can post one-line zingers or thoughtful reviews, and both are equally likely to get hundreds of likes.

But I'm a little worried about the possibility of the platform being owned by streaming services or movie studios such as Netflix or Sony Pictures. It means that they could favour certain releases and push some films onto the homepage more than others, giving smaller movies less of a chance to get noticed.

Clearly, I am not alone, as there is already a crowdfunding effort to "buy it back for the people" that has gained over $54,000 in donations so far.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but it would be a shame to see the fun and passionate Letterboxd community become oversaturated with advertising and led by algorithms instead of film lovers.

MORE:

I’m a movie lover and this is the one app I cannot do without

These are the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos setup

Check out the best TVs right now

Another Monday, another heatwave to contend with. We can’t help with the soaring temperatures, but as a minor recompense, we can offer updates on all the cool new hi-fi and home cinema hardware to arrive over the past week.

It was another busy one, especially for our reviewers, who popped down to B&W’s R&D lab to have an exclusive listen to the firm’s latest Diamond D5 range, before going on to review the highly anticipated successor to the iconic Dali Oberon 5.

Here’s what you need to know.

We had a listen to the entire 800 Series Diamond D5 range

Our ever-inquisitive global technical editor, Ketan Bharadia, took the time to visit Bowers & Wilkins’ R&D facility to check out the firm’s full range of 800 Series Diamond D5 speakers last week.

During the exclusive listening session, he got a chance to run them directly against their iconic predecessors and chat to the engineers about what improvements and changes they’ve made over the years.

Read the full story: We've had an exclusive listen to every pair of new Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Diamond D5 speakers – here are our first impressions

A Sonik treat

The Sonik 5 are the successor to the Dali Oberon 5. That automatically gives them some pretty big shoes to fill, with the Oberon 5 winning multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards and remaining a staple recommendation until they went to the hi-fi farm earlier this year.

Do they live up to their predecessors' legacy? After putting them through their paces in our review rooms, we’re pleased to report the answer is a definitive yes. Even in the incredibly competitive, £1000-ish market, the Sonik 5 are a sonic treat – one that manages to give the Award-winning Fyne Audio F501E a run for its money.

As we said in our review: “With a pleasingly compact size and excellent sound, we think the Dali Sonik 5 will make a superb addition to any home set-up, especially if you’re working with small spaces.”

Read our full Dali Sonik 5 review

Good news for Blu-ray fans

Blu-ray fans are having a rough time of it. Every week, despite the format’s benefits, fresh reports break suggesting it’s on the way out. Which is why we were pleased to finally see some good news for physical media fans last week, when Japanese manufacturer Buffalo confirmed it will continue to make Blu-ray disc drives as long as stock of the components it needs lasts.

Read the full story: At last, some good news for Blu-ray fans as one manufacturer U-turns on exiting the market – but there's a catch

We had a chinwag with hi-fi engineers about vinyl

Speaking of physical media, our deputy editor, Andy Madden, did a phone round with all the movers and shakers in the turntable industry last week, hoping to get their thoughts on the vinyl revival and future of the format. And to his surprise, as well as its strengths, they all wanted to discuss one big flaw with the format that really needs fixing.

Read the full story: “Never before in our industry has a format come back from the dead quite like vinyl” – turntable engineers discuss all things record-related, including one major flaw that needs addressing

MORE:

We rank the best turntables for vinyl fans

Our picks of the best floorstanding speakers

These are the best speakers we’ve reviewed

My rant against 100-inch TVs; a penchant for the four-star Aventho 300; being the only Scot on the team during the World Cup. I have had many controversial opinions during my tenure at What Hi-Fi?.

But recently, a sentence erupted from my lips that made every other home cinema reviewer on the team stop in their tracks: I hate summer.

Not the character from The OC (she’s one of the best parts of millennials’ favourite teen drama), I'm talking about the season.

Why? Because the paltry benefits it brings – BBQs, an excuse to visit the park, etc – don’t make up for the fact that it ruins one of my favourite pastimes. Specifically, watching movies in my home cinema.

How are the two connected? By three big factors driving my neurotic war on summer.

The first is the obvious one; it’s the heat. My home cinema isn’t fancy. I live in a small Victorian-era terraced house in zone three, London. So as I’ve said before, a proper long-throw projector and multi-speaker Dolby Atmos set-up is too big to sensibly fit in my cinema room.

Instead, in the top-floor room, in my converted attic, I have a Hisense PX3 UST, connected to a JBL Bar 1300 soundbar system. That puts it somewhere between a basic TV set-up and what our technical editor, Ketan Bharadia, would deign to call a “proper home cinema”.

And during all the other seasons, I’m happy with it. The wireless satellite speakers and subwoofer do a decent job of bringing movies to life and offer a nice sense of directionality that’s a level up on most basic single-soundbar packages. And the UST projector’s 120-inch image feels gigantic and like a proper step up from the tiny 48-inch LG C2 in my lounge.

So, most weekends, when the wife is out, I’ll scamper upstairs, put on my Ninja Turtles pyjamas and indulge in some serious movie watching.

During summer, that fun treat to myself morphs into an endurance test, both for me and the hardware in the room. Home cinema hardware runs hot to begin with. But because I’ve had to put it all on the top floor, mine is also running in a room that’s automatically a fair few degrees warmer than the rest of the house, even with the blinds closed and window open.

So, by the time I’ve made it through a 90-minute feature, I tend to have devolved into a slimy, primordial monster that has become one with the sofa – and that’s if the hardware has survived that long. Often, the projector will overheat and need a timeout before my metamorphosis is complete.

And the easiest and most popular solution among the team for this problem, an air conditioning unit, is troublesome for a couple of reasons. First, because as a lifelong Captain Planet supporter and proud Planeteer, I don’t like using them (they’re not great for the environment).

Second, because even if I did, they’re noisy. So noisy that every unit I’ve auditioned has been just loud enough to distract me from what’s playing – they hum at the perfect frequency to constantly be in the back of your mind, like a small child crying in the distance.

And speaking of small children…

The summer season brings with it summer holidays. Most think this time’s cute, giving kids time to be kids. And I appreciate that. But as an uncle and repeat godfather, it feels like being a resident of Argos after the gods unleashed the Kraken.

Tiny monsters, descending on you as tired, exasperated parents volunteer my wife and me for babysitting duties, regardless of our protests. “Oh, it's fine,” they say. “Just put some Bluey on in that home cinema room, and they’ll be fine,” they say.

My home cinema is my fortress of solitude and built for better things than Bluey…

But more importantly, tiny summer spawn are the most dangerous kind. Warm, fussy, hyped up on ice lollies and caffeinated fizzy drinks. I’ve been sugar-bombed by many of my “friends” and family over the years.

Editor’s note: Sugar bombing is when you turn your child into a live grenade, loading them with sweet treats, shaking, then tossing them to the person babysitting just as their pupils start to dilate.

They're destructive forces of nature that have a supernatural ability to do two things: destroy expensive home cinema hardware and always be slightly sticky, no matter how many times you make them wash their hands.

Honestly, the last time I babysat, I left the room for two minutes with them happily watching Wicked and came back to chaos. Jam was smeared over their tiny hands and most of the room, including the projector’s glass, even though I don’t have any jam in the house and the kids were “clean” before I left to get them a juice pop.

It’s a mystery I still haven’t solved. Was it in their pockets? Is producing jam out of thin air a superpower all five-year-olds have? I need to know!

It’s this potent combination of factors that makes me hate the summer season and wish we could skip it and get back to the infinitely more home-cinema-friendly winter months. Call me a grump all you like, but you know I’m right.

MORE:

We rank the best projectors money can buy

Our reviewers rank the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Our picks of the best AV receivers

Finding it a bit hot to do much?

Well, have no fear – you can sit and scroll through the week's best deals without moving, and there are some scorchers this time round.

Soundbars have been seeing great deals ever since Prime Day, but we're also happy to see one of our favourite mid-range AV receivers get a £600 discount, as well as a chunky saving on a pair of luxury audiophile cans from Bowers & Wilkins.

As always, these are products we've reviewed and rated ourselves, and all have earned at least four stars from our expert testers in order to earn our recommendation.

We'll explain why we like these products so much below – but for now, take a look at the deals....

The Denon AVC-X3800H is a five-star mid-range AV receiver packed with features and a future-proof design that lets you upgrade further down the line. With a warm, refined sound, it's also quite the bargain with £600 off.

The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are a few years old now, but that does mean that their premium asking price is now more affordable. With excellent build quality, impressive comfort levels and high levels of musical insight, these are luxury audiophile headphones now at a more affordable price.

It's summer party season, so if you are braving the weather for an outdoor get-together, then the Bose SoundLink Max can provide for a gathering of any size. The premium Bluetooth speaker comes with 20 hours of battery life and bucketloads of lively, energetic sound.

The Hisense HS214 is the cheapest soundbar we recommend. It is a simple, affordable way to upgrade your TV speakers. Despite its compact size, it offers a decent low end and clear vocal projection.

If you're really short on space or looking to upgrade your desktop sound, then the Creative Stage Pro is another easy and affordable choice. The 2.1 setup includes a subwoofer, which adds nicely integrated and surprisingly powerful bass.

If you're serious about ANC, then the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are the class leaders. They also have a smart, folding design and effective spatial audio for movie watching.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

And the best TVs for all budgets

Interested in the bigger picture? Here are the best projectors we have tested

Olivia Wilde’s directing back catalogue is nothing if not varied. Her breakout directorial hit came with Booksmart in 2019, which was rich with humour and elevated by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever’s brilliant lead performances.

Then came the not-so-great Don’t Worry Darling, which scored a disappointing 38 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer.

But I’m glad to report that her latest film The Invite is a glorious return to form, as she both stars in and directs the feature. It follows an unhappy couple (played by Wilde and Seth Rogen) who invite their new neighbours (Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz) for dinner. I won't say any more, as the less you know about this movie before watching it, the better.

Most of the film takes place in their apartment, but clever camera work means the setting never feels stale or boring. Instead, each corner of the flat becomes a cove for hushed conversation or a stage for explosive conflict.

One element that really elevates this sense of tension is Devonté Hynes’ spiky and playful score, made up entirely of cello instrumentals.

When the mood is relaxed, the sweeping strings create the sense of an idyllic home life. But arguments are punctuated with harsh, low, even thrilling instrumental moments.

It’s not subtle, but it further ramps up the tension in a movie where a single spoken line can turn a normal conversation into something far more fraught. Hynes is not afraid to leave space for quiet either, such as when, during a surprisingly moving conversation between the two leads, there is only the uncomfortable silence of the couple trying to decide what to say next.

The Invite is playing in cinemas now, and I can’t wait for it to hopefully come to 4K Blu-ray so I can use it as a test disc for sound in our AV test room. So far, only the standard Blu-ray and DVD editions are available to pre-order at HMV, but fingers crossed.

MORE:

Check out the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos sound system

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Here are the best TVs right now

After more than five years of daily use, my AirPods Max recently stopped working.

I can't really complain. Between commuting, international travel and a house move, they'd spent years being stuffed into backpacks and suitcases before emerging to soundtrack thousands of hours of music and movies. They'd had a pretty hard life.

Rather than rushing to repair them, though, I saw an opportunity.

In the five years since I'd bought the AirPods Max, loads of exciting new headphones had launched. This felt like the perfect excuse to break away from Apple's ecosystem and find out whether anything could finally replace them.

Over the next couple of months, I spent time with headphones from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and Bowers & Wilkins. Their relative strengths varied, but all of them sounded very accomplished with music. In the case of Sony's superb WH-1000XM6, I'd even argue the overall musical performance is better than that of the AirPods Max.

But this period of headphone flirtation had a surprising effect: my movie-watching almost ground to a halt.

For years now, I've used my AirPods Max at least as much for movies as for music. In fact, they've quietly become an essential part of my home cinema setup.

Once the rest of my family had gone to bed and it was no longer neighbourly to keep my Dolby Atmos system rumbling away, I had a simple routine. Rather than switching on Night mode and flattening every explosion, gunshot and orchestral swell, I'd put on my AirPods Max, tap the pop-up on my Apple TV 4K and carry on watching exactly where I'd left off.

The combination of the AirPods Max and Apple TV 4K remains astonishingly good. Their Dolby Atmos implementation, delivered through Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, creates an experience that's surprisingly easy to forget is coming from a pair of headphones. It doesn't simply sound spacious; it sounds uncannily natural.

And that's the bit I hadn't appreciated until the AirPods Max disappeared from my life. Every alternative I tried excelled with music, but none recreated that movie experience.

The closest I came was pairing Sony's WH-1000XM6 with the Bravia 8 II TV. It produced an impressively open and fairly cinematic presentation, but because the connection relied on standard Bluetooth, what I was hearing was ultimately a cleverly processed stereo signal rather than the sort of binaural Dolby Atmos experience that Apple's solution provides.

The difference wasn't night and day, but it was enough that I found myself missing the AirPods Max every time I settled down to watch a film, and that had a surprisingly big impact on my viewing habits.

If the family was asleep, I simply wasn't getting the experience I wanted. I wasn't about to hobble my main home cinema system with Night mode, but neither were the alternative headphones convincing enough to tempt me away from it.

Whether it's children, a partner or simply considerate neighbours, I suspect lots of people end up watching films after the house has gone quiet, and losing that window meant the number of films I watched absolutely tanked over the following weeks. I missed loads.

The good news is that I'm now making up for lost time, because I've managed to get hold of another pair of AirPods Max.

The whole experience taught me something I wasn't expecting, though: I'd quietly built my entire late-night movie-watching routine around one Apple feature.

That's not to say Apple has the only solution. Sony, for example, offers the little-known WLA-NS7 wireless transmitter, which promises a similar binaural Dolby Atmos experience with compatible headphones. I'll be testing that very soon.

But until something else can recreate what the AirPods Max and Apple TV 4K achieve together, they'll remain my favourite headphones for movies – even if some rivals have at least matched them when it comes to music.

MORE:

Here are the best wireless headphones you can buy right now

Check out our Apple AirPods Max review

Every projector is a product of compromise. Top-tier 4K projectors can deliver excellent detail and black levels, but usually lack a built-in sound system and cannot be easily moved around.

And outdoor projectors make their compromise clear more than any other projector category, as they must carefully handle the balance between convenience and performance.

With the FIFA World Cup in full swing, more people are looking for ways to watch the winning kick on a big screen from the comfort of their gardens. But no outdoor projector has ever offered the perfect delicate equilibrium between each aspect. I’ve tested my fair share of portable projectors so far and, although nothing has achieved the ideal balance yet, I'm always keeping my eye out for a model that could change all that

So what exactly does the perfect outdoor projector offer?

Portability

To take your projector into the garden and even on the road, it needs to be easy to carry around. Otherwise, you will end up lugging a heavy piece of kit around, which doesn’t make for a practical or fun alternative to watching on your TV screen.

We’ve seen some pretty neat designs in terms of portability that certainly tick this box. Take the Xgimi Mogo 4, for instance, which is a can-shaped projector that weighs just 1.3kg and is only 21cm tall.

You can pull out the main body from the sturdy plastic stand when you want to use it, and its small footprint makes it a great example of the portability I’m looking for in an outdoor projector.

There’s a remote that hangs from the stand that gives you access to the basic controls, such as volume and settings, if you don't want to rely on the larger remote that is also available. It is far from the only model to offer this kind of flexibility, but it's a great example of true portability in the category.

Most outdoor projectors these days also come with platforms such as Google TV, which give you access to the usual streaming suspects, including Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. That makes accessing your favourite TV shows and films simple, although some platforms lack World Cup essentials such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX. You can work around this by casting from another device, at least.

A long-lasting built-in battery

If a projector is small and portable, though, then it understandably must make some sacrifices in other areas. One of the biggest of these is the lack of a built-in battery. Many projectors claim to be portable but, if they don't have a battery, then you are limited to placing it where you can get access to the mains.

Some projectors let you connect a power bank to extend their battery life a little, but that depends on the model's capabilities.

And even if your projector offers a built-in battery, it is often only just enough to watch a few episodes. The Xgimi Vibe One is a small, compact model with a built-in battery, but the brand claims it offers a maximum of 1.2 hours of juice until you need to plug it in. That number is only if you are using the projector in the Eco mode, however. In Standard mode, the battery gave us just under an hour of AV action, which will only give you one half of a World Cup match.

In an ideal world, a projector's built-in battery would be able to last entire game or movie without conking out.

Bright, punchy picture

Of course, the picture needs to be a strong performer in various lighting environments. You might start watching a game at 5pm, where the sun is still blazing during these scorching summer months.

That means you need a projector that can deliver a punchy image that can withstand bright viewing conditions. So far, I have not come across a compact model that can deliver the perfect level of detail, black depth and colour.

Ultimately, that is one of the sacrifices that must be made for the projector to be portable and compact, as there is less room for more comprehensive features. If such a model existed that could expertly balance picture performance and size, it would have a prime spot in our test room.

Immersive sound

Finally, the perfect outdoor projector delivers engaging and precise sound that makes every viewing experience even more immersive.

The closest we have come to this dream is with the Nebula X1 – a 4K projector with a 2.1-channel configuration. We say in our review that the projector's "audio makes it stand out from the crowd, as it is rare we have found a projector that can pack such a punch in terms of bass."

Plus, vocals are clear and relatively emotive, delivering a rich overall sound. This is an outlier in the outdoor projector world, as most of the built-in speakers don't manage much dispersion of sound or punch.

The most recent projector to enter our test room promises to tick every one of these boxes (bar the built-in battery). The Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro claims to be the "world's first mobile theatre system", presenting as an all-in-one package on wheels. Yep, actual wheels. It features four detachable speakers to place around your space, a 4K picture that goes up to a claimed 3500 ANSI lumens of brightness, and a clever design.

We are yet to publish our full review but, suffice to say, the Nebula projector has not managed to claim the crown as the perfect outdoor model.

I never actually expect to find a perfect outdoor projector because – as I said at the start – all of them are a product of compromise. Still, I'm excited to see how close we can get.

MORE:

These are the best outdoor projectors

And here are the best projectors

Check out the best soundbars

In case you hadn’t realised, vinyl is making a bit of a comeback. Who would have guessed that a plastic disc which first arrived on the scene in 1931 would still be bringing so much joy 95 years later?

Although a lot has changed in the world over that time, the format itself and the techniques used to create it haven’t evolved massively. So, is vinyl currently as good as it gets, or could it be improved upon?

We reached out to some of the best turntable engineers in the business to see what they think about the state of the format in 2026.

Can you believe we’re more than half way through the year? Before long it’ll be the end of summer, then Bonfire Night, then Christmas, then another year finished as time marches mercilessly on. What is this quintessence of dust, as Hamlet so perceptively mused?

Sadly for the fictitious Danish Prince, he didn’t have a hi-fi setup to take his mind off of his gnawing existential dread. We can’t offer spiritual counsel, but if you happen to be one of the fortunate souls who take refuge under a pair of speakers and an integrated amplifier, then might we suggest the following tunes to keep the existential wolf from the door?

• Listen to our full Now Playing playlist on Tidal

Lost Boys by Phoebe Bridgers

The six-year wait for a new Phoebe Bridgers album has felt nothing short of excruciating.

Aside from Boygenius's (which Bridgers makes up a third of) self-titled album back in 2022, I’ve held my nerve since the sensational Punisher album was released in 2020, and subsequently became my lockdown soundtrack. Thankfully, my patience has paid off, as Bridgers’ new album, Lost Weekend, is confirmed to release on the 14th of August.

The new record's first single, Lost Boys, has quickly become my favourite song of 2026. I presume that will change once I hear the full album later this year.

Despite the considerable gap between solo projects, this song clearly follows Phoebe Bridgers’ style while evolving certain aspects to ensure it's not just re-treading her discography.

The plucking strings of Halloween and the chorus of trumpets from Kyoto return here, but there is more energy and fullness to the production that makes me think that the new album will be bigger in scale than Punisher.

The star of the show is Bridgers’ folky and earnest lyricism, which treads a fine line between haunting and toe-tappingly groovy. There’s subtext aplenty to dig your teeth into, as Bridgers rarely shies away from heavy themes within her music; this time she spins a metaphor linking modern masculinity, the glorification of violence, and the refusal to accept reality.

Despite the dense subject matter, Bridgers’ euphoric, wistful, and almost nursery-rhyme-like lyrics and vocals create an inviting and harmonious sound that is impossible not to get sucked into.

With a lead single this strong, I am counting down the days until I can listen to her upcoming 16-track album in full.

Words by Lewis Empson

Love Me Or Leave Me by Nina Simone

Over the years, there have been many versions of this tune – from such luminaries as Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby and Doris Day – but they all sound positively leaden next to Nina Simone’s take on it.

It absolutely kicks, from that sprightly intro that doesn’t hang about to her soulful vocals and the extended piano solo that builds like an Ira Levin thriller before erupting in a shower of anger and frustration, reflecting the subject matter and aided Simone’s on-point vocal delivery.

In fact, the whole song is basically that solo bookended by the same verse repeated – first as request, then as demand. In between, the piano starts off playfully dancing around the drumbeat, almost enjoying the situation, before going all Bach on us in the style of his Inventions, but it seems to go on and on – much like it must feel being left in limbo romantically – gradually ratcheting up the intensity until the thundering climax.

This is a true master at work, a classically trained pianist and singer letting rip with her new-jazz styles on an old classic, tearing up the rules only once she’s mastered them. Where Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby and Doris Day’s versions sound a bit mopey, Simone is angry, and is letting us know the only way she knows how.

And this was from Simone’s debut album. What an introduction to one of the 20th century’s most accomplished artists.

Words by Joe Svetlik

Wanted Man by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Wanted Man is featured on Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' second album, The Firstborn Is Dead. Their sophomore album was the band’s attempt at creating a straight blues record, diving deep into the gothic-southern world that Cave’s writing so often inhabits.

The track was inspired by a song written by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, from whom Cave had to seek permission to change the lyrics.

Recorded in Berlin’s Hansa Studios, Wanted Man features roomy, machine-gun-cracking drums beneath Cave’s snarling recitation of the many people and state police pursuing him. Whipping up the song’s ever more urgent disorder, wild organs and Blixa Bargeld’s industrial-cum-country slide-guitar churn this track into a howling blues-infused dust-devil.

The final lyric: “If the devil comes collecting he better hold a six gun in his hand,” neatly summarises the general sentiment of Wanted Man. It is a phenomenal test track for its rhythmic power and textural intricacy, but it makes an even better driving song, played loud.

Words by Ioan Hazell

How Soon Is Now? by The Smiths

Has there ever been a rock outfit more divisive than The Smiths?

You’re either a complete obsessive who, starting at the age of about 14, devoured the Manchester outfit’s back catalogue while crying adolescent tears of cathartic joy, or else you’re one of those people for whom Morrissey’s distinctive mewling is akin to having a particularly large wasp embedded inside your ear canal.

How Soon Is Now? is the track for finding that slim piece of common ground in the Venn diagram of devotees and deniers, a near-seven minute epic that sounds unlike anything you’ve ever heard or are likely to hear.

It’s got all of Morrissey’s usual self-flagellatory mutterings on the isolating misery brought about by excessive shyness, but the star of the show is the siren-like pulse of Johnny Marr’s distorted tremolo guitar, giving the tune a powerful, brooding edge when fired out above thumping drums and an underlaid chugging bassline.

The quiet, introspective Smiths DNA is all in there, but covered in the most deliciously thrilling wrapper. Play it through a capable hi-fi set-up and you’ll have an experience unlike any other.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Light Of The Seven by Ramin Djawadi

One thing that has always remained consistent, despite the arguable fluctuations in quality of Game Of Thrones and its various spin-offs, is the brilliance of its soundtrack. Ramin Djawadi is the mastermind composer behind it, and with House Of The Dragon returning for a fiery third season, now is the perfect time to revisit some of his best work for the franchise.

Light Of The Seven is one of the most famous pieces from the original show, partly for the iconic scene in the season six finale it accompanies. No spoilers here, but it’s a ten minute scene largely without dialogue, with the track and visuals working in tandem to slowly build up tension to a rather explosive climax (if you know, you know).

But the track holds up on its own, and conveys the emotion of the scene without any need for a screen. In a departure for the show, the track starts with a sparse, delicate piano melody.

Slowly but surely, more layers are added – haunting vocals, minimalist violins, and then, suddenly, a massive rumbling pipe organ – until eventually we have a much larger arrangement that is in stark contrast to the intimate opening.

It’s this final part that is the real stress test, with the sudden wall of sound a real assessment of your audio gear’s dynamic range and the ability to keep every instrument identifiable.

Words by Daniel Furn

The Curse by Agnes Obel

We were lucky enough to take a trip down to Bowers & Wilkins’ facility in Surrey to have a listen to the company’s updated Diamond series of loudspeakers, with one of the test tracks used being the opening of Agnes Obel’s The Curse. It’s hard to resist the urge to roll out that old cliché: great minds really do think alike.

The Curse is a masterwork, as is Aventine, the album from which it is taken. In fact, we use the record so often that a hi-res edition has a permanent home on our reference Astell & Kern portable music player, ready and waiting to put a potential pair of wired headphones through its paces.

B&W’s use of those opening few bars to show off its latest speaker roster was no accident. In the space of mere seconds, the track’s taut, almost menacing strings will reveal more about a product’s capabilities than some entire albums, from the breadth of the soundstage to the richness of the textures unearthed.

It’s worth listening to the whole track, though. Just to be sure…

Words by Harry McKerrell

Fallin' by Alicia Keys

It’s been 25 years, but Alicia Keys’ Fallin’, the lead single from her debut album Songs In A Minor (2001), still manages to invoke goosebumps every time I hear it.

It’s been a staple of our test track playlist for years, with her powerful vocals still stirring our souls and grabbing our attention as it did the first time we heard it. When using it for testing speakers, for instance, we always listen out for how well they relay the raw, rough textures of her voice when she belts out the soulful lyrics.

The song is also a fantastic test of your system’s dynamic handling, tracking how well it handles the sudden swell in intensity when the backing vocals kick in, and how quickly it goes back to being quiet and intimate when it’s just Keys and her piano.

The track's sudden shifts in dynamic intensity, coupled with the terrific melody, mean it remains not just a great pop song, but also a great test for any product that comes through our test rooms.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

MORE:

Read last month's edition: cool yourself off with the 6 finest test tracks and albums to soundtrack the start of summer

Yes, there is an ultimate prog rock album for testing hi-fi – at least according to What Hi-Fi? readers

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

Bowers & Wilkins’ original 801 speaker was launched back in 1979. At the time, these odd-looking three-way designs were the very best speakers the brand could make. They were aimed primarily at the quality studio market, alongside those who wanted no-compromise speakers at home.

Over time, further 800 series models were added, allowing the lineup to appeal to a wider range of users rather than just the studio world that the originals prioritised.

The new flagship B&W 800 Series Diamond D5 range, introduced at the High End Vienna 2026 show in early June, holds to the same principles as the original, pushing the company’s technology and performance standards as far as currently possible.

We are lucky enough to be invited to the company’s impressive R&D facility in Southwater, West Sussex. It is a large facility, around 2750 square metres of floor space, where the brand’s engineers develop new technologies and products.

We are here to listen to the new 800 Series Diamond D5 series of speakers in its entirety, from the two-way 805 D5 (£10,000 / $15,000) to the mighty, range-topping 801 D5 floorstander (£43,000 / $65,000). The plan is to compare them with the previous-generation models and hear the changes.

It proves an eye-opening experience.

D5: Delving into the differences

At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be too much to separate the two generations. The new D5 models look a little smarter in their updated finishes (stealth black, dark walnut, light walnut or warm white) and have neater detailing.

The floorstanding models in the range have more elegantly shaped plinths, too. But the overall look is much the same – and that is deliberate. This is entirely a case of ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’.

Those distinctive curved cabinets with midrange pods (on the larger models) and tweeter-on-top have long been part of the recipe for solid engineering reasons. Bowers & Wilkins isn’t a company that changes things without a good reason.

Delve into the details, however, and it becomes clear that the engineers have hardly been twiddling their thumbs over the past few years. Just about every part of the new range, it seems, has been revised.

The D5 cabinets are more rigid thanks to improved bracing and the use of more aluminium in their construction. Even the plinths on the floorstanders have been reworked to improve resonance control, rigidity and their appearance.

There are revised motor systems for the mid/bass and bass drivers, and tweaks to the tweeter unit for improved transparency. Add updated crossovers that use better-quality parts and improved internal wiring, and it is safe to say that the engineers haven’t just posted this one in.

Listening to 10 pairs of speakers: new-gen D5 compared with older D4 series

The benefits of their work are obvious once we start listening to the speakers. The idea is to listen to every product in the new range up against its D4 predecessor. That is ten different pairs of speakers to listen to in around a couple of hours.

Given the short time of our demo, and our unfamiliarity with the listening room and reference system, take the following as our first impressions of the new speakers, rather than anything more concrete.

The Bowers & Wilkins reference system is an intriguing mix of old and new. The source is a high-end Denon DP-S1 CD transport from the early nineties, feeding a two-box MSB Platinum Diamond DAC IV/Diamond Power Base. Amplification duties are carried out by a two-box Gryphon Commander preamplifier feeding a pair of 225-watt Class A Apex monoblocs.

Given the number of speakers we need to hear in the short time we have, we swap between three songs: Harry Belafonte’s A Fool For You, Garden Song from Phoebe Bridgers and Agnes Obel’s The Curse. Of course, it would have been nice to include small- and large-scale classical, some jazz, rock and hip-hop tracks, but we don’t have that luxury in our demo time.

805 D5 vs 805 D4

We start with the baby of the range, a pair of previous-generation 805 D4 standmounters. We reviewed these back in 2022, and listening to them again reminds us just how capable they are.

They still sound detailed and articulate with a lovely top-to-bottom cohesion. We are impressed by the 805’s expansive soundstaging and ability to focus voices and instruments so precisely.

There didn’t seem to be much leeway for the new D5 version to improve on matters; yet it took no more than a few seconds to realise that things were clearly better. Note, there is no notable change in character or tonal balance, with the new generation model clearly cut from the same cloth.

The new one moves ahead in terms of transparency and detail resolution; it just sounds cleaner, clearer and more precise. Any shortcomings in the source material are more apparent, so be aware of this if your music collection isn’t packed with high-quality audiophile recordings.

The 805 D5’s presentation is more up-front and seems louder even though there are no significant changes in speaker sensitivity between the generations. Dynamics are significantly more expressive, and the new model conveys contrasts with more authority.

The presentation is obviously more spacious, and the sense of image height is improved. Downsides? We can’t think of any at the moment.

804 D5 vs 804 D4

We move to the 804 D4 next. These are compact floorstanders that barely take up any more space than their smaller siblings on stands. The addition of a dedicated bass driver and larger cabinet volume makes itself felt with greater authority in the sound.

However, we are missing the 805 D5’s resolution and clarity. The smaller model sounds so much more insightful and expressive – as does the new D5 version of the 804.

Bowers & Wilkins engineers have worked hard on the 804 D5 to bring its performance more in line with the bigger floorstanding models in the range, with their separate midrange assembly. There is now a dedicated aluminium midrange enclosure hidden in the 804’s cabinet, and that gives these speakers a major uplift in sound quality.

The 804 D5 builds on the performance of its junior sibling, exhibiting even more scale to the presentation. However, we find there is now greater heft to the sound and an improvement to outright resolution over the 805 thanks to the dedicated midrange unit.

We think they sound even better than the previous generation 803 model we hear next. The 804 D5 just sound clearer and more insightful to our ears, even though the older speaker scores points for its authority and scale.

The advantages of the 803’s separate midrange enclosure are there to be heard in terms of dispersion. Still, overall, in most medium-sized rooms, we would go for the 804 D5.

803 D5 vs 803 D4

The status quo is restored when we move to the latest version of the 803. The D5 version gives us all the precision and transparency of the smaller model, but we also enjoy the benefits of its more elaborate enclosure arrangement.

This is the first model in the range that enjoys all of the company’s extensive suite of technologies, and the merits are obvious.

The combination of new mesh over the established diamond dome tweeter plus the separate midrange ‘head’ gives us a wonderfully expansive presentation. It is truly room-filling and is delivered with an excellent scale.

We love the precision of the stereo imaging and enjoy the lovely sense of height, with the sound seemingly coming from well above the speakers on appropriate recordings.

801 D5 and 802 D5 vs D4

Moving to the larger models in the range mirrors the improvements between generations that we have heard up to now. As we move to the 802 and 801 D5 floorstanders, we are impressed with the consistency of character between the various models, and the gains of muscularity and low-end reach.

Listening to the top-of-the-range 801 D5 gives us a full dose of what the new range has to offer. Transparency and resolution levels are exceptional, allowing us to hear deep into the mix of each recording.

These speakers dig deep into the bass to the extent that we feel the low-frequency notes as much as we hear them. The speaker’s composure at high volume levels is impressive, with no hint of hardening or dynamic compression. If you like your music loud, you will love these.

Rhythmically, the range as a whole sounds surefooted. We aren’t sure that they will necessarily be the kind of performers that force you out of your seat when listening to dance tunes, but we need more listening time in the more familiar surroundings of our dedicated test rooms to confirm.

Early verdict

We admit, we are surprised. Given the similarity of the two generations, we were under the impression that there would be small, incremental performance changes between the D4 and D5 ranges, at best.

While there remains a consistency of character between the two generations, it is fair to say that the latest 800 Series Diamond D5 speakers are an appreciable step ahead of their direct predecessors. Provided you feed them a good enough signal, there seems little to complain about here.

We're looking forward to giving the B&W 800 D5 series the full, thorough What Hi-Fi? review treatment once we get final samples into our test rooms in due course. Stay tuned.

MORE:

10 of the most exciting hi-fi products we saw at High End Vienna 2026

Read the previous-generation Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 review

5 game-changing iPod docks that shaped the modern wireless speaker market

Last week was pretty eventful for fans of physical media. Sony announced that in 2028 it will end physical disc production for PlayStation games, meaning you will be able to access future titles only digitally.

In the same week, Sony also stated that users will lose access to more than 500 films and TV shows they bought from the PlayStation Store in the UK due to a content licensing agreement. Can’t we have anything?!

But physical media remains a steadfast necessity to theWhat Hi-Fi? team, with the majority of our AV testing relying on 4K Blu-rays to challenge the latest kit. That’s because they deliver the best picture and sound quality compared with even the top-performing streaming services. Plus, it’s reassuring to be able to hold your favourite movie in your hands without risking it being removed because of licensing agreements and the like.

We are always keeping our eyes out for upcoming discs, and there are three 4K Blu-rays that we cannot wait to get our hands on. These are our most anticipated releases, but which films are you most excited to see on 4K Blu-ray?

Obsession

Curry Barker’s Obsession was made on a budget of around $1 million dollars, but it has just surpassed $400 million globally at the box office at the time of publication. That is pretty jaw-dropping for an indie horror film.

After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a young man named Bear finds himself getting exactly what he asked for; but he soon discovers that some desires come at a price.

The result is a chilling yet thoroughly entertaining watch that will have you cowering behind the sofa cushions.

Obsession is not yet available to watch on streaming platforms in the UK (although you can buy it in the US using Apple TV). It is still showing at a few cinemas, but its 4K Blu-ray release has already been announced.

The final artwork is yet to be released so we are not sure yet how it will look on your shelf, but if its artful filmmaking and disturbing cinematography are anything to go by, we should be in for a treat. Let’s just say, we are already obsessed.

Release date: TBC

Project Hail Mary

Who doesn’t love a sentient pile of rocks cracking excellent quips and bantering with Ryan Gosling? Project Hail Mary is a thoroughly gripping watch from start to finish, and that’s saying something considering its two-and-a-half hour run time.

The film follows Gosling’s Grace, a high-school science teacher who becomes embroiled in a last-ditch government effort to save the world from the dimming sun. After being sent to space as part of the operation, he befriends Rocky (the aforementioned sentient pile of rocks) and the two work together to save both of their worlds.

Apart from being an emotional rollercoaster, Project Hail Mary looks absolutely beautiful. It ditches the green screen, unlike most blockbusters these days, and relies primarily on practical effects to portray Grace’s spaceship and the vast expanse of space. That all adds to the film’s sense of realism, especially with Rocky, who was controlled by a team of puppeteers for much of the movie.

And, finally, the film is getting a physical release. The 4K Blu-ray is coming in August, and later in the year there will be a glorious Steelbook design with Kubrick-inspired artwork adorning the collection – although it has already sold out at HMV. Fingers crossed more will become available soon.

Release date: 10 August

K-Pop Demon Hunters

While obsession is the current talk of the town, we cannot forget one of last year’s most popular releases. That’s right, K-Pop Demon Hunters has finally announced its physical 4K release after more than a year, and it is joining the coveted Criterion Collection. There is no release date for the disc just yet, but the excitement is already palpable.

There are only 11 animated films included in the Criterion Collection canon, including Watership Down and Flow, so the Netflix original will be in good company.

The film follows three girls, all part of a K-Pop group named Huntrix, who also just so happen to fight demons. Clue’s in the name, I guess. When they sing as a group, a seal between our world and the demon realm is strengthened for another season. But when a rival boy-band group threatens to destroy everything they have worked so hard for, the fate of the entire world could be at stake.

We use the film, via Netflix, for testing a fair amount already. Its brilliant score has proved to be a great test of any home cinema sound system. And now that it is coming to physical disc, we can’t wait to test with it even more.

Release date: TBC

MORE:

These are the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos system

Check out the best TVs

And here are the best streaming devices we have tested

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 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.

MORE:

I’ve been helping people buy TVs for more than four years – here are my four free tips that will make your TV feel (almost) brand new

Five game-changing iPod docks that shaped the modern wireless speaker market

I spent a day fixing vintage hi-fi – here’s what I learned

It’s Monday, Yay! Said no one… But to help you get through the start-of-the-week blues, we do have a special pick-me-up: a fresh entry to our weekly hi-fi and home cinema news digest.

For this week’s Rewind, we have some particularly fun treats, including a feature detailing our experience trying to repair some vintage hi-fi, the launch of new premium speakers from Focal and a new KEF LSX rival taking to the ring.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Repairing vintage hi-fi requires patience and Kit-Kats

Here at What Hi-Fi? we are all in favour of improving sustainability and reducing the impact our passion has on the planet. So much so that we ran a special themed week on the topic last year, and plan to do another in 2026 – watch this space.

Because of that, we’re always looking for ways to make our hi-fi last longer and save it from rusting on a scrap heap.

Last week, our intrepid regular contributor, Joe Svetlik, took the time to visit a volunteer repair club to learn more about its efforts restoring and repairing old hi-fi.

As well as showing quite how tricky it can sometimes be, it also proved that, like most of us, repair work is done best with good snacks, as well as tools, to hand.

Read the full story: I spent a day fixing vintage hi-fi – here’s what I learned

Two landmark rock albums launched on “audiophiles' format of choice”

If you ever visit a hi-fi show or pop into a posh showroom, there’s a strong chance you will hear Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled album or ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres playing at least once.

Which is why it’s no surprise that just after we penned a feature looking into the new reel-to-reel trend sweeping the upper end of the audiophile market, both albums launched on the format.

That’s right, cash-flush audiophiles can now buy the two classic albums on the format. The albums have reportedly been duplicated in real time from a 1:1 copy of the flat analogue master tapes, making them the most “authentic” and “true to life” way to listen to them, according to record label Rhino.

But there is one minor catch: as well as needing a compatible reel-to-reel tape player to play them, Rhino is only releasing 500 copies of each – so act fast if you want one.

Read the full story: Fleetwood Mac and ZZ Top come to the audiophile’s format of choice – but you’d better hurry

Focal launched its Scala Utopia Evo M floorstanding speakers

Focal launched its new high-end Scala Utopia Evo M floorstanding speakers last week. As the name suggests, the new model is an evolution of the base Scala Utopia Evo from 2017.

The big difference is that the new M model features Focal's new 'PRISM' tweeter and a new 'M-profile' W midrange driver – which aim to let them deliver a more transparent, precise and natural sound.

We’ve not heard them yet, but the upgrade comes with a premium price tag, with the Scala Utopia Evo M retailing for €40,000 / $46,000 per pair (UK price to be confirmed).

Read the full story: Focal's latest high-end floorstanders are "an ode to the art of listening at home”

A new KEF LSX II rival takes the stage

Active speaker systems are an increasingly popular category, with Cambridge Audio, Technics and more all trying to break into it and take top dog KEF’s spot as the lead player.

So PSB launching two new all-in-one wireless speakers as part of its iQ series with the same goal last week makes a lot of sense.

The cheaper iQ1 (£899 / €999 / $999) is set to take on the KEF LSX II LT, while the slightly more premium iQ2 ( £1299 / €1399 / $1499) will take on the LSX II.

Both speakers offer class D amplification, fully active designs, come with BluOS onboard and feature the same driver arrangement – a 1.9cm aluminium dome tweeter paired with a 10cm propylene mid/bass driver.

We’ll be curious to see how they compare to their KEF rivals when we get them in for review.

Read the full story: PSB’s BluOS-powered all-in-one wireless speaker systems aim to take on five-star KEF rivals

MORE:

These are the best hi-fi systems we’ve reviewed

We rank the best OLED TVs

Our picks of the best floorstanding speakers

Buying a new TV is a major investment.

As a massive home cinema fan, I know I'm in a privileged position; I’m constantly surrounded by the latest flagship OLEDs, and it’s easy to become desensitised to the huge prices that are attached.

That is why I always try to stay grounded when offering buying advice – especially during massive sales events like Black Friday and Prime Day.

Take the LG C5, for example. This Award-winning set was an absolute steal during recent sales, with the 55-inch model plummeting to £989; a massive £910 saving. But even at a heavy discount, it's still a serious chunk of change.

It's easy to get swept up in the hype, but if a new screen isn't in your budget right now, the endless onslaught of deals can be frustrating.

Fear not. If you're craving an upgrade but need to eke out the lifespan of your current display, I’ve got a few tips to tide you over. These simple, free adjustments – ranging from a bit of late Spring cleaning to a deep dive into your picture settings – can make your old TV feel almost brand new.

1. Update your software

First and foremost, you should head to the settings menu within your TV's operating system. Under "about", "system", or "support" (depending on your model of TV), you should see an option to initiate a software update.

There may also be an option to switch auto-updates on, which I would recommend doing to ensure your TV is always up to date.

While it's not always a miracle cure, a software update can help to fix sluggish software, and you might find that your TV suddenly has new features and an updated look, and apps may run smoother too.

2. Clear your apps cache

Another software-related tip that can help speed up a chugging operating system is to clear your TV's applications cache.

Usually found within the apps section of your TV's settings menu (I recommend consulting your TV's manual or searching the model number online to find the setting), clearing your apps cache will declutter unnecessary stored files, which should result in quicker loading times, prevent crashes, and even free up space in your TV's internal storage.

The best part is that you shouldn't be logged out of your apps, and any settings you've changed will also remain.

This is a quick, easy trick that not many people will think to do, but it can help fix those annoying app niggles.

3. Clean that screen

Here's one I'm guilty of not doing enough.

It's simple science: your TV generates static electricity during use, which attracts dust and fibre in the air. That dust build-up becomes more visible over time, which, unsurprisingly, can impact the picture performance of your TV.

Now, if you're anything like me, you'll only have noticed that your TV has gradually been building up dust when the light hits it just right, and then you'll be immediately horrified at how you haven't noticed this sooner.

But fret not! Simply turn off your TV, let it cool down for a short while if you've been using it (especially if it's an OLED, which tends to run especially hot), and then gently wipe the screen with a clean microfibre cloth to clean it, without damaging the screen.

If you want to take things further and wish to give your TV screen more of a deep clean, then you can invest in a screen cleaning kit. We're partial to this Screen Mom set in the TV testing room. Just be sure to spray the cleaner onto the cloth to avoid streaks.

4. Take another look at your picture settings

Diving back into the picture settings can make the TV you've been using for years feel brand new.

Trying out a new picture mode, or tweaking simple settings such as motion, can unearth improvements that you may not have known your TV is capable of.

If you've left your TV in the standard picture mode after unboxing it years ago, then now is the time to try out the movie mode, or delve into Filmmaker Mode (or, if you're using a Sony TV, the professional picture mode) for a more cinematic experience.

Tweaking the motion settings can help to smooth out judder, but if you have it turned up to the maximum setting, then you might find that turning it down will make your TV look much more natural.

Feel free to take a trial-and-error approach here to find the best settings to suit you; most, if not all, TVs we've tested feature an option in the settings menu to reset the picture settings to default if you get a little bit too creative.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best OLED TV

As well as the best cheap TVs

And read our full LG C6 65-inch OLED TV review

We've already looked at the impact that Apple, especially the iPod, had on the audio world over the past 50 years, ushering in portable music listening and speaker docks that eventually led to the wireless/Bluetooth speakers of today.

But when looking back at the history of hi-fi – especially as we're celebrating 50 years of What Hi-Fi? this year – it's usually the 'glory' days of hi-fi, i.e. the '70s and '80s, that we pore over, ogling vintage turntables, the first few CD players, affordable speakers and hefty stereo amplifiers.

What we don't do often enough is to look at the more recent history of the 2000s; it may feel recent, but there is so much technology peppered through the mid-00s that just doesn't exist anymore.

Case in point: iPod docks. It's easy to forget just how rife the things were after the introduction of the Apple iPod. iPod speaker docks and systems came in a variety of shapes and styles, from cheap and cheerful to premium and approaching hi-fi quality. There was something about that post-Y2K era, in the dawn of a new millennium, that allowed audio brands to experiment and be creative with their speaker dock designs.

You had simple, discreet (all Apple-white, of course) models rubbing shoulders with beefy one-box speakers that experimented with all kinds of curves and unique silhouettes, while a surprisingly tall iPod dock speaker existed alongside a valve-based system.

The iPod dock is now extinct, and the original 30-pin connector with it, but it paved the way for the modern Bluetooth/wireless speakers that we use to stream music from our smartphone every day. Here, we've paid tribute to the five iPod speaker docks that stood out to us in that short-lived but exciting era.

1. Bose SoundDock (2004)

£249
4 stars

The original Bose SoundDock was one of the very first speaker systems dedicated to the iPod. Launched in 2004, it catered to all varieties of the iPod with the 30-pin connector in a compact unit, with a credit card-sized remote letting you control playback and volume. It was a slick system. The cons against it were the slightly loose cradle fit, and no aux-in for non-iPod MP3 players.

We praised its impressive musical credentials, calling it "terrific" thanks to its solid, full-bodied sound, with clear, natural vocal delivery. It had none of the thinness blighting poorer-quality rivals; a lively, punchy rhythm, good bass and detail levels completed the set.

This being the 2000s, we did call the white-and-grey, SoundDock "ultra-stylish" and it was the "most sophisticated" iPod dock around.

That was, until...

2. Monitor Audio i-deck (2005)

£250
5 stars

Monitor Audio launched the i-deck in 2005 and swiftly nabbed five stars and a Product of the Year win at that year's What Hi-Fi? Awards. It was the first iPod speaker dock system that truly impressed us in terms of sound quality. We said "it gives you the looks, flexibility and sound quality of a good hi-fi micro system" and praised its "tremendous" sound quality that went loud with composure and offered a healthy-size soundstage.

"Tunes race along with infectious energy and plenty of enjoyment," we said as the i-deck won yet another group test. A drop by £50 in 2006 further cemented its status as a great sound-per-pound value buy, even as new models from Altec Lansing, Jamo and Apple's own iPod Hi-Fi tried to get in on the action.

The i-deck featured swappable bezels to fit the different styles of iPods around at the time, and even came with a 3.5mm mini-jack input to plug in other MP3 players. It's not the most compact system as it involves three boxes, but the beauty is that you can upgrade those speakers for a better pair too.

We also have to give props to Monitor Audio for making one of the most eye-catching designs – the 'tulip' shaped i-deck 100 from 2011 (£200, 5 stars) – which looks more sci-fi than its earlier efforts.

3. JBL OnBeat Xtreme (2012)

£400
5 stars

JBL is ubiquitous with the best Bluetooth speakers these days, so it should be no surprise that the brand had a whole range of iPod dock speakers. In fact, in November 2012, JBL was the very first brand to launch iPod docks with the new Lightning connector – the OnBeat Micro and Venue LT – when Apple ditched its long-lived 30-pin connection.

Before then, the JBL OnBeat Xtreme snagged the best iPod speaker dock Award in 2012. The OnBeat Xtreme could play music from your portable player in two ways: docking it, or be wirelessly streaming over Bluetooth. It brought non-Apple players into the fold, expanding its versatility and becoming a viable replacement for ageing hi-fi microsystems.

The 'crossed-arms' design was eye-catching, with a solid, appealing build quality for the relatively high price. It sounded great – a fun presentation, ample low-frequency heft (impressive, given the relatively small drivers), and plenty of detail in the clear highs and sweet midrange.

There’s certainly no shortage of low-frequency heft here – impressive, given the OnBeat’s relatively small drivers. Instruments get plenty of breathing space and dynamically it's plenty enjoyable. It can go loud enough to be at neighbour-baiting levels, although the midrange could harden up at this point.

The OnBeat Xtreme was so good it not only was the What Hi-Fi? team's office speaker in the old Teddington office for a good few years, but it also beat a legendary icon...

4. Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin (2007)

£400
5 stars

This is the big one. If it wasn't for the iPod, we wouldn't have the now-iconic blimp-shaped Zeppelin speaker dock. When we first reviewed it in the February 2008 issue, it didn't appear in our usual "First Tests" section at the start of the magazine – it appeared in our dedicated "Temptation" section that was reserved for pricier, "most desirable" high-end models.

That's how much of a novelty the premium, luxuriously built Zeppelin was in comparison to the other humdrum iPod docks of the day. It gave permission for other brands to aim higher – the JBL OnBeat Xtreme (above) and NAD Viso 1 both launched at £500 after the B&W.

The distinctive curved, elongated shape isn't just for style points; it helps minimise the cabinet around each driver unit, which improves dispersion. The drivers underneath were ones used by B&W loudspeakers: a 13cm Kevlar bass driver powered by a 50W digital amp is flanked on either side by 9cm midrange drivers and 25mm metal dome tweeters, each powered by 25W amps.

The resultant sound exceeded all our expectations. "You'll be amazed at the Zeppelin's pace, scale, weight, rhythmic ability and timing," we enthused in our five-star review. Its sense of attack and energy was "thrilling", with our only complaint being that it didn't image as well as rivals with widely spaced speakers.

It was also a tactile joy to use, and its combination of style, build quality and sound left us "smitten".

The Zeppelin gave birth the smaller, less expensive Zeppelin Mini a couple of years later, while you can buy a fully hi-res wireless version of the Zeppelin Pro Edition these days.

5. Fatman iTube Carbon v2.0 (2008)

£350
5 stars

If you don't remember Fatman Audio, you're not alone. The brand specialised in combining iPod docks with valve-based systems, and rather successfully, too. The year after the Zeppelin launched to rave reviews, the Fatman iTube Carbon v2.0 got put in a Group Test with the iconic speaker dock in the September 2008 issue... and won.

The iTube Carbon was far from a discreet-looking iPod dock. "Alongside the Zeppelin's sleek, Manhattan-skyscraper aesthetics it does look like a bit of a shanty town," we said, and not everyone was enamoured of a multi-box system that required separate speakers. You could buy the system sans speakers for £100 and provide your own pair, though.

Despite the inelegance, the Fatman was praised for being the best-sounding iPod speaker dock – it had an "endlessly listenable sound". The warm, eloquent valve characteristics gave songs like Steely Dan's Any Major Dude Will Tell You low-end weight and substance, while percussion and vocals were polished and bright enough. The Carbon "integrates and separates the differing elements confidently" and "excels when it comes to stereo focus and imaging" – the benefit of having separate speakers.

The first iteration of this unit was marred by build and reliability issues, even as we praised the the rich musical insight and "stunning" sound for this price; this v2.0 model addressed our concerns and smartened up the cosmetics considerably, and featured a 3.5mm socket alongside RCA stereo inputs.

Versatile, great-sounding and a unique valve-dock design – the Fatman may not be as fondly remembered as more famous iPod docks, but its spark burned bright at the height of the iPod dock's popularity.

Apple's stronghold over the audio world with the iPod and its 30-pin connector faded when it switched to the smaller Lightning connector. Adoption for the new connector was slow, as having to completely re-haul current audio products proved a pain for many brands.

The introduction of wireless AirPlay and rising popularity of Bluetooth around the same time carved a path towards today's wireless speakers that ditch the dock and feature streaming via Bluetooth, AirPlay, Google Cast and more – proving you don't have to be dependant on the whims of one (giant) tech brand.

But if it were not for the iPod, we wouldn't have such daring, creative, fun and, yes, silly designs that were affordable, compact, and made music available for all.

Below, you'll find a gallery of the variety of iPod docks and speaker systems we tested in the 2000s/2010s, straight from the pages of our What Hi-Fi? magazine archive. You can click on the arrow sign in the bottom-left corner to read the full-size text on each image.

MORE:

We look back at the very first CD players tested by What Hi-Fi? and the advent of this innovative digital format

Engineers from KEF, Cambridge, Cyrus and more highlight the biggest technological game-changers in hi-fi during What Hi-Fi?'s lifetime

Why the time is right for a new Sony Walkman

Prime Day (or should that be Prime Week?) may just be a memory now, but that doesn’t mean the savings have dried up.

Several discounts have stayed live long after the Prime curtain came down, while others have popped up out of the woodwork. And (this shouldn’t be right, surely?) some top Prime Day deals have somehow got even cheaper.

So if you’re looking to upgrade your home cinema for the final weeks of the World Cup or seeking a Bluetooth speaker for the next heatwave, we’ve got you covered.

These are all products we have reviewed and rated ourselves, and all have been awarded a full five stars. So you can buy with confidence.

It’s been a banner week this week, with several Award-winners and new 2026 releases up for grabs. Take a look yourself:

If you’re after powered speakers on a budget, then the Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 are our recommendation. They are full of features, with Bluetooth connectivity, a switchable stereo input/moving-magnet phono stage and HDMI, optical and USB inputs; but most importantly they also serve up a balanced, insightful sound.

Two of our favourite OLED TVs of 2026 are on sale this week! Up first is our mid-range pick, the LG C6, which is even cheaper than it was during Prime Day. This deal price includes the £40 cost of an AO Five-Star membership, which is needed to unlock the discount.

The JBL Charge 6 is our Product of the Year Bluetooth speaker, and we were astonished when it dropped to £100 over Prime Day. We were even more astonished, however, when it dropped even further this week, with the black finish now £96 at Amazon.

If you’re after a new flagship OLED, then the Samsung S99H is the one to beat this year. It has dazzlingly bright highlights, awesome contrast and excellent three-dimensional depth, making it perfect for the World Cup, GTA 6, or pretty much anything you plan to use it for. Unlock the deal price with the code TRADE250 and a £250 cashback offer from Samsung – full Ts&Cs can be found here.

The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S excels where several Dolby Atmos soundbars fail, with the included subwoofer adding plenty of tight, agile bass. We reviewed this package only in April, and now it’s available with its first discount.

The Hisense AX5125H was one of the earliest deals we covered on Prime Day, and also one of the best. The fact you can get a Dolby Atmos soundbar system at this price is quite incredible. What’s more incredible is that it also sounds pretty good.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

And the best TVs for all budgets

Interested in the bigger picture? Here are the best projectors we have tested

Growing up in rural Wales, I spent my adolescence desperate for noise.

As a teenager, roaming the serene forests that surrounded my home in search of something – anything – to do, I was invariably accompanied by a headphone-rattling playlist of punk, rock and industrial music. My natural gravitation at the time was towards anything that shook things up, that challenged the serenity of my environment, and would, I suppose, give my folks a headache.

As I became an adult and my taste diversified, I nevertheless sought out places to live that fell in line with that desire for chaos. Naturally, London was my first choice: loud, relentless, sometimes frightening.

By that time, I was enjoying everything from Fela Kuti to Chopin, but amid the blaring interruptions of tube trains, traffic and street-preachers, I simply could not hear quieter tracks in my music library.

Inexplicably, I never considered seeking out noise-cancelling headphones. Having embraced the city’s clamor as an inalterable feature of my circumstances, I took up the habit of listening, almost exclusively, to music that was loud enough to drown London out. Back to punk, we go.

That all changed once I started writing about audio equipment for a living.

Within my first few weeks as a new staff writer at What Hi-Fi?, I took home a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless headphones.

A heatwave was in full force when I swapped my cheap earbuds for these more premium over-ear ANC headphones, and on the crammed train home from work, the air con was going hell for leather. Above the bustle and groans of commuters sweating through their work clothes, the AC was all but shrieking with the effort it took to cool the carriage down.

Usually, the cacophony would have droned through my music, even at full volume; but placing the Momentum 5 Wireless over my ears and then enabling their full active noise-cancelling mode, I was astonished to discover how completely the world fell away.

In our five-star review of the Momentum 5 Wireless, we mention that Sennheiser has taken pains to improve on the ANC of the Momentum 4 Wireless, using twice as many microphones (a grand total of eight) to achieve what it describes as “three times” better noise cancellation, particularly in the midrange. In our view, the improvements were a success, keeping “traffic, wind” and, crucially, “the hum of air conditioners” at bay.

As I’ve fallen into the habit of listening to music through the Sennheisers during my daily commute, an unexpected side effect of their excellent noise-cancelling has been that my appetite for sonic carnage has subsided.

In its place, I’ve started listening to classical music on a regular basis. I wasn’t formerly much of a classical listener, but with environmental sound cancelled so effectively, I have found myself enjoying the newfound ability to pick out the finer points in classical arrangements – and while commuting, at that. Needless to say, if not for trying these headphones, I would have remained oblivious to these details.

These days, among my daily listens are Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, M.83: II. Adagio assai and Debussy’s La damoiselle élue, L.62: Prélude.

To my ear, each of these musical discoveries has been complemented by the Sennheisers’ sonic signature, which we describe in our review as “rich, smooth yet strikingly precise and detailed”. In La damoiselle élue, the reverberant piano conveys a striking sense of scale, giving you a sense of the space in which the piece is played, which only grows as the notes are struck harder.

But even at the gentlest touch, the Sennheisers remain expressive, thanks to the “naturalness and insight” of their midrange performance. Listening to these recordings, I even find that their bass reproduction, which we describe as “on the richer side”, lends a pleasant and proportionate weight to every note.

So, where once you might have found me blasting Black Flag, Einstürzende Neubauten and Swans, I will instead be exploring – and what’s more, thoroughly enjoying – the back-catalogues of Debussy, Wagner, Ravel, and even some ambient albums such as Thomas Köner’s Permafrost.

That’s not to say I’m ditching the punk, I get the feeling that our love affair isn’t quite at its end. But who knows, perhaps, thanks to excellent noise-cancelling and performance from headphones such as the Momentum 5 Wireless, I’ll get to keep my hearing intact for a few more moshpits yet.

MORE:

Read our Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless review

Best noise-cancelling headphones 2026 – tested by our in-house review experts

FiiO's noise-cancelling wireless headphones want to challenge Sony for entry-level supremacy

Like many of us, our reviewers had a tough time of it in June. As well as having to run top-of-the-line hardware in our test rooms during a record-breaking heatwave (that was fun), they had one of their busiest periods in recent memory. And seven products impressed them enough to earn five-star ratings.

To make matters worse (or better depending on how you look at it), this is just the start: entries for the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2026 open in June as well. So we are expecting plenty more hardware to continue flooding our gates until entries close in August. Watch this space.

But, in the here and now, here is everything you need to know about June’s top-scoring hi-fi and home-cinema hardware.

Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i

The Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i are floorstanding speakers with big shoes to fill. They take the place of the iconic, multiple Award-winning Diamond 12.3, which we recommended to buyers on a budget until they went to the hi-fi farm last year.

Described as a “refinement” on the originals, the 12.3i feature a revised set of finishes, redesigned reflex ports and a tweak of each speaker’s internal damping.

The result is a solid-value set of five-star speakers with stellar low-end authority and punch, and a more exciting, dramatic character than the original 12.3. The only downside is that they are a lot fussier with placement and partnering – so make sure you match with care.

Five stars

Read our full Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i review

Esoteric N-05XE

“Classy, understated and beautifully engineered” – those are the words our reviewers use to describe the Esoteric N-05XE streaming preamplifier. The unit is a sign of the times, showing that even iconic separates makers are now interested in adding extra functionality to their wares.

Thankfully, as demonstrated by the N-05XE, when the stars align, they are also managing to do it without sacrificing audio quality. Despite packing network streaming, digital-to-analogue conversion and a preamplifier in one box, the unit delivers a five-star performance full of sonic refinement and an expansive stereo image. As we say in our review:

“Convenience and the high-end aren’t usually comfortable bedfellows, but this Esoteric proves it is possible to combine the two in a neat, easy-to-use package. The N-05XE is a hugely capable product that compromises very little compared to more purist options. If you are looking for a top-class sound and don’t want the clutter of conventional high-end separates, this Esoteric is a great place to start.”

Five stars

Read our full Esoteric N-05XE review

Samsung S99H (QE55S99H)

The S99H is Samsung’s latest flagship QD-OLED TV. It is also one of the biggest shakeups to the firm’s premium TV line in quite some time, featuring a distinctive new design and one of the biggest year-on-year picture quality upgrades we have seen recently.

Powering the TV up, our reviewers were surprised by quite how many changes Samsung has made in tuning the set and making the most of its new hardware.

Colours, in particular, feel vibrant but aren’t bombastic in the way some past Samsung sets have been. The change is indicative of a holistically more balanced, mature approach that earned it an impressive five-star rating. As we say in our review:

“With a stunning, contrast-rich picture, improved sound system and a feature set that blows most other TVs out of the water, the S99H is the flagship OLED to beat for 2026.”

Five stars

Read our full Samsung S99H (QE55S99H)

Focal Mu-so Hekla

The Focal Mu-so Hekla is one of the most interesting devices to pass through our review rooms this year. Built as a partnership between Focal and Naim, it aims to be an all-in-one device that can function as a single-box Dolby Atmos soundbar and hi-fi system.

It also comes with one of the highest price tags we have seen for a soundbar, costing a good grand more than the Award-winning KEF XIO, which is its closest rival in the home cinema space. While that makes it an undeniably premium product, having put it through its paces, it more than justifies its price, offering immersive, detailed audio with a wonderfully clean but impactful bass that will delight movie and music fans in equal measure.

As we say in our Mu-so Hekla review: “As far as all-in-one systems go, the Focal Mu-so Hekla offers the best of both worlds. It delivers all the drama you could want from a soundbar when watching movies, with controlled bass and authoritative overall sound that elevates each scene. But you can also feed it a delicate piece of music and be treated to a finessed performance that makes you feel the emotion of each note.”

Five stars

Read our full Focal Mu-so Hekla review

Sony Bravia Theatre Trio

The Bravia Theatre Trio is another interesting take on the traditional Dolby Atmos soundbar. The best way to think about it is as a premium Dolby Atmos soundbar chopped in three. At its heart, a small, Sonos Beam (Gen 2) sized soundbar acts as the centre channel, while two satellite speakers act as the left, right and height channels.

Those who wish to can also add wireless rear speakers and a subwoofer, using compatible Sony add-ons. During testing the basic Trio package proved itself to be a very competent performer, although we suggest considering the optional subwoofer for the best results. The unit delivers a huge immersive soundstage and a cohesive, convincing sense of height.

So much so that we report: “Ultimately, Sony’s deconstructed soundbar concept proves brilliantly effective. If you’re looking for a premium lifestyle Dolby Atmos system and have the budget to stretch this far, the Bravia Theatre Trio is one of the most compelling options in years.”

Five stars

Read our full Sony Bravia Theatre Trio review

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5

Active speakers are in vogue now in the world of hi-fi, with more and more firms interested in the space. We weren’t surprised, then, to see Scottish brand Fyne Audio get in on the action with its Cubitt 5 speakers.

Featuring an in-built phono stage and Bluetooth connectivity (including support for aptX HD), they are equally at home connected to a turntable as they are streaming music. But most importantly, a potent mix of competitive pricing and an insightful, balanced sound with a nicely controlled low end makes them an easy recommendation, even in the increasingly competitive space they inhabit.

As we say in our review: “Enjoyable sound, good features and comfortable in a range of listening environments, the Cubitt 5 set the bar high as Fyne Audio’s first active speakers.”

Five stars

Read our full Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review

Graham Audio LS5/9

There are few speakers as instantly iconic as the BBC-designed LS3/5A. So much so that our editor (me) has them shortlisted as a pie-in-the-sky purchase, just so he can own a piece of hi-fi history.

So the Graham Audio LS5/9, which is marketed as being as true to the spirit of the original BBC design as is humanly possible, had some big shoes to fill when it arrived in our listening rooms.

While there are some compromises, and the retro, unashamedly functional design won’t be for everyone, we found a lot to like about them. Though the sound prioritises analysis over excitement, the speakers offer a wonderfully natural midrange performance and stellar sonic clarity and insight.

Hence, our five-star rating and verdict: “The LS5/9 was originally designed as a high-grade studio monitor, and it still shines despite the age of the design.”

Five stars

Read our full Graham Audio LS5/9 review

MORE:

These are the best speakers we have reviewed

We rank the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Our picks of the best OLED TVs

There hasn't been a buzzword like Dolby Atmos in home cinema audio for some time.

We're happy to report, though, that Dolby Atmos is not just a buzzword, but one of the biggest home cinema developments of the last decade and an immersive experience that will surround you in a bubble of sound.

It's important, therefore, that you get a good Dolby Atmos system that can showcase the technology properly.

So we've rounded up some of the very best Dolby Atmos soundbars we've tested and currently recommend. There's a mix of everything here, from budget to premium, solo soundbars and multi-speaker systems.

And the best news? Many of them are still at their Prime Day sale prices.

These are all soundbars that we've reviewed and rated ourselves, so we can attest to their Atmos abilities. Every product below has earned at least four stars from our expert review team, with a smattering also winning a prestigious What Hi-Fi? Award.

Take a look at the Atmos offerings below – we'll go into detail about why we like them so much underneath.

We declared the Hisense AX5125H to be the Dolby Atmos bargain of the year in our review – and that bargain got even better with healthy price drops over Black Friday and Prime Day. The AX5125H offers amazing weight, scale and spaciousness for the money, and can still be picked up at its Prime Day price.

The Sonos Arc Ultra is our overall pick of the best soundbars, with terrific detail for a soundbar and a clean, precise, spacious and three-dimensional sound. If your budget stretches this far, it's our performance-per-pound soundbar choice.

The JBL Bar 1000MK2 is a Dolby Atmos soundbar with a difference – the surround speakers can magnetically attach to the main soundbar, be used as rear surrounds or taken into another room to be used as a wireless speaker. It sounds pretty good too, with a bold, bassy performance.

If your space and budget are limited, then the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) might be your soundbar of choice. It boasts impressively spacious movie sound that works just as well with music, and is the Dolby Atmos soundbar we recommend at this price point.

Yes, it has a premium price tag, but the KEF XIO has the premium performance to match. For the serious cinephiles out there who want the very best in sound, the KEF XIO is now available with a rare £200 cashback offer. Full details here.

For bassy bombast and room-filling sound, look no further than the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6. With a wireless subwoofer included, this mid-range package isn't exactly subtle but comes with a weighty sound and a lot of kit for the money.

Our current soundbar Product of the Year, the Samsung HW-Q990F is our go-to recommendation for a package if your budget stretches this far. It's seen some steep drops since its £1699 test price, so is quite the bargain at well under £800.

For a cheap solo soundbar with Dolby Atmos, we'd recommend the Sony HT-S2000. This five-star soundbar is exceptional value for the money, offering a clear upgrade from your TV speakers and a simple plug-and-play functionality.

If you're a gamer with multiple consoles, then the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 might be for you. The dedicated HDMI 2.1 input supports 4K/120Hz signals, VRR and ALLM, while the sound is up there with the Sonos Arc Ultra, with superb clarity, detail and punch on offer.

MORE:

Looking for a bargain? Here are the best budget soundbars

Check out the latest and cheapest Sonos deals available now

And the best TVs for all budgets

Well folks, it finally happened.

Sony announced yesterday that all PlayStation games released from January 2028 onwards will be available only as digital downloads; physical disc production will end.

This, unsurprisingly, has rubbed everyone the wrong way. Including more than 6000 angry gamers in the comments section of the PlayStation Blog post that announced the change, as well as on the brand’s various social media pages.

Sony has also been mocked by the likes of Domino’s Pizza. We are even seeing gamers dig up a satirical video made by Sony teaching gamers how to share and resell their games made in 2013 after Microsoft famously tried to implement a system that locked discs to individual users’ Xbox consoles.

We don’t blame them. This decision – which, according to Sony, has been made to “adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs” – is without doubt detrimental not only to gamers, but also to cinephiles who value the 4K Blu-ray format.

I’m willing to bet that the PS5 is the best-selling 4K Blu-ray player on the market currently, and that’s mostly because competition isn’t exactly fierce.

Sony and Panasonic are the only mainstream manufacturers offering 4K disc players at the moment – and, one incredibly minor refresh last year from Sony apart, neither has put out a truly new 4K player in years.

While I’m not betting the house on every PS5 owner tapping into the high-resolution disc format for their films and TV shows, the PS5 has felt like a lifeline for the format for quite some time.

The multipurpose nature of its ability to play games and movie discs has really added to its appeal in the world of home cinema, even if it’s missing some AV-focused features such as Dolby Vision HDR support.

But with this change, I think it’s safe to assume that the next-generation PlayStation console will be a digital-only affair.

Sony soft-launched that concept with the PS5 Pro, when it offered the console only without the disc drive, and required customers to purchase a drive separately as an accessory.

It now seems that the company was laying the foundation for this recent announcement – and we fear that the PS6, which is expected to launch next year, could forgo the optional disc drive entirely.

While this will be a crushing blow to 4K Blu-ray fans such as myself – need I remind everyone that physical PS5 game releases come on 4K Blu-ray discs too – this is also a huge blow to consumers in general.

You can forget lending a game to your friend, or selling it on when you have finished playing it. Likewise, those who prefer to buy games on the second-hand market to save money (gaming isn’t a cheap hobby after all) will be out of luck from 2028 onwards.

Historically, Sony has come under scrutiny for the pricing of games on the PlayStation Store. It has even faced lawsuits for allegedly charging gamers unfair digital fees.

This announcement is especially galling after the recent news that, in September, more than 550 films and TV shows will be removed not only from the PlayStation Store, but also from the libraries of people who bought them.

This is due to a licensing agreement between Sony and Studio Canal ending – and it appears as though refunds will not be issued.

This is where my biggest issue lies. I tend to buy my PS5 games on disc for this very reason; so that I own them outright, and they can’t be taken away from me at a moment’s notice and with no compensation.

From 2028, I won’t have that option, and that certainly doesn’t sit well with me. As someone who is constantly vouching for physical media – especially 4K Blu-ray – I’m really discouraged by Sony’s choice. It certainly means that I won’t be rushing out to buy a PlayStation 6 in the same way I did with the PS5.

Overall, this announcement feels more like a punch to the gut for consumers, and I’m not buying Sony’s reasoning.

If it really wants to “drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games”, I would suggest it changes its viewpoint on physical media.

MORE:

Read our full Sony PlayStation 5 review

Check out our picks for the best 4K Blu-ray players

Which is the best 4K Blu-ray player, PS5 or Xbox Series X?

Movie scores are a sure-fire way to test your sound system’s performance. There’s a whole lot of variety in that category, from emotive scores to pull on the heartstrings (hearing any piece of music from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial immediately takes me into a nostalgic wormhole) to tense action tracks to get the blood pumping.

In our AV and hi-fi test rooms, we often turn to movie scores to decide how well a sound system performs.

We have a page dedicated to tracking the best movie scores to test your system, although it has been a fair few years since it had a much-needed spruce-up. There are a bunch of brilliant soundtracks missing from the list, and we have a few entries in mind already that we will be adding.

That includes John Williams’ Theme from Jurassic Park, which features sparkling brass and is an excellent test of dynamics. There’s also the energetic soundtrack from Mad Max: Fury Road by Tom Holkenborg that can make for a punchy and tense listen with the right system.

But for this month’s Ask the Reader, we are opening the floodgates to you, our trusted readers, for your favourite scores that you use to put your sound system to the test. It could be a niche release or a decorated blockbuster, whatever floats your boat.

MORE:

“Hi-fi is like gardening; it’s never really done” – our readers discuss their life-long quest for audio nirvana

Check out the best speakers

And these are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars we have tested

The road to audio perfection, if there even is such a thing, is a dangerous one. It's a path full of twists and turns that make it all too easy to lose your way (and empty your bank account) without ever getting close to your final destination.

And even if you do manage to get to the end, for many hi-fi fanatics, as Joseph M. Marshall III famously said, "Life is a circle. The end of one journey is the beginning of the next."

Which is why, for this month’s Ask The Reader, we asked: when is it time to stop and be happy with what you’ve got?

And as always with audiophiles, there isn't a simple answer.

Hi-fi and gardening

For many, hi-fi is a passion that requires constant maintenance, meaning it never really ends. This sentiment was neatly explained by regular commentator “binki”, who told us: “It's like a garden; it’s never finished.”

He went on to add that, if anything, even if you finish your own system, the urge to tinker doesn’t go away as enthusiasts will try to share their passion with the next generation, telling us:

“[I] now channel all my ill-gotten gains (just kidding) into introducing my adult daughter to this wallet-draining world. I look at my componentry and realise I am exponentially spending at least four times the amount on my princess.”

But you all agree there is a point you should stop

Despite numerous readers sharing binki’s sentiment, most of you agree there is a sensible end point – even if most of us won’t ever get there.

Some, including commentator “sbrain111”, argued people should stop “when it stops being fun”.

But many of you disagreed, revealing a slightly masochistic streak, arguing you should work through the pain and only stop when you can’t improve the system’s audio quality any further, even with newer or more expensive parts.

Reader “HiFiDoc” summed this up, telling us: “My motto for upgrades: If you can’t hear the improvement over your existing kit, then there is no point in buying it!”

Continuing this trend, regular reader “jimskinner582” was one of the few to report managing this, though he admits it took him over 40 years to do so.

“I started my hi-fi journey in 1980 with my first system, an Aiwa and speakers with a Pioneer PL514X turntable. The bug had bitten! [...] Fast forward to 2024: the upgrade bug bit again. I made a call to do a full upgrade as the kit was getting old and fragile. The mission was about achieving a well-balanced sound across the full dynamic range,” he wrote.

“Enter my local hi-fi expert dealer. After a long journey, we found the right balance; Audiolab 9000A, Audiolab 9000CDT, BlueSound Node streamer mated to the excellent Dali Oberon 9 speakers. It was sit back time!! Then the itch started again, and I tried out a few different amps and CDT. The end game was that none of the upgrade paths provided a significant difference in sound quality across the range. So, in simple terms, mission accomplished and the bug is buried!”

“Andrewwnbanks” was another reader to report coming to the end of his hi-fi journey. But, unlike others, he took a more philosophical view, pondering whether it was due to his age as much as the system itself (which features some very premium parts, including a Cary DMS700, two Pass Labs XA60s, a Music First Baby Ref v2 preamp and B&W 802d speakers).

“It sounds wonderful, but I wonder at the age of 62 whether I can hear everything the system can do? [...] When I had our house built in Thailand, I planned for the hi-fi, with particular power supply and room size requirements. And triple glazing for the one neighbour, a Thai doctor next door to us. Thinking of others! I don’t envisage any additions to this going forward… as good as it can get, really and probably better than my hearing,” he wrote.

Our hot take

Hi-fi is a passion that can easily become an obsession. We understand that at a personal level, as fellow enthusiasts who have devoted significant portions of our professional and personal lives to hunting for the best hi-fi.

We’ve said before: hi-fi is getting better, so to some degree, it is possible to make it a lifelong journey; there's always the potential to improve on what you already have if you have the budget to stretch a little further. But that doesn't mean you have to upgrade, just for the sake of it, or feel pressured into it.

We’d urge readers to listen to some of the more moderate voices in our ranks and remember: it should be fun!

Ultimately, we chase sonic perfection because we love music and want to make it shine on the best system possible. But we don’t want to break ourselves or go bankrupt doing so.

As our technical editor, Ketan Bharadia, constantly says: “If you can’t hear the difference, congratulations – you probably just saved yourself a lot of money.”

Words to live by, if ever there were any.

MORE:

The best hi-fi systems we've reviewed

We rank the best stereo amps

Our picks of the best speakers

There’s just something about a pair of Grado headphones.

While they’re an acquired taste for some, the Brooklyn-based brand’s roster of over- and on-ear cans has helped to shape the current headphone landscape, from the wood-clad RS1x to the innovative GW100x wireless open-backs and the perennially outstanding SR325x.

Grado knows headphones, with five-star reviews and What Hi-Fi? Awards becoming par for the course in recent times.

We’ve generally found the brand's ample roster of rugged cans appealing for a few key reasons. For a start, Grado tends to put sound above all other considerations, and as we're a publication that also places audio performance at the top of the hierarchy of needs, that tends to go down well in our test rooms.

Grado headphones tend to ride that line between analysis and entertainment so effortlessly, digging into the details while bringing out the essential musicality of our favourite tunes. Results inevitably vary, but it’s safe to say that some of the finest wired headphones we’ve heard over the past decade have been born in Brooklyn.

Further, this is a brand with a real sense of identity. Its products tend to look and sound distinctive, and while that can be alienating for those not in tune with this given sonic and aesthetic philosophy, it can be pure heaven to anyone with similarly aligned priorities.

Grado has always felt like a no-nonsense outfit: few frills, no gimmicks, just an unerring focus on (mostly) great sound.

Substance over style?

That philosophy, however, can be something of a double-edged sword, and as is often the case in life, the thing that offers the greatest appeal can also end up becoming a brand’s most burdensome failing.

Strikingly minimalist as most Grado cans appear, they rarely ride high in the comfort stakes. We’ve tended to temper our reviews of the Grado's headphones with the same caveat about user comfort, especially with regard to its continued use of rather thin, often scratchy foam ear cushions.

Grado’s continued allegiance to its lean, on-ear designs is admirable, and we’re aware that much of that commitment comes from a desire to aid sonic performance, but we wonder if a better balance could ultimately be struck. From the SR325x to the high-end Grado GS3000x, we’ve raised concerns that comfort was often lagging behind performance.

Take the recently reviewed SR325 Classic. They’re lightweight and sturdy in terms of their general fit, but the ear cushions are so lean, unforgiving and scratchy that it will inevitably put some prospective wearers off, especially when you could get the more luxurious and comfortable Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X for a lower price.

The new SR325 Classic's headband is also pretty thin on padding, as is Grado's wont, although this has rarely been as much of an issue as the ear cushions.

Grado quite reasonably argues that its ‘F’ cushions aid the SR325 Classics’ “immediate and energetic presentation”, but when the over-ear DT 900 Pro X manage to nail comfort without compromising on sound, all for a lower price, that excuse only goes so far.

These are not cheap headphones – the SR325 Classic cost £349 / $350 at launch, while the supremely comfortable DT 900 Pro X are around £200 / $250 at the moment. We know which pair we’d prefer to wear for hours at a time, and while we accept that the SR325 Classic are an on-ear design rather than over-ear, again, that excuse only goes so far.

We also found that the Classics’ ear cushions came off so easily on our review sample that we could remove them from our test pair with a single finger. It might just have been a bad batch that we received with our test sample, but given our extensive history with Grado, that’s a rather charitable interpretation.

Is our patience wearing thin?

The problem for Grado is that, while it may be reasonable to make the defence of being a ‘sound-first’ company, or argue that such ear cushions are conducive to getting that signature Grado experience, those arguments tend to hit rockier ground when a given pair fails to perform on the audio front.

The SR325 Classic might have won our affections had their sound quality lived up to the standards of the SR325x across the board. We found that while the new pair are clearer and more articulate, it has poorer sense of rhythmic drive than the older model. In light of this, a somewhat Spartan approach to comfort is much harder to forgive.

We previously raised concerns that the premium GS3000x's ear cushions “feel a little scratchy” and pointed to the need “to find a classier alternative at this premium price level”, with the five-star cans only getting away with it because they’re some of the best sounding cans Grado has ever made.

When performance fails to meet those lofty standards, however, we’re much less willing to be so forgiving of inescapable drawbacks in other areas.

We’re not expecting Grado to completely throw the baby out with the bathwater. The way its headphones are a huge part of the brand’s hard-edged, industrial identity, while those sonically-minded ear cushions are designed, at least in part, to aid in granting that familiar Grado sound and look.

Like all things in life, balance is key, and we just wonder the extent to which Grado can justify skimping so much on comfort and, in the case of the SR325 Classic, overall quality.

It’s all well and good when you’re really nailing things in terms of audio performance, but when five-star alternatives are able to offer competitive audio and greater comfort for a similar price, it might be time for Grado to concede that would-be buyers are choosing headphones not solely for what they're like to listen to, but how they feel to wear.

MORE:

Read our Grado SR325 Classic review

Closed-back vs open-back headphones: which design is better for you?

Read our guide to the best wired headphones

It's 10am on a stiflingly hot Monday morning, and a Soundcraft mixer is giving Adrian Nettleship a headache. The sound is only coming out of one channel – the friend who it belongs to thought the XLR port was at fault, but that's working fine, so Adrian and his fellow repairers have connected an oscilloscope to it to follow the signal and attempt to pinpoint the problem. But so far, no joy. "I need a KitKat," Adrian says.

He's part of the Forest Fixers, a group of volunteers who run regular repair cafes throughout the London borough of Waltham Forest. Usually, they’re open to walk-ins – they get a lot of kitchen appliances like toasters and coffee machines – but today it's a closed shop. That's because today is audio day.

We're in the headquarters of the Forest Recycling Project (an unaffiliated group who let the Forest Fixers use their place) in Walthamstow, east London, on a side street between a builders' merchants and Maggy's Slots gambling centre.

Half-empty tins of reclaimed paint line the shelves, along with all kinds of pre-loved fabrics and other materials, all waiting for new homes. But all eyes are on the table in the middle, where audio devices belonging to the Forest Fixers and their friends lay awaiting repair. I'm hoping to learn a thing or two.

Fix up, look sharp

Stumped by the mixer for now, Adrian leaves it in the hands of two other Fixers while he turns his attention to his faulty Pure Jongo T6X Bluetooth speaker. He fires it up and you can immediately hear the problem – the signal is distorted, clipping the bass. He suspects it's the capacitor.

To find out, he opens up the speaker, plays a sine wave through a signal generator app on his phone, and by isolating one channel at a time, he can see where the distortion is coming from – one channel sounds fine, but the other is squelching something rotten. It seems like he's getting somewhere.

The dedication is admirable (though they're only just getting started – one of the Fixers tells me they once spent four weeks fixing an Amazon Basics shredder). But I can't help but wonder, wouldn't it be simpler just to replace it? We reviewed the Jongo range back in 2014, so it's had a good innings.

It's so old that the mobile app is no longer supported – Adrian can only control it using his old phone, which he keeps for this very purpose. But that's hardly the Forest Fixers spirit – this lot love a challenge.

They're not the only ones. Repair cafes have exploded in popularity in recent years. In 2024, the Open Repair Alliance reported that there were over 4000 community repair groups active around the world.

This has been driven by the cost-of-living crisis and a desire to reduce the environmental impact that comes with throwing things away the minute they stop working well. Repair cafes are also a good chance to see friends and meet new ones over tea and biscuits, and – today at least – have a good chinwag about all things audio.

That's what's brought Lukas Kuhn here today (well, that and a desire to get his NAD 3020i amp back up and running). "I love nerding out with people about audio," he says. He's also brought along a Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 standmount – there's nothing wrong with it; he just wanted to bring it along.

The NAD, however, has seen better days. It’s only outputting at low volumes and sounds muffled. A couple of the fuses have blown, there’s a lot of dust inside (as you would expect for a device manufactured in 1991) and the capacitors have leaked. But I can't hang around nerding out too long – there's been a development over at the Soundcraft mixer.

"We were having trouble getting the signal to pass through the fader and come out of the output, and that's because we didn't understand how the board worked," Adrian says.

"But we found a button on the effects side, and now we've been able to reproduce the problem as reported: the left output isn't working. And we can see that because we've got signal on the right-hand side but not on the left-hand side."

Two hours in, and they've confirmed that it's broken. In the world of amateur repairs, this is what progress looks like.

Undaunted, they move on to the next step: opening it up to find exactly where the signal is going wrong.

This is easier said than done, as instead of being secured with a few screws, the top plate is attached by every single fader knob on the unit, as well as multiple nuts complete with washers.

But another volunteer, Karl, a BBC sound engineer for the last 40 years, is happy to take it on. "Now this is a job that AI can't do," he says. Before adding with a grin, "I've got to go soon, so it won't be me who has to put it back together."

We're also getting somewhere with the Pure speaker. One of the capacitors feels warm, so volunteer Stefania Fantini hooks it up to her Yukiloon inductance detector.

The result? Inconclusive. But with the PCB board exposed, Adrian Googles the make and model in the hope of finding a data sheet. He's out of luck, though he does find replacement boards for sale online. But £150? No chance. Maybe another KitKat is in order.

A tricky fix

Organiser Lisa Percival has been running Forest Fixers for three years. She stresses that the volunteers are enthusiasts rather than experts – they're fitting this in among busy work and family lives, and since they lost their council funding, they're all doing it unpaid.

"These devices are more involved than what people usually bring into our repair cafes," she says, adding that they're able to fix about half of what comes through the door. As if on cue, the doorbell rings.

It's a husband and wife with their Gen Z son. The son was bequeathed a record player by a relative, but they can't get it working. While today's event isn't supposed to be open to the public – the Fixers have their hands full already – Lisa lets them in anyway.

The turntable is a Pioneer PL-112D from 1974. The platter won't spin. But once it's taken out, the problem is obvious – it's the drive belt, or lack thereof. It's completely perished over the years.

The motor is running fine, as the spindle rotates without any problem. A replacement drive belt is quickly found online for a fiver. With that in place, the PL-112D should be playing records again.

This isn't the first record player the Forest Fixers have seen (one person didn't realise they had to keep the case lid open to make the deck play). It's not even the oldest music player they've fixed – people have brought in gramophones in the past.

But it's still a win, one that will keep a perfectly good turntable in the family and help a young man enjoy vinyl for years to come. The family leave, elated they've got it working again. That's worth £5 of anyone’s money.

As for the NAD amp, Soundcraft mixer and Pure speaker… when I left, they were still works in progress. But given how much time they dedicated to an Amazon shredder, I’ve no doubt the Forest Fixers will find a way or, at the very least, exhaust all possible avenues.

DIY FYI

So what advice should we take away from this? Well, in most cases, trying to fix a device yourself will invalidate the warranty, so if it's a relatively recent purchase and it's broken through no fault of your own, the manufacturer or retailer should fix it or replace it. But if you're dealing with older devices, here are a few tips.

If there's the option, try a factory reset first, as that often solves a lot of issues. Check the forums online, as often someone will have posted about a similar issue and how they fixed it.

The more common the device, the more likely someone has a solution – I was told that when HomePods fail, it's often the same component, which will help you diagnose the problem (and source a replacement part) a lot quicker.

If you are intent on taking your device apart, I would take time to learn a bit about what you're doing first. Otherwise, you could damage the device beyond repair, or worse, end up injuring yourself. Forest Fixers PAT test all devices to make sure they're safe, and so should you.

Keep plenty of containers (like eggcups) around for storing screws, and take photos of the device at various stages for reference – there’s nothing worse than trying to reassemble something from memory alone. Search online for the data sheet to work from, and get the right tools – a screwdriver with a long handle is a must. And if you get stuck, have a KitKat.

MORE:

What do you do with your old hi-fi equipment?

Do hi-fi and home cinema fanatics care about sustainability?

There's no replacement for watching the big game on the big screen, but sometimes that's just not possible. If you're working, travelling, or just hiding in the toilet, your smartphone will have to do.

Thankfully we've got some stellar options for you, so you won't miss a moment just because you've had enough of your family. Check out the best ways to watch the World Cup when you're away from the TV.

And if you are hiding in the toilet? Don't worry, we won't tell anyone.

• I found all the ways to watch the World Cup 2026 in 4K – but there's a catch

Best Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

The S26 Ultra might be newer, but the picture improvements over the Award-winning S25 equivalent are minimal. And you can pick up the S25 Ultra at a discount now it has been replaced by a younger model.

Its 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen does a great job. In our review, we praised it as "one of the most impressive smartphone displays we’ve seen in a long while," which may explain why we gave it an Award.

It's fantastic at prioritising the action, with a solid-feeling three dimensional image. "Actors in the foreground of the shot are clearly separated from the background, and the sense of space is truly impressive," we noted. Which means the players will be clearly delineated from the crowd, advertising boards and whatever else is behind them.

The colours are great, too. Just avoid the vivid mode, as while it amps up the brightness, it also deprives the picture of any sense of realism.

Best Apple

Apple iPhone 17

Yes, there are bigger phones than the 6.3-inch iPhone 17. But if it's an all-round movie and sports machine you're looking for, this Award-winner is tough to beat.

The 3000 nits peak brightness will make the action legible even in a daylight (or in a brightly-lit room) and the refresh rate automatically adjusts from 1 to 120Hz as the need requires – not only will this keep up with the fastest-moving football action, it will also save precious battery when rendering slower or static content. So you shouldn't run out of juice just as it goes to penalties.

It helps that it's an all-round excellent phone, too, and you can currently pick it up cheaper than at launch.

Best mid-range

Apple iPhone 16e

If you don't want to miss the action, but at the same time don't want to spend too much, the iPhone 16e is perfect.

The 6.1-inch screen is the smallest featured here, but it still delivers. "Beautifully sharp" was our verdict, able to crisply define characters without sacrificing the lushness of the foliage behind them (imagine that but with footballers and a jeering crowd). The picture is nice and contrasty too, so the dark parts look suitably dark and you'll need sunglasses for the bright parts.

As an added bonus, the 16e is cheaper than the newer 17e, and much cheaper than the full-fat iPhone 17. Win-win.

Best budget

Sony Xperia 10 VI

For the Xperia 10 VI, Sony scrimped on the materials and the camera, but if neither are that important to you, this is a great – and very affordable – way to get a top-notch portable viewing experience.

The picture is striking yet balanced, which isn't an easy tightrope to walk. There's plenty of detail, which when added to the balanced colours make for an appealingly naturalistic image. Which should make those World Cup moments more vivid and lifelike than ever.

MORE:

Check out the best smartphones for music and movies

The headphones World Cup: which audio brands are winning over football's elite?

What's better for a World Cup TV – size or quality?

There are various ways to put a flatscreen TV through its paces. You might fire up a streaming service and watch a medley of Marvel films packed with 4K CGI.

You might reach for a Blu-ray from your collection and feed it a 1080p signal. Or, you could play a few games on a PlayStation 5 if that’s more your scene.

However, there’s another way to challenge your TV this summer, and it doesn’t include watching Tom Cruise hanging off the side of an aeroplane.

How about watching 90 minutes of England playing in and (hopefully) winning this year’s World Cup?

Irrespective of whether we walk away with the World Cup trophy, there lies a serious point here: football (or soccer to our friends across the pond) can be a serious test of your TV’s picture quality. Here’s why.

There’s so much happening, from the action on the pitch to the analysis in the studio; there are multiple opportunities for a TV either to excel or tear a metaphorical ACL.

We’ll start on the pitch, and the most obvious reason why football is a great test for a TV: motion.

If your TV’s ability to handle horizontal and vertical movement on the screen isn’t up to scratch, you’re likely to see a colourful, smeary mess as your TV’s processing struggles to keep up.

This applies not only to the players running around the pitch, but the ball as well, as it moves across the screen with cameras delivering either a wide-angle shot from a distance or a close-up shot of the ball flying through the air towards the goal.

If your TV’s motion processing is too aggressive, the picture will look unnatural, and you’ll get the dreaded soap opera effect as it adds extra frames between the original ones to try to deliver a smoother image.

The good news is that the pictures from modern TVs have become much better out of the box, although you always tend to have a range of adjustment options for picture settings as backup.

Football is also a great test for your TV’s sharpness. There are details to be highlighted everywhere, from blades of grass on the pitch to the laces and studs on the players’ boots to the names and sponsor logos on shirts.

Switch to the studio, and your TV can turn its attention to the presenters’ outfits, the furniture used to help frame the shot, and the cityscape backdrop, should the presenters be lucky enough to be sitting in an outdoor studio.

Opportunities to show off brightness and contrast are everywhere.

When you look at the kits being worn by the players, pay attention to whether the contrast is overcooked. If it is, whites will be blown out to the point where you can’t see any detail on shirts, shorts or socks, or the lines painted on the grass.

Going the other way, is the black of the manager’s tracksuit crushed to the point of it being just a textureless blob of black with a vague outline?

If so, consider experimenting with both settings, as altering one will affect the other. Ideally, you want a TV to balance the contrast and sharpness so it’s not so dark that it crushes low-level detail, but also that it’s not so bright that it loses any sense of subtlety.

You’ll notice that even the cameras filming the action will struggle to get the perfect shot for your TV.

If large areas of the pitch are in blistering sunshine and other areas are in the shadows caused by the stands around the pitch, you’ll often see the picture being fed to your TV switching as the camera tries to work out what it should be prioritising.

If you do think your TV’s struggling, just make sure it’s not the channel that you’re watching that’s actually the problem.

Depending on how the feed is handled and the channel's bitrate, some matches might appear fuzzier and less defined on one channel than on another. In my experience, for example, ITV’s pictures tend to look lower quality than the BBC's.

Some TVs love to push the limits of their colour palettes, and bold colours can be handled reasonably well if they aren’t

It’s when it comes to more subtle shades required for, say, skin tones that need to be processed. The best TVs will be able to present them in a more realistic manner.

Some of those high temperatures in the US are delivering a few flushed faces, but do they look naturally all hot and bothered, or would you say they are overblown?

Use this year’s tournament or any football match as a way of helping to fine-tune your TV’s performance, and you might be surprised by what you discover.

MORE:

These are the services you need to watch the remaining World Cup matches in 4K / HDR

I tested every major way to watch the World Cup live – here's which one lags the least

The World Cup is making my friends care about 4K – but I'm willing to sacrifice picture quality for this spoiler-killing upgrade

What is motion handling?

Our pick of the best TVs you can buy for every budget