Apple held its annual WWDC press conference last night, and while iOS, MacOS and iPadOS stole the limelight, tvOS was barely acknowledged.

Despite that, Apple has officially confirmed that tvOS 27 will launch this year, and it looks to be a bigger upgrade than we were expecting.

The focus this year is speed, which means your ageing Apple TV box – need we remind you that Apple last refreshed its Award-winning streaming box in 2022 – is about to get more responsive.

Apple claims that app opening speeds are expected to improve by 30 per cent, and animations are set to become smoother too. Control Centre is also becoming more responsive and connecting to other Apple devices, be that streaming content to your TV from an iPhone or outputting TV audio to HomePods, will also be faster.

Two key audio apps are getting upgrades as part of tvOS 27 as well. Apple Music receives a major boost in the form of Hi-Res Lossless (24-bit/192kHz) support and faster playback, and the Podcasts app is getting a full redesign for both audio and video podcasts playback.

General updates come in the form of better Apple HomeKit integration (ideal for smart home users), reduced app file sizes, support for smart downloads, and the ability to view Apple Care coverage in the settings app.

The upcoming tvOS 27 update is expected to launch later this year – Apple tends to launch its updates in September to coincide with the annual hardware launch event – and it will be supported on the second and third generation Apple TV 4K boxes.

This marks the end of support for the Apple TV HD from 2015, as well as the first-generation Apple TV 4K from 2017.

While it's encouraging to see Apple release an update that improves general performance on the current-generation Apple TV 4K, we hope that this new version of tvOS is laying the groundwork for the much-rumoured fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. The update is expected to launch later this year with the new Siri AI features coming with iOS 27.

MORE:

Check out our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

Here are our picks for the best streaming devices

As well as the best streaming services for TV shows and movies

Apple Music is one of the best streaming services around, and now it looks set to 'borrow' a feature from its greatest rival, Spotify.

It's reportedly readying a free tier with limited features. That would allow more people to get a taste of what Apple Music can do, but without having to pay the usual £10.99 / $10.99 / AU$12.99 a month.

Free users would be able to skip only a limited number of tracks, according to code in the latest beta version of Apple Music on Android. This was revealed by a MacRumors analyst (via Android Police).

The code reveals the messages "Can't skip any more tracks," and "Premium access required." Which would certainly suggest a free tier is on the way.

Spotify's free tier includes adverts, which allows the service to still make money from it. Apple is more opposed to ads – the Apple TV streaming service doesn't include traditional adverts, only promos for its own content. So it would be interesting to see whether a free Apple Music tier opted not to include ads.

Spotify's free tier has long been limited in its abilities – like Apple's rumoured tier, you can only skip a certain number of tracks, for example. Though at the end of last year – at the same time as the Lossless tier finally launched – Spotify's free tier did gain some extra features. Like the ability to search for specific songs, play any song you happen to find during your scrolling, and the ability to compile your own playlist.

Lossless is, however, still reserved for paying customers.

Spotify's approach has been a huge success, helping it reach over 750 million users worldwide, around 460 million of which use the free, ad-supported tier.

If Apple can combine its better sound quality with a free tier that doesn't include adverts, it could eat away at Spotify's lead.

Apple's developers conference WWDC takes place next week, so we could see an announcement then.

MORE:

Read our Apple Music review

Still only four stars: learn why in our Spotify review

The best hi-res music streaming services compared

Apple’s yearly Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is scheduled to kick off a week from today, and signs are pointing towards a host of new software announcements – but perhaps very little in the way of new hardware.

The WWDC26 keynote will be live-streamed on Apple TV, YouTube, and Apple’s event website at 10am Pacific Time, which is 6pm here in the UK. Australian Apple fans will either have to stay up late or wake up early, as the presentation will kick off at 3am on the West Coast, or 1am on the East Coast.

With this being a software-focused showcase, we expect updates to Apple’s various operating systems across its mobile phones, tablets, computers and, most importantly, streaming devices.

That being said, Apple has surprised us with hardware announcements at WWDC in previous years. These include the Apple Vision Pro headset, updated Mac computers, and even the original HomePod, which was announced at WWDC 2017.

Ultimately, signs are pointing towards a WWDC that is putting the focus on software, which might not be such a bad thing…

What to expect…

Apple made a big statement last year with its latest batch of software updates. 2025 signalled the year of Liquid Glass, which introduced a fluid, transparent interface to everything from iPhones and iPads to Apple TV and iMacs.

Apple also standardised the naming conventions of its various product lineups. All of the version numbers were changed to align with the relevant year, signalling the launch of iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and tvOS 26.

We think, then, that it's reasonable to expect the announcement of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and tvOS 27 on Monday.

As for what these updates will bring to the table, that is somewhat of an unknown currently. We know that Apple has made a big push for Apple Intelligence, the company’s answer to the AI revolution, in recent years, but it has ultimately fallen far behind the competition.

While Google has steamrolled ahead with Gemini on various Android phones, Apple Intelligence and Siri aren’t quite living up to the claims made by Apple during the iPhone 16 launch.

Siri hasn’t got much smarter, and Visual Intelligence hasn’t really challenged Google’s excellent Circle to Search function. Therefore, we anticipate the upcoming updates to be pretty AI and Siri-focused, as Apple scrambles to bring its software up to speed.

Elsewhere, we could see some tweaks to Liquid Glass after the lukewarm reaction to the new user interface, as well as new features coming to some of Apple’s core apps. Last year, we saw a handful of updates come to Apple Music, which included the ability to pin your favourite albums and real-time lyric translations.

What not to expect…

We’ve said it already, but we’ll reiterate: it is unlikely that this will be a hardware-heavy event. The two big products that we await are still missing in action, and it’s looking less and less likely that they will break cover at WWDC 2026.

These are the next-generation Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini, which, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (via Engadget), have both been ready to launch for several months. In fact, Gurman claims that the upcoming hardware is already being used internally at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters.

Expected upgrades aren’t monumental; in fact, some predictions are centred around some minor chipset updates. But with the previous generations of the Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini launching in 2022 and 2020, respectively, we are willing to take any form of upgrade.

The aforementioned limitations to Apple Intelligence and Siri are reportedly responsible for the holdup with these products, but the expectation is that once Apple irons out its AI kinks, then these products should be primed to launch.

It should also not come as a surprise to hear that we probably won’t see any new iPhones during the presentations. Apple tends to save those for its annual September event – and it’s looking like it could be a big one this year.

Apple is expected to change its usual lineup by launching its first foldable device alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e, meanwhile, are expected to launch in early 2027.

We’re not ruling out new product announcements entirely; Apple could surprise us after all. But, with software being the primary focus for WWDC, we think September is a more likely time to see new Apple hardware.

MORE:

Read our full Apple iPhone 17 review

As well as our Apple TV 4K (2022) review

And check out the best smartphones here

Here it is, folks: our first full review of an RGB Mini LED TV.

We have previously run extensive hands-on tests of a couple of RGB Mini LED TVs – most notably the huge Hisense 116UX – but, due to their astonishing sizes and prices, we’ve had to do the testing outside our own facilities. In our world, that’s not a full review, so those TVs haven’t received star ratings.

The 65-inch Hisense UR9 we have before us today is designed to address the size and price issues that have until now prevented more people from hopping on the RGB Mini LED bandwagon.

This set, then, is leading the mainstream RGB Mini LED charge. And, while it’s a fair way short of perfect, particularly next to a flagship OLED TV, the UR9 is an impressive TV in its own right and a tantalising glimpse at the technology’s long-term potential.

Price

Price is always a hugely important factor whenever we test a product, but it’s particularly crucial to how the Hisense UR9 will be viewed.

In the UK, the launch price of £2999 places the 65-inch UR9 in the same category as flagship OLED TVs such as the new LG G6 and last year’s Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II.

In Australia, though, the AU$3999 price puts the Hisense UR9 up against step-down OLEDs such as the LG C6.

Most interestingly (and confusingly), while the announced launch price in the US was a super high-end $3500, when the TV actually arrived in shops, the tag was a vastly cheaper $2000, placing the UR9 in an entirely different category, below even step-down OLED models.

Essentially, then, this Hisense is a rather different proposition in each of those three regions. Seeing as we are UK-based and it’s a UK sample we’re reviewing, though, it’s the UK price that we are primarily working with here. And that means the UR9 is going to have to face off against the mighty Bravia 8 II QD-OLED.

Design

The Hisense UR9 is not one of those modern flagship TVs that disappears into your living room.

At 4.5cm thick, it’s decidedly chunky by current premium TV standards, particularly next to the impossibly slim OLED models with which it competes on price.

The rear panel is completely flat, though, which makes the UR9 fairly tidy for wall-mounting, and the overall build feels solid and substantial.

The TV’s general styling is perfectly pleasant, too, though it stops short of being genuinely luxurious. Bezels are slim enough, the dark metallic finish is smart, and the overall aesthetic is clean and restrained, but the UR9 lacks the slick elegance and premium flair of rivals such as the Sony Bravia 8 II and Samsung S99H/S95H.

Hisense has made some nice, practical decisions, though.

The centrally mounted pedestal stand has a relatively narrow footprint of around 42cm, making the UR9 easier to place on narrower furniture than many similarly sized rivals. It also offers two height positions, allowing you either to keep the screen sitting low and tidy or raise it slightly to create extra clearance for a soundbar.

Rows of tiny perforations run down both sides of the set, while larger openings line the top edge. These house the UR9’s side- and up-firing speakers, which form part of its integrated Devialet sound system.

Overall, then, the UR9 is more functional than fashionable – a practical, purposeful TV rather than a particularly glamorous one.

Features and specs

The headline feature here is, of course, the UR9’s RGB Mini LED backlight.

Unlike a conventional Mini LED TV, which uses a white backlight shining through a colour filter layer, the UR9 instead uses separate red, green and blue Mini LEDs to generate colour directly. In theory, this approach allows for both greater brightness and more precise colour reproduction.

Hisense claims peak brightness of up to 3500 nits for the 65-inch model we’re testing here, alongside 980 local dimming zones and a native 170Hz panel, all driven by the company’s Hi-View AI Engine RGB processor.

Gamers are generally very well served – with one unusual caveat. Unlike most premium TVs, which have four HDMI sockets, the UR9 has just three. These are accompanied by a PC-gaming-friendly DisplayPort connection – something that remains extremely rare on TVs.

Is a DisplayPort connection more valuable than a fourth HDMI socket? We have our doubts, but to a small number of very committed PC gamers, it may be very useful.

All three of the HDMI sockets are 2.1-specified, though, with support for 4K/170Hz (and the console-friendly 4K/120Hz), VRR and ALLM. Some brands, including Sony, still offer just two HDMI 2.1 sockets on their TVs.

The UR9’s input lag is decent rather than exceptional. We measured 32.5ms at 60Hz in the standard Game mode, though enabling the Refresh Rate setting reduces that figure to a more respectable, though far from groundbreaking, 24.6ms.

The UR9 supports every significant HDR format currently in use – HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision – plus the intelligent Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive variants that respond to ambient room lighting conditions.

It is also IMAX Enhanced certified, and the UK version of the TV features an anti-reflective, anti-glare screen coating that proves fairly effective at combating bright-room reflections.

Audio specifications are unusually ambitious by TV standards, too. The UR9 features a Devialet-tuned 4.1.2-channel speaker system with dedicated up-firing drivers, plus support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks.

In the UK and Australia, the UR9 runs Hisense’s own VIDAA smart platform, while the US version instead uses Google TV.

VIDAA still isn’t the prettiest smart system around, but it’s fast, responsive and logically laid out. App support is broadly very good, too, with all of the major streaming services and UK catch-up apps present and correctly supporting the relevant picture and sound formats.

There are, however, a few frustrating omissions. Most notably, the Apple TV app lacks access to the Apple TV store and users’ purchased libraries, so it can’t be used for movie purchases and rentals. That’s a real disappointment, as Apple’s pay-as-you-go store is the best around.

While far less important for a TV, it’s worth noting that music streaming support is sparse, too, with Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music and Qobuz all absent. There are no cloud gaming apps, either.

The inclusion of Freely is welcome, though, as it allows live TV channels to be streamed over the internet without an aerial connection.

Picture quality

The Hisense UR9 makes a superb first impression. In fact, perhaps the most impressive thing about it is just how rarely it behaves like a traditional backlit TV.

Before getting into that, though, some setup advice is required, because the TV’s default HDR settings do it few favours.

When first fed HDR10 content, the UR9 automatically switches into its HDR Energy Saving mode which, despite its name, is surprisingly aggressive. Colours skew cool and bluish, motion processing is overly intrusive, and the overall image looks unnatural and overcooked.

HDR Standard and HDR Dynamic are similarly best avoided, both pushing sharpness, brightness and processing much too hard.

Thankfully, Filmmaker Mode proves far more successful. It delivers the most accurate and balanced picture of the available presets, and it quickly becomes our preferred overall option.

Interestingly, though, IMAX Cinema is also unusually compelling. While its underlying settings appear almost identical to those of Filmmaker Mode, it consistently produces a noticeably brighter and punchier image without obviously compromising balance or naturalism.

As a result, we would stick with Filmmaker Mode for dark-room and purist viewing, but happily switch to IMAX Cinema during the daytime or whenever we fancy a little extra visual intensity.

Once properly configured, the UR9 is an extremely accomplished performer.

Play 1917 on 4K Blu-ray, and the opening logos immediately demonstrate just how well controlled the TV’s backlight system is. Blooming around the bright white text is minimal, black depth is strong, and colours look rich, warm and nicely cinematic.

More importantly, the local-dimming system generally goes about its business without drawing attention to itself. Throughout our testing, the UR9 almost never exhibits the flickering, brightness pumping or visibly shifting backlight behaviour that can make many Mini LED TVs distracting.

That consistency quickly emerges as the UR9’s defining strength. While many bright Mini LED TVs constantly remind you that they are dynamically manipulating a backlight behind the scenes, the Hisense instead achieves a broadly very composed, stable and natural delivery that often feels surprisingly OLED-like.

Blade Runner 2049 showcases this particularly well. Black depth is consistently strong, shadow detail is excellent and subtle blooming is tightly controlled. There’s also impressive richness and stability to colours, especially reds, which look wonderfully pure and saturated without drifting into pink or magenta tones.

Extra-bright HDR material suits the UR9 especially well, too. Pan looks spectacular here, with dazzling highlights and bold, vibrant colours that comfortably outgun the Sony Bravia 8 II for outright brightness in many scenes. Sunlight bursting through clouds and glinting off the fantasy scenery of Neverland is delivered with real punch and intensity.

Crucially, though, the UR9 generally achieves this brightness without sacrificing balance. Skin tones remain natural, and there’s a pleasing cinematic warmth to the image – and it doesn’t drift into gaudiness.

Motion handling is strong, too. The default Film setting is decent enough, but switching Motion Enhancement to Clear results in noticeably smoother pans without introducing the distracting soap-opera effect or processing artefacts that such systems often create.

The notoriously difficult Matera cemetery and chase sequence from No Time To Die is handled particularly well, with impressively little judder to the panning shots and clean rendering of drifting smoke and rapid camera movement.

Dropping down to standard-def and SDR, our Kiss Kiss Bang Bang DVD is reproduced with pleasing warmth, strong detail and impressively clean upscaling. Colours are arguably pushed a touch too hard at times, but the overall presentation remains highly enjoyable and consistently cinematic.

For all of the UR9’s strengths, though, direct comparisons with a top-tier OLED TV still reveal the limitations of even this undeniably refined RGB Mini LED model. Despite its impressive local-dimming system, the Hisense simply cannot match the pixel-level contrast control of the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Extremely bright highlights against deep black backgrounds are sometimes handled slightly conservatively, presumably to avoid blooming. Perhaps counterintuitively, those bright white logos against pitch-black backgrounds appear more intense and impactful on the Sony OLED than on the much brighter, on paper, Hisense.

More significantly, the OLED TV produces a more solid and perceptually three-dimensional image across the board. Objects and characters stand out from their surroundings with greater depth and dynamism, while subtle gradations within clouds, shadows and highlights appear more convincing and refined, creating a more rounded look.

This isn’t a new phenomenon: we have documented that extra solidity you get from OLED plenty of times previously, most notably when we used the Sony Bravia 8 OLED as a comparison in our Bravia 9 Mini LED review. But it bears repeating for those who are choosing between an OLED and a backlit TV.

Viewing angles are another clear OLED advantage. While the UR9’s picture performance doesn’t entirely fall off a cliff when you move off-axis, the sweet spot in which it performs at its very best is surprisingly narrow.

And while the UR9 usually keeps blooming impressively well controlled, especially for a backlit TV, particularly torturous scenes can still expose its limitations.

The bomb-test sequence in Oppenheimer is a great example. From the UR9, there’s a slight general greying to the image, plus some visible glow around isolated spotlights in the darkness. The opening starfield of Alien: Romulus, meanwhile, reveals that the UR9 cannot simultaneously maintain truly inky blacks and perfectly intense star highlights in the way an OLED can.

To be clear, the Hisense performs well in these scenes by LCD standards, and many owners may never notice such shortcomings during normal viewing. But they do prevent the UR9 from truly matching the effortless contrast precision and dimensionality of the best OLED TVs.

Sound quality

Developed in partnership with Devialet, the UR9’s 4.1.2-channel speaker system delivers a surprisingly expansive and full-bodied presentation by TV standards, with particularly impressive width and height effects.

The Theatre sound mode is the most immediately striking of the available presets, producing a presentation that extends well beyond the physical boundaries of the TV and creating a convincing sense of spaciousness with Dolby Atmos soundtracks.

There’s decent bass depth, too, and the UR9 maintains good composure at high volumes, avoiding the harshness and distortion that can afflict many flatscreen TVs when pushed hard.

The overall presentation is smooth and rich in character, which makes the UR9 an easy and enjoyable listen over long viewing sessions.

It isn’t perfect, though. Dynamics are a little stunted, and action scenes lack some of the punch and excitement they deserve, while dialogue could be projected with greater clarity and emotional expression.

The Theatre mode also slightly overplays its hand at times. While its extra spaciousness is undeniably appealing, it introduces a faintly diffuse and echoey quality to voices, along with a slight sense of delay that makes speech sound less natural than it should.

As a result, we find ourselves preferring the Standard sound mode for most content. It still sounds pleasantly spacious and open, but delivers dialogue with greater focus and cohesion while maintaining good weight and scale.

Ultimately, while even a modest dedicated soundbar will comfortably outperform it, the UR9’s audio system is better than that of most TVs, even at this lofty level.

Verdict

In several ways, the Hisense UR9 is one of the best backlit TVs we have ever tested.

Most of the time, you’re not even made aware that it is a backlit TV, so good are its black levels, its control of blooming and its consistent, flicker-free contrast.

While it is possible to trip up the backlight, it’s quite hard to do so, and many buyers may never see an unsightly bloom in their period of UR9 ownership.

But while this first mainstream RGB Mini LED TV is broadly mercifully free of the flaws that generally afflict backlit TVs, it still can’t match the overall picture quality of the best OLED models.

The pixel-level contrast control of OLED brings benefits in several areas. There are the notably brighter highlights on very dark backgrounds that even accomplished backlit sets, such as the UR9, are too cautious to go all guns blazing with for fear of blooming. There are the almost flawless viewing angles, too, which the UR9 is a long way from matching.

The biggest thing, though, is the generally more solid, more perceptually three-dimensional image that OLED provides. Next to the Bravia 8 II, the Hisense UR9 simply looks flatter, less dynamic and less impactful.

Ultimately, as enjoyable and technically impressive as the UR9 is, we can’t think of a good reason you would buy it over a flagship-grade OLED, and that’s the level at which Hisense is pitching it – at least in the UK.

Of course, if you are someone who has a flagship-level budget for their next TV and a general aversion to OLED, the Hisense UR9 should be right around the top of your list.

If you’re a UK buyer, it’s probably a good idea to wait and see if we get a massive US-style discount before placing an order, though.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Also consider the Sony Bravia 8 II, LG G6 and Sony Bravia 9

Here are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

This week, one of the hot-button topics among audiophiles and general music fans has, without a doubt, been Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music, suggesting “most people” can’t hear the difference with lossless audio.

Why do we say this, on what to many may be a seemingly innocuous claim? I mean, how many people even know what lossless audio is, right?

The Apple high-up made the suggestion while appearing on Billboard's On The Record podcast. And we know it’s a hot-button topic, because you, our loyal readers, have since flooded the site, plus our forums and social media pages with comments.

And to be fair to Apple, a small number have agreed, like commenter “Luke Vesty”, who bluntly wrote, “It's not a controversial statement at all. It's fact.”

There was also “audiofilish”, who jibed, “audiophiles are a funny lot,” for caring about something as silly as lossless.

But most, especially those of you identifying as serious music fans or audiophiles, had a very different take.

Audiophiles (not) at a loss for words

Instead, many of you were quick to point out that you can definitely hear the difference between lossless, especially when playing music on “proper hi-fi”.

This was quite bluntly stated by “abebogere”, who wrote: “If you are using Apple products for audio, you certainly cannot tell the difference. On an actual audio system, you can.”

Then “Judas Shuffle” added: “I think most people haven't heard good quality audio. Once you [have] had a really good pizza, you want more.”

Finally, commenter “Erlend” added that, while he believes there is a difference, it’s one that “normal” people won’t really understand until they experience it first-hand.

“If you are passionate about music and an experienced listener, I firmly believe anyone can hear the difference on good equipment,” wrote Erlend.

“I know that I can. It’s not just about new details in the treble or definition of the bass. It’s also about the sense of air, room, timbre and placement of voices and instruments. It often comes more alive and gives you the feeling of being present with the musicians. Like someone removed a veil.”

But, there is some truth to it if…

While not everyone agreed on the dig at Apple products specifically, nearly all of you agreed with Erlend's point that you need decent hardware if you want to hear the difference, which is why so many don't "get" the difference, even at an academic level.

Commenter “Andy” summed this up writing: “[Most] people don't listen on gear that allows them to hear the difference, and also they only listen as background music. There is no point paying for high definition if your equipment can't transpose that. People understand that with TV/video, but for some reason don't get it when it comes to audio.”

Reader “sbrain111” then mirrored his sentiment, arguing: “I tend to agree that for most people, listening with headphones in the street or with Bluetooth or with most speakers, they won't hear much of a difference. Equipment where there is so much signal processing going on, I wonder if it makes a difference to listen to hi-res lossless. I only hear a difference when playing on my home hi-fi set-up, which is only mid-range.”

Our hot take

We agree that lossless does make a difference, but also that the amount of gains you experience will be dependent on a variety of factors.

These range from the hardware you’re using to play the music to the specific music you’re listening to. As we said in our best punk rock songs guide, if the song was badly recorded, there’s only so much technology can do to polish it.

But, equally, as famously said by our technical editor, Ketan Bharadia, music is there to be enjoyed and if you can’t hear the difference, “in some ways you’re lucky, as you’ve likely saved yourself a lot of money”.

MORE:

These are the best wireless headphones we’ve reviewed

We rank the best wireless speakers

Our picks of the best music streaming services

Most people can't tell the difference between lossless and standard resolution audio, an Apple Music executive has claimed.

Speaking to Billboard's On The Record podcast, Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music, was told by the host that "most average people can’t really hear the difference with lossless." He replied "Correct", and went on:

"My second point is: honestly, if we did an anonymous [blind] test on just an iPhone with headphones... I can tell you most fans wouldn’t be able to tell the difference."

Apple has prioritised Spatial Audio over lossless audio, as Schusser claims that in the exact same test, more people can hear the difference.

Apple's approach to lossless is best described as complicated. All of its AirPods wireless earbuds and headphones support the standard AAC Bluetooth codec, which isn't lossless. The AirPods Max and Max 2 over-ears are the only Apple headphones to support lossless playback, and that's only over the wired USB-C connection. Its HomePod range of wireless speakers does support lossless, as does its recent iPhones, iPads, and Apple TV 4K.

In a further complication, Apple Music's catalogue features three tiers of high resolution music: CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz), Apple Music Lossless (up to 24-bit/48kHz), and Hi-Res Lossless (up to 24-bit/192kHz). The HomePods and Apple TV 4K only support Apple Music Lossless, not Hi-Res Lossless.

To hear the full-fat 24-bit/192kHz resolution on an iPhone, you'll need to plug in a wired pair of headphones and an external DAC that supports that resolution.

Schusser's comments go some way to explaining Apple's approach, as the brand has staunchly stuck with the non-lossless AAC Bluetooth codec across its AirPods range of headphones and earbuds.

Other audio brands, however take a very different tack: Sony's higher-quality LDAC codec (supporting up to 32-bit/96kHz) comes as standard on all of Sony's high-end wireless headphones and smartphones (it's also supported by other brands, such as on the Technics EAH-AZ100.)

Meanwhile, with the prevalence of hi-res music being available on other streaming services, JBL says its customers are requesting wired connections to its Flip and Charge Bluetooth speakers so they can get access to lossless music.

Personally speaking, we can hear the difference with lossless audio, though a lot certainly depends on what equipment you're listening with (better headphones will be more revealing, for example).

Do you agree with Schusser's comments? And what do you think of Apple's approach to lossless? Let us know in the comments below.

MORE:

What is Apple Spatial Audio? Find out here

Read our Apple Music review

The best AirPods alternatives you can buy

If you happen to be in the UK or other select parts of Europe, you'll probably have been blessed with an extra hour of sunlight at the end of your hard slog of a day, thanks to the clocks leaping forward by an hour. Forget the farmers and their darker mornings, it's time to play hacky sack in the park until 9.00 pm with your best bros.

Do people still play hacky sack? Did they ever?

Moving on. While the temptation to go out galivanting until late hours of the evening may be strong, we've got a selection of tasty tunes to pull you back into the shadowy realm of your devoted listening space, with belters from the likes of Harry Styles, Rosalía and Gnarls Barkley all on this month's menu.

Vitamin D, eh? Who needs it?

American Girls by Harry Styles

During my school years, I was deep in the One Direction trenches (I already feel the judgment). The charismatic Harry Styles always stood out to me the most, with his swoopy hair and cheeky grin. So when he went off to have a solo career back in 2016, I was curious to see how his music would evolve.

It has certainly changed for the better. His latest album, Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally, may be awash with almost nonsensical lyrics, but it’s an excellently produced collection with plenty of toe-tappers.

The track that has been on repeat in our test room since the album came out is American Girls. It starts slowly and quietly with a creeping electronic whine, which is then interrupted by a more acoustic-sounding piano.

Next, the punchy drum track kicks in shortly followed by Harry’s moody vocals. An extra layer of bass is introduced, which can easily feel blobby and slow the song down if not portrayed with the right level of bounciness and pep.

If you haven’t given the new album a try, this is the track to start with.

Words by Robyn Quick

Berghain by Rosalía

Is it pop? Is it opera? Whatever it is, Rosalía’s staggering symphonic smash Berghain is a mini sensation. The three-minute epic is crammed to the brim with enough orchestral drama to make a conductor’s baton wilt. Your speakers had better take 20 minutes to do some deep stretches, because this really is a proper, proper workout.

Performed in at least three different languages (Rosalía has apparently demonstrated her linguistic prowess by singing in more than 10, the big show off), this is the sort of bombastic, boundary-stretching pop that has cemented the Spanish songstress’s legacy as one of the most forward-looking artists working today.

Also featuring vocals from our ever-beloved icon Björk, who herself heavily influenced Rosalía and duetted with her on the enjoyable charity single Oral, Berghain skids and skates between thunderous, Wagner-esque opera to the sort of erratic strings you’d usually find on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

This is classical made accessible without for a moment dumbing it down, and the result is an absolute thrill ride.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine

For many of us, Rage Against the Machine were the sound of rebellion – even if our rebellion was jumping up and down on the bed in our room as the music played one volume higher than we were meant to.

And with so much stuff to get your blood boiling going on in the world and age generally making me more cantankerous, this month I’ve found myself playing Rage Against the Machine’s Bulls on Parade more than a few times.

First, because the iconic song is turning 30. Second, because despite its age, it remains as relevant and awesome as ever. Featuring Zack de la Rocha’s iconic, politically charged vocals and Tom Morello’s instantly recognisable guitar style, the track is a great example of everything that makes Rage Against the Machine so iconic.

And as an added bonus, the track's bouncing rhythm, rapid shifts in volume and booming bass make it a great gauge of any system's low-end heft, dynamics and general ability to go loud. If you’re not listening to it at a Spinal Tap 11, you’re not doing it right…

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Tomorrow Died Today by Gnarls Barkely

Gnarls Barkley is back, baby!

Or maybe that should be Gnarls Barkley are back, because despite the confusion caused by people thinking that Gnarls himself is a person in his own right, it is in fact a duo consisting of legendary producer Danger Mouse and soul crooner CeeLo Green.

Regardless of singular / plural confusion, it’s a triumphant return for the duo following a yawning 18-year hiatus. Atlanta is the first record Gnarls Barkley have put out since 2008’s The Odd Couple, with the team behind 2006’s smash-hit Crazy

Tomorrow Dies Today is the album’s cheery opener, shifting from sparse, hand-clap-backed verses to a clamorous, fear-inducing refrain as Green’s unmistakable soul wail laments the end of all times.

“Take cover all God’s children / Even the sun has gone to hide / The sky is raining bullets / And I’ll never forget the day that tomorrow died.”

The world may be ending, but it will have one heck of a soundtrack when the lights go out.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Days We Left Behind by Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney is one of the world’s most famous musicians, having been a member of a little band called The Beatles, and this week I’ve had his new single Days We Left Behind playing a fair bit.

This was a surprise, for a couple of reasons. First, because McCartney has never been my favourite Beatle (team Harrison all the way). Second, because I’ve never quite gelled with his other recent albums.

While they’ve all been well composed and recorded, as you’d expect from the man who helped create the blueprint for pop music, they’ve felt a little hollow, and dare I say, try hard. Like a man looking too hard to relive his glory days and remain relevant.

Days We Left Behind shows a positive shift away from this that I’m all for. The track is a thoughtful, backwards-looking, gentle ballad full of whimsical reminiscing and occasional melancholy laments over getting old.

It’s not his best work ever, but it is a solid reminder of why McCartney has been such a powerful force in music for the past 50 years – he was one of The Beatles' primary songwriters, let's not forget.

Featuring a gentle plucked acoustic guitar composition and sweet, but mature vocals, the track is a slow burner that expertly pulls at your heartstrings, evoking a sense of loss that comes to many of us with age, but without ever feeling maudlin.

If you’re a fan of The Beatles, even if you fell out of love with McCartney’s other recent work as I did, I’d strongly recommend giving it a listen.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Like A Dog Chasing Cars by Hans Zimmer

We’ve been using Hans Zimmer’s peerless The Dark Knight soundtrack since before I was even a part of the What Hi-Fi? team, with our pristine CD copy regularly wheeled out any time we’ve got a disc spinner that needs testing, or we want to see how well a given speaker or hi-fi separate deals with a digital source.

However you play it – CD, streaming, vinyl if you’re lucky – there aren’t many soundtracks that can compete with The Dark Knight for its grim, brooding grandeur and adrenaline-inducing explosiveness. Each track’s a winner, but we regularly pick out Like A Dog Chasing Cars for its layered, propulsive nature and its ability to communicate an ever-rising sense of dread and drama in equal measure.

It’s a track with a metronomic, almost hypnotic repetitiveness as sharp, clacking percussive strikes bubble underneath, with sequential passages of strings and drums which should, through the right system, have sufficient articulation and phrasing to feel like the roll of waves on an increasingly stormy sea.

For gauging dynamics – both small and large-scale – as well as how your system keeps track of those deep, rumbly bass notes, Like A Dog Chasing Cars is ideal for testing whether your hi-fi is a heroic performer, or just a bit of a Joker.

Words by Harry McKerrell

MORE:

Read last month's edition: discover the 6 test room bangers soundtracking our March

Don't Look Back in Anger at these classic 1996 tracks turning 30 this year

Giant horn speakers, a Bluesound streamer, and Bryston power amps: inside the new Spotify Listening Lounge designed to showcase lossless audio

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

1976 was a big year for music. Joy Division formed after seeing the Sex Pistols play at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall; Phil Collins took over vocal duties in Genesis after the departure of Peter Gabriel; and the Eagles released Hotel California.

But it was the formation of Apple in the north of said state that might just have had the biggest impact of the lot.

Its founders, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, originally called it Apple Computer Company (amended slightly to simply Apple Computer, Inc a year later) and for the first 25 years of its existence in Cupertino, California, that name was more than suitable.

The company’s focus was on PC alternatives such as the Macintosh, iMac and Powerbook, but in October 2001 Apple revealed a product that would change everything: the iPod.

The thin white jukebox

The launch of the iPod didn’t just turn Apple into a household name, it started a process that would eventually touch almost every part of the way we listen to music.

Portable music was nothing new – the Sony Walkman had been around for more than 20 years by this point – and the iPod wasn’t even the first digital music player.

But Apple rarely innovates in that way, preferring to let others test the water and then swoop in with a more finessed version of a product that appeals to the masses rather than just early adopters.

And appeal to the masses is exactly what the iPod did, selling around 70 million units worldwide in the first five years after its introduction.

Unlike its main early rival, Creative's DAP Jukebox, the iPod was genuinely pocketable, and the wheel-based navigation made scrolling through the 1000-odd songs that its 5GB hard drive could hold an absolute joy.

The What Hi-Fi? review in the February 2002 issue of the magazine called it: “A delightful, simple device that looks and sounds the business.”

Tech companies such as Griffin and Logitech soon saw a gap in the market and began to produce small speaker systems that allowed iPod owners to 'dock' their thin white jukeboxes, but they were invariably cheap and plasticky with sonic performance to match.

Apple introduced their own version in 2006, but the iPod Hi-Fi was only hi-fi in name.

The What Hi-Fi? three-star review couldn’t fault how loud it went, but its uninspiring design and lack of detail, pace and refinement meant that Steve Jobs’ declaration that he was replacing his stereo with one seemed disingenuous at best, particularly considering he claimed to be an audiophile.

Fortunately, genuine audiophiles didn’t have to wait long before something more worthy of the tag came along. Bowers & Wilkins introduced the Zeppelin in 2007, when premium-priced iPod docks were practically unheard of, and while it wasn’t perfect it proved that Apple’s portable music player had a place in home hi-fi setups.

In iTune and on time

It wasn’t just the iPod’s hardware that would be influential. A couple of years before its debut, Napster had arrived on the scene and sent the music industry into disarray by allowing people to share songs online for free.

Record labels struggled to cope with the sudden drop-off in CD sales, but Apple was already working on a solution. It launched the iTunes Store in January 2001 and suddenly gave music lovers a way to download tunes without breaking the law.

As well as legitimising digital downloads, the iTunes Store helped to change how people listened to music. People could now buy individual tracks even if they hadn’t been released as singles and gradually the importance of the album started to diminish.

As people filled their hard drives with collections of digital files they began to look for ways to play them that didn’t involve the tinny little speakers that came with their computers.

2003 saw the release of Roku’s SoundBridge streamers, which could be used to play digital music from an iTunes library through a connected hi-fi system, and in 2004 Apple introduced AirTunes – a precursor to AirPlay that allowed streaming over a Wi-Fi network.

It didn’t take too long for ‘proper’ hi-fi brands to get involved either. Linn and Naim were relatively quick to board the bandwagon, with the former’s Klimax DS arriving in 2007 and the latter’s Uniti, which combined streaming skills with a high-end CD player and amp, winning our System Product of the Year award in 2009.

With the arrival of the iPhone in 2007, and the launch of Spotify a year later, the era of music streaming had well and truly begun.

Today, it's rare to find an audio product that can’t stream, hence the popularity of products like the WiiM Ultra, Cambridge Audio MXN10 and Naim Uniti Atom, and it explains why NAD launched a version of its NAD C 3050 amplifier with an optional MDC2 BluOS-D module.

Despite the enduring appeal of CD and vinyl for some of us, it's clear that streaming music won over the masses and for most people downloads, let alone discs, are a distant memory. And once again, it's easy to trace this shift back to Apple.

RIP headphone ports

Those 19 years since the launch of the iPhone have been transformative from a technology point of view, but design-wise things have become rather homogenised – and to some extent that’s Apple’s fault.

The company’s influence can be seen almost everywhere. Its less-is-more approach has been adopted by countless other brands; Mac-like brushed metal finishes have been de rigueur for years; and slick touchscreen navigation is often preferred to physical controls (although with smartphone apps now often the main method of interaction, those days are probably numbered).

It’s all part of a shift towards products that people want to have on display rather than tucked away out of sight, which can probably be traced back to the original translucent iMac in 1998 – an all-in-one computer that was a genuine object of desire rather than something purely functional.

Back then most headphones you could buy were black, but during the development of the iPod Apple decided to make the buds that came in the box white to match. It was a stroke of marketing genius (albeit one that was largely accidental) that created a new status symbol almost overnight and made the type of headphones you wear a fashion statement.

Other brands suddenly started adding white headphones to their ranges so that even those who didn’t own Apple products could feel part of the crowd. In fact, there’s a strong case to be made that the headphone industry wouldn’t be as massive as it is right now without that simple decision to invert the colour.

Not all of Apple’s decisions regarding headphones have been quite so well received, but while its removal of the 3.5mm port from the iPhone 7 annoyed a lot of people at the time, it seems pretty prescient 10 years later.

Wired headphones are now largely reserved for serious home listening (and influencers), and Apple’s own AirPods wireless earbuds, which it launched at the same time as the iPhone 7, are everywhere.

Of course, for sonic purists many of these developments are not seen as improvements because they often come at the expense of sound quality, or are seen in some way to dilute the fundamentals of the hi-fi hobby.

Apple’s next move is unlikely to change that, particularly if it turns out to be a new screen-toting version of the HomePod, but there’s no denying that its influence has made hi-fi and audio products more accessible, more user-friendly, and more fashionable. Not bad for a computer company.

MORE:

Read our AirPods Pro 3 review

Apple pie-in-the-sky – this is our home cinema wish list for the tech giant

Spotify claims it saved the music industry – but who will save us from the streaming model?

Like it or not, AI is being integrated across an increasing number of AV and hi-fi products. And one of the most popular, Amazon’s Alexa chatbot, is getting an upgrade.

This comes in the form of Alexa+, which will be enabled across a range of Amazon devices across the UK.

Alexa+ will be rolled out on Amazon devices, including the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Amazon claims this will add more processing power, memory, and edge-based computing with next-generation sensors” to the user experience.

Daniel Rausch, Vice President of Alexa and Echo, claims that the new version of the AI assistant has been "completely rearchitected from the ground up" and offers a "much more personalised and proactive" experience than its previous version.

It has been designed to be even chattier than its predecessor, with more appropriate intonation in an effort to make the responses feel less robotic.

The assistant can also open other apps, including Spotify and Apple Music, with plans to expand to include more platforms.

We got to see Alexa+ in action, and it is certainly impressive how the tech integrates seamlessly with a number of separate devices.

When asking it to play music from the Echo Show 11 (essentially a smart display with Alexa+ built in) in a demo, you can tell Alexa+ to play sound from individual Echo speakers or ask it to play from all available devices in your home. That would come in handy if you are moving between rooms.

However, we notice that when it is bombarded with multiple, complicated commands, the assistant does take a little while to deliver the information.

It’s also worth noting that when we reviewed the Amazon Echo Dot Max, the smart speaker received a disappointing two-star review. While we found the Alexa integration was responsive and versatile, it ultimately was let down by its muddled sound and derivative design.

Amazon’s most recent Fire TV Stick 4K Max, on the other hand, snagged a What Hi-Fi? Award last year and impressed with its fuss-free and effective 4K HDR streaming capabilities.

Early access to Alexa+ starts from today for free, but will move to £20 a month after this window. For Prime members, however, it remains free.

You can purchase a new Echo device for immediate access and, if you already own one of the newer generations, you can sign up for an invite via Amazon’s website.

MORE:

Here's our review of Amazon Echo Dot Max

And check out our review of the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED

These are the best Alexa speakers

Even if you're unfamiliar with Max Richter's name, there's a good chance you're more au fait with his music than you perhaps realise.

The German-British composer has been pouring out emotive, often minimalist compositions for the best part of two decades, while his work as a successful movie composer culminated in an Oscar nomination for his score to the much-acclaimed heartbreaker Hamnet earlier this year.

Existentially minded and a proponent of the slow, richly emotive style that you'll find mirrored in the work of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (see The Road, The Assassination of Jesse James et al.), Richter's work on Hamnet felt like the purest evocation of the man's deeply resonant style – mournful, elegiac and designed to elicit just the mildest of existential crises.

The Hamnet score is indeed made lovely by virtue of its overwhelmingly beautiful evocation of loss and despair, but if you want to go full Richter, you'll need to look back in time to a rather more hidden, but no less sparkling, musical gem.

Back in 2017, Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike fronted Scott Cooper's solemn, often grim post-western drama Hostiles, a sparse and oft-brutal work which, while reasonably well received at the time, seems incapable of fully breaking away from the shadows of its relative obscurity.

Following the story of Bale's US cavalry officer escorting a Cheyenne chief back to his home in Montana during the late 19th century, and experiencing increasing guilt and disillusionment with his nation's role in the decimation of the native population, it was exactly the sort of solemn, impactful epic to which Richter could turn his talented hand.

What's so remarkable about Richter's work on Hostiles is that, such is the man's ability to tell a convincing story with nothing but wordless instrumentation, you don't need to have even watched the movie to understand exactly what is being communicated by his accompanying compositions.

Hostiles is well worth a watch, but you can play the entirety of the soundtrack and feel, quite justifiably, that you've experienced the narrative just as fully and splendidly, albeit via the medium of music rather than screen.

Never Goodbye evidences that sublime musical storytelling in its starkest and most evocative terms. An ever-rising, continually building concoction of full, longing strings, Richter's work is its own tale in musical form, packed with the emotions and experiences of a great narrative work communicated with harrowing yet wordless wonder.

Never Goodbye is everything. It's grief and guilt, pain and sorrow, anger and frustration. It's the musical evocation of emotion itself, tracking the way that these tempestuous feelings rise from gentle embers to a raging blaze, from a trickle of water to a torrent that floods everything in its path.

Only the best speakers and headphones will fully do it justice. When those strings really swell and the composition unleashes its ground-shaking power, you need something to communicate fully the awesome emotional power of Richter's masterwork.

The Fyne F502S towers spring to mind as speakers capable of tackling this titanic task. As we said in our review at the time: "The F502S have the nous and nuance to provide the track’s opening piano and strings with the subtle delicacy they require, switching gears as the piece grows and swells to create a powerfully rich, resonant reproduction that fully brings out the music’s haunting resonance."

Never Goodbye is Hostiles' big finale, but Richter's soundtrack is peppered with gems that evoke both the minute internal workings of the film's fractured characters alongside the broader, more existential themes of the world conjured by director Scott Cooper.

The Lord's Rough Ways, for instance, trades the grandeur and scale of Never Goodbye for a quieter, more reflective composition, with fulsome strings replaced by the delicate twinkling of a solitary piano. It's not a complex affair by any stretch, yet such is Richter's talent for extracting so much from seemingly so little, the music practically drips with a sort of deep-rooted sadness that enraptures you from the very first chord.

If you do want to be more technical about things, it also makes for a strong test tune when you just want to discover how well your system or speakers are capable of handling space and subtle detail.

That piano should sit in a well of surrounding silence, and you should be able to track the rise, swell and decay of each keystroke with absolute clarity and precision via a competent set-up. When those piano keys do ebb and decay, they should fall away into a haunting void of nothingness.

If you want the full Hostiles experience – and indeed, want to go the full Max Richter – take an hour out of your day and just play the whole soundtrack from start to finish. Each track is its own mini narrative, but playing the whole composition gives you the richest evocation of Richter's emotive vision playing out before your ears.

What the soundtrack to Hostiles does, through the right system, is remind you not only of music's raw emotional power, but of its capacity as a tool of communication. So often we recommend using test scores and tracks for their pure emotional weight, but with Hostiles, you're seeking something more cohesive and comprehensive. You're going, to use that horrible cliché, on an actual journey.

You're looking for a sense of music telling a story. You're seeking a sense of character, of place, of feelings rising, burning brightly and then fading as they transform into something else entirely. You don't need to have seen the movie: you'll know just what is being said just by listening to the music.

That is the key to all of Max Richter's greatest compositions: that even without words or explanations, they can communicate the most evocative tales. Get them playing on a great system, and those stories will simply tell themselves.

MORE:

Now Playing: discover the 6 test room bangers soundtracking our March

Don't Look Back in Anger at these classic 1996 tracks turning 30 this year

1976 changed music forever – and these 10 tracks still sound phenomenal today

Following Hamnet’s recent success at the BAFTAs, there's good news for fans of the film’s soundtrack.

Apple Music Classical is releasing a selection of newly arranged tracks from the composer’s score, all of which were recorded live at London’s Southwark Cathedral.

This is made up of three tracks: See things that others don’t, Of the sky and Of the undiscovered country. Performed by a 40-piece orchestra and choir, Apple says this is the only live performance of the score.

Time is of the essence, though, as the Max Richter: Hamnet Live EP will be available exclusively on Apple Music Classical for just three months.

If the film has somehow passed you by, let us fill you in. Hamnet (adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel of the same name) imagines the life of William and Agnes Shakespeare, as they come to terms with the loss of their 11-year-old child.

It's visually stunning, featuring sprawling green forests and sparsely-lit Tudor interiors, all delivered in natural colours and subtle detail – an ideal challenge for projectors and TV screens.

But the film's soundtrack is one of its most striking elements, making Apple’s announcement particularly exciting. Max Richter’s name comes up time and time again as a composer whose tracks we use to put the latest hi-fi and AV kit to the test.

After all, he’s racked up quite the list of credits, including Mary Queen Of Scots, Ad Astra, and the Oscar-nominated Waltz With Bashir.

One of his tracks made it to our most recent monthly Now Playing column, where we highlight the best test tracks we have been using. Our Hi-Fi and Audio Editor, Kashfia Kabir, included Richter's On The Nature Of Daylight, a complex and raw composition that has featured in a huge range of films, including the recent BAFTA winner.

With every track in Hamnet, the composer has delivered an emotional, gut-wrenching accompaniment to the film's beautiful visuals and touching story.

You can listen to the live recordings of the three tracks right now on Apple Music Classical, which is included in an Apple Music subscription. There's also the option to test out the music streaming platform with a three-month free trial.

MORE:

These Oscar nominees are the perfect pick for testing your home cinema

Now Playing: check out the 6 stunning tracks we've been using to test hi-fi this month

I tried Apple Music Classical for a week – it’s great but needs two big improvements

As part of its ongoing iOS 26.4 Beta, Apple has made five updates to Apple Music.

The most notable of them is an AI playlist-making tool called ‘Playlist Playground’, which is similar to Spotify’s flagship AI playlist tool.

Apple Music users can enter a text prompt which, using Apple Intelligence, will automatically curate a 25-song playlist. Users can then add, remove or reorder songs to make it their own.

AI on music platforms is something of a hot and divisive topic but using AI to create playlists certainly seems less problematic than platforming AI-generated tracks.

A more minor but still useful change to playlists is the option to add a song to multiple playlists simultaneously. When adding songs to a playlist, users can tap a selection button in the bottom-right corner and then be able to select multiple playlists at once.

Another seemingly Spotify-inspired feature, clocked by 9To5Mac, is the inclusion of upcoming show information in the Apple Music app.

When there is concert information available, artist’s profiles will now include an ‘Upcoming Concerts’ section, where users can find details about upcoming shows, including the option to buy tickets.

The Ambient Music feature, which allows you to start playing music for four moods – Sleep, Chill, Productivity and Wellbeing – now has a new Home Screen widget too, with small and medium widget sizes available.

Last but not least are some aesthetic changes to the Apple Music platform, with album and playlist artwork now driving the background styling.

When we reviewed Apple’s music streaming service back in 2024, we gave it five stars, so we can only hope these new features further enhance its offering. Assuming you're a fan of adding some AI to your streaming music experience...

Have you tried these new features? Are you a fan of AI curation? Let us know in the comments...

MORE:

Don't let the algorithm decide – this music service now offers a better way to stream

I switched from the biggest streaming service to this niche platform for audiophiles: here's why I'm glad I made the change

Qobuz's recent CarPlay update is a major improvement – but it's not quite perfect

February is, as we all know, the shortest month of the year. Thank the gods above for that, as it's also unequivocally one of the worst. Cold weather, long nights, little to look forward to except Pancake Day and the faint hope that Spring might finally be around the corner. Honestly, we should just scrap the entire month from the calendar and jump straight into March.

How, then, do you make the unwanted runt of the yearly litter more appealing? With music, of course. There's only one sure-fire way of beating the winter blues, and that's with a top selection of tunes belting out of your hi-fi or headphones.

We've tried to keep things reasonably upbeat this time around, in a bid to stop those SAD symptoms from surfacing. So if you’re not head-bopping to Fat Larry’s Band, you’ll be getting as hyped as a pre weigh-in UFC fighter by a big old slice of Wu-Tang Clan. Take that, February!

• Discover the full playlist on Tidal

So Unusual by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions

Before Curtis Mayfield went onto commercial success with tracks such as Move On Up and the soundtrack to the film Super Fly, he was part of the Impressions, a Chicago soul band known for its dreamy, almost lullaby-like harmonies. But Mayfield’s social conscience was evident from early on, with tracks such as Keep On Pushing and People Get Ready soundtracking the early days of the civil rights movement.

Of course, this being soul, they did their share of love songs too, and So Unusual is one of their finest. Mayfield sings about being heartbroken following his other half’s affair, but how any thoughts of anger or revenge are subsumed by the love that still lingers. Misguided? Maybe, because as he sings, “What kind of fool am I?”

This is a slow plod through the wreckage of a relationship, all woozy brass and melodic backing singers, whose lush instrumentation will stretch out through a system that’s strong throughout the frequency range.

But maybe I love it most for its vulnerability. Mayfield was 26 at time of recording, and wise beyond his years. You weren’t any kind of fool, Curtis – you just weren’t a troll.

Words by Joe Svetlik

On The Nature Of Daylight by Max Richter

I must confess: I don’t think I can remember hearing this oft-used piece by Richter before, even though I’ve seen many of the films it has been used in.

But as it played over the closing scenes of Hamnet and into the credits, continuing the catharsis of collective grief from the events of the film, I knew that this time, I wouldn’t forget it so easily. It’s an achingly mournful piece that perfectly fits the mood of Chloé Zhao’s film in particular, with the strings so incredibly physical and tangible.

They take their time pulling at your heart as they gently ebb and flow in a composition that strays from being remotely flashy; it manages to elicit so much emotion with such purity and with so little artifice. Played on a system that has little distortion and a penchant for clear and fluid dynamic subtlety, the full majesty of this magnificent piece of music will shine through.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Gravel Pit by Wu-Tang Clan

I have absolutely no idea what the titular Gravel Pit from Wu-Tang’s effortless hip-hop classic refers to. Speculated theories include a slang term for a house, a drug den or a part of human anatomy (this one changes how you sing along to the chorus somewhat), yet no concrete consensus has yet been reached.

I also don’t particularly care. Gravel Pit is nothing but pure hip-hop heaven, moving from brisk, effortless flows into that smooth, ear-catching chorus courtesy of Paulissa Moorman. Not-so-fun fact: Aaliyah was originally supposed to lend her vocal talents to the track, but tragically passed away before a collaboration could be finalised.

The pleasure of Gravel Pit from a testing perspective is the myriad personalities your system has to play with, as Method Man, Ghostface Killah and U-God bring their own particular delivery to each verse. Make sure your system is picking up on every breath and syllable, all while preserving the unique style and idiosyncrasies of the key performer’s respective flows.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Trouble by Scorpio

I don’t know about you but, for me, it doesn’t get much better than blaring drum and bass bangers at excessively loud volumes. Although I would argue that such volume levels are, in fact, not excessive but completely necessary for appreciating these tracks in the correct way.

With that in mind, this 1997 release from Scorpio (an alias of legendary Bristol-based producers Roni Size and DJ Die) will have you bumping and bouncing around the room, especially if your system has enough low-end depth to relay the full scale of its wonderfully rumbly basslines.

Contrary to the name of the genre this track belongs to, there’s far more to appreciate than just snappy drums and head-bopping bass, although a system that offers plenty of clarity and detail will help you appreciate the individual beats that make up those intricate drum patterns without things becoming muddled. The initial drop will also hit so hard on a system with excellent dynamic handling that you’ll feel like you’ve been hit for six – maybe even twelve!

If you’ve got neighbours who are understanding at best and tolerant at the worst, bring out the subwoofer, load up Trouble and crank up the volume – you won’t regret it.

Words by James Cook

Follow Along by Cusp

With driving drumbeats and distorted guitar riffs blending with sweetly breezy vocals, the indie-alt-rock of Cusp sounds vaguely familiar and comforting. The Chicago-based outfit could easily share billing with Speedy Ortiz and Wet Leg, with introspective lyrics and pure candour peeking behind catchy, guitar-heavy hooks.

In Follow Along, Singer Jen Bender’s clear, melodic vocals walk a fine line that stops just short of twee, with an assured performance that transforms what could be a ’90s throwback into something a bit more distinctive, personal and honest.

It’s not a particularly refined or polished recording; instead, it’s about the layers of texture, the propulsive rhythm, and fluid, nuanced vocals all working together in a cohesive whole to deliver a somewhat hazy track that just feels good to listen to – and one that I can’t stop humming.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Act Like You Know by Fat Larry's Band

We often find that when we’re testing, one of the trickiest musical facets to get right is how a given product handles rhythms. It’s not something that a lot of listeners will consider from the outset, with preoccupations around textural detail, clarity and stereo imaging tending to take precedence over what some might consider the more esoteric or secondary requirements around rhythms and dynamics.

Ignore them at your peril. A sense of timing is essential to how hi-fi or headphones convey the essence of the music being played, and a dearth of rhythmic expression can often be the reason why a solid product fails to claim that coveted fifth star. They are the fundamental core underpinning your music’s feeling of drive and momentum, so it’s time to stop considering rhythms as an auxiliary afterthought.

Instead, shine that spotlight bright with a slice of early-80s R&B/funk courtesy of Fat Larry’s Band. Act Like You Know should snap into life with its crisp, ‘stomp-clap’ tempo, all while vibrant horns and a noodling bass strain the limits of your system’s knack for organisation and cohesion.

Put it on, crank the volume and see if your head begins to bop along to that irresistibly funky beat. A genre classic.

Words by Harry McKerrell

MORE:

Read last month's edition: Kick off your 2026 in style with our list of the 7 best test tracks getting us through January

Don't Look Back in Anger at these classic 1996 tracks turning 30 this year

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

It's not even worth dwelling on how far back 1996 was. We hate to break it to you, but the twelve happy months which gave us the first-ever flip phone (the Motorola StarTAC), the first Pokémon game and the birth of Dolly the Sheep were 30 whole years ago.

Instead, distract yourself from time's relentless march forwards by looking defiantly back in the opposite direction. 1996 was one heck of a year for music – an era which served up a mix of acid house ravers, Britpop swaggerers and post-grunge sleeve-chewers, all smashed together to craft the intoxicating cocktail of those hopeful pre-Millennium days.

COVID? Social media? Economic downturn? Dude, wake up – it was all just a bad dream.

1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins are an iconic band, especially if you’re a grunge fan. Their third album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, is often viewed as a key reason why.

The album took the Pumpkins in a different direction from their contemporaries. Featuring an eclectic mix of tracks full of textured compositions and an overarching ethereal feel, Mellon Collie... was a radical departure from the raw, punk-inspired despondence the grunge movement was famous for.

So it makes sense that 1979, which frontman Billy Corgan describes as the most personally important song on the album, is pretty awesome and one of the most iconic tracks of 1996, at least for me.

Chronicling Corgan’s feelings as he turned 12 in, you guessed it, 1979, it’s a dreamy, intentionally dirge-like, slightly euphoric song that still tugs at my nostalgia strings whenever I hear it and one that I’ve loved since I was a teenager.

Like many of us of a certain age, there was a time when a copy of Mellon Collie on CD or MiniDisc was always in my bag, and I must have played the song at least once a day between the ages of 14 and 15.

Yet the thing that makes it all the more special is that it very nearly didn’t make it onto the album. Stories suggest Mellon Collie was composed and recorded at a feverish pace, and 1979 was a particularly turbulent entry to it.

Originally a demo Corgan made based on the opening melody without lyrics, the album’s producer didn’t think it was “good enough” and didn’t want it included. In response, Corgan locked himself away and worked on it overnight, crafting its lyrics and finishing it with samples and effects the band had never used before.

The result is a complex track that feels entirely different to the rest of Mellon Collie, which itself was very experimental, hinting at the more textured, synth-pop direction the band would take on its subsequent, and much more controversial among fans, album, Adore.

Hence I feel it deserves a place on this list, not just as one of my favourite songs of all time, but as a piece of music’s history.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Forty Six & 2 by Tool

Tool are a terrific provider of test tracks at the best of times, with the entirety of 1996’s Ænima stuffed to the brim with lush, hi-fi ready goodness for music keenos and sonic tinkerers to obsess over.

Forty Six & 2 is a relatively easy track to get a handle on if you’re a newbie, and while it clocks in at around six minutes long, it’s not hard to see why it’s become such a perennial favourite among headbanging stud-wearers and basement dwelling engineers.

Cohesion, organisation and detail are all up to the test, but it’s your systems sense of dynamics – both small scale and full range – that Forty Six & 2 is most adept at spotlighting. The tune’s ever-chuntering bassline will give you a keen sense of how your hi-fi is adapting to small volume changes on the go, while intermittent thumps of energy as the entire ensemble erupts are perfect for assessing those massive, thunderous swings.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine

“They don’t gotta' burn the books they just remove ’em / While arms warehouses fill as quickly as the cells”.

The ‘Rage’ part of Rage Against the Machine feels even more relevant today than it did 30 years ago. Bulls on Parade was written in 1996 to criticise the U.S. military and arms industry, and has been used as a protest song ever since, with lyrics that remain just as pertinent today worldwide.

Explosive, razor-sharp and inciting, Zach de la Rocha doesn’t mince his words and we feel every brunt of the unflinching political lyrics. It’s an incendiary track with a powerful, muscular driving rhythm and full-throttle energy that never takes its foot off the pedal.

Of course, Tom Morello’s wrangling of his guitar to make a vinyl record scratch effect is another highlight of the track – one that still sounds unique three decades later.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Midnight In a Perfect World by DJ Shadow

Back in 1996, DJ Shadow released Entroducing….., and took hip-hop in a whole new direction. The album was much more cinematic that what had come before, with a much wider range of influences than your standard “hands in the air” fare. And that was encapsulated with the lead single, Midnight In A Perfect World.

Its samples might be diverse – rock, soul, funk, spoken word, film dialogue – but they all have one thing in common: obscurity. Whether it’s that floating female vocal (taken from Baraka’s Sower Of Seeds), the main piano hook (from David Axelrod’s The Human Abstract) or spoken word from an interview about drums, you could spend hours hunting down the various nuggets that make up this track.

Yet it all gels together surprisingly well, like it was somehow meant to be. On release it was categorised as the new genre of trip-hop, along with British bands Portishead and Massive Attack, but Midnight In A Perfect World was something else entirely – the sound of a new voice that would continue to take hip-hop to new places throughout the ensuing decades.

True, with its breakbeat drums, soulful vocals and looped-up samples, it set the template for all that chillout ephemera that was farted out around the turn of the century. But as a snapshot of a bold new era of hip-hop in the 90s, it stands alone.

Words by Joe Svetlik

Firestarter by The Prodigy

It's hard to overstate the impact The Prodigy's sneering techno anthem had on 1996's musical landscape. At a time rock was making a half-arsed chart comeback via Britpop Dad-rock, watching Keith Flint tear it up on the Firestarter video on Top Of The Pops, looking every bit the living, snarling embodiment of acid-induced psychosis, was just magnificent.

And people actually complained to the BBC that the video was scaring their kids. The track itself though is the real beast; invigorating breakbeat techno infused with snarling punk attitude, ominous synths and freakish samples.

Through the right system, it's a great test of timing and your hi-fi's handling of all the frequencies, as Liam Howlett's brain-searing electronic hooks and loops, dipping and swelling to create multiple 'drop' moments, is underpinned by monstrously gut-gripping bass and body-blow beats.

And it still sounds awesome.

Words by Chris Burke

Sandstorm by Cast

Sandstorm is, perhaps, one of Britpop’s lesser-known singles, despite being released at the height of the movement and climbing as high as eighth in the UK Singles Chart. Released in January 1996 as the third single from All Change (1995), the debut album from Liverpudlians Cast, Sandstorm is another fine example of Liverpool’s rich musical history.

Like a lot of Britpop, it’s clearly taken some inspiration from the sixties. The breakdowns and guitar solo certainly have an ethereal, psychedelic quality to them, as do the backup vocals, but the rest of the song has a wonderful drive to it: piercing lead notes, crunching guitars and a bouncy rhythm section that beautifully propels you from one point to the next and eventually to the song’s striking, but not sudden, conclusion.

With a playtime of just over two and a half minutes, it definitely falls into the category of short, but it’s a track that is almost certainly sweet.

Words by James Cook

Don't Let Go (Love) by En Vogue

I have loved this song ever since I heard it as a pre-teen, even if I completely misheard some of the lyrics in the chorus when it was on repeat on MTV.

But it’s a dramatic love song that sits a mature step above the usual saccharine pop fare from that era. En Vogue were one of the defining female R&B acts of the 90s (alongside TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, Toni Braxton and Aaliyah), and Don’t Let Go is a deliciously smouldering and empowering ballad that allows the quartet to flex their considerable vocal skills and lush harmonies to the max.

The arrangement is fantastic, with an agile, sultry bass underpinning the track with hints of funk; but really, it’s the soaring, commanding vocals and endlessly sing-a-long chorus that will grab you from the first note and won’t, well, let you go.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Born Slippy. NUXX by Underworld

1996 will go down in history (well, my history at least) as the year I first got into dance music. My newfound thirst for bpm was predominantly powered by two things: the Ministry of Sound: The Annual II album, which, to this day it still contains its fair share of bangers, and the closing track to one of the best movies of the year: Trainspotting.

Okay, so Born Slippy. NUXX might have first appeared on a B-side in 1995, but its reissue in July ‘96 rode the wave of Danny Boyle’s cinematic masterpiece, catapulting it not only into the mainstream, but my ears, too.

The slow, synth-y start sets a thoughtful tone and sets the mood for the end of the film perfectly as Renton summons up the courage to leave his chums behind for a brand new start. Little did I know the track was about to explode into an assault on the senses, the march led by a pounding kickdrum that never fails to get my foot tapping.

A club classic.

Words by Andy Madden

Valley of the Shadows by Unknown Origin

OK, so it originally came out in 1993, but Valley of the Shadows went from underground to overground upon its re-release in 1996, and quickly became one of the biggest jungle tracks of all time. Some 30 years later, it remains instantly recognisable to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre.

The epitome of being ahead of its time, Origin Unknown (Andy C and Ant Miles) married the iconic “long, dark tunnel” vocal sample (taken from the BBC’s QED TV show) with shuffling breakbeats and a necessarily deep and ominous bass line. Eerie synths completed the magic and ultimately brought jungle to a whole new audience, kickstarting the rise in global popularity of drum and bass.

In 2026 it still provides an excellent test of rhythm and timing, while you will certainly get an idea of how well your system delivers bass. Don’t be scared; turn it up and enjoy.

Words by Joe Cox

Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai

It’s fine, not everybody likes Jamiroquai. The Jay-Kay fronted group were a major force in the the development of acid and jazz fusion across the 1990s, blending cheeky, occasionally provocative lyrics with crisp production and a keen ear for a catchy chorus, gaining notoriety from danceable, fleet-footed hits such as Space Cowboy, Cosmic Girl and Canned Heat. Oh, and let's not forget Jay Kay’s endearing disco-dad dancing and assortment of outlandish headwear.

Whatever your disposition towards one of the defining funk acts of the decade, there’s no escaping Jamiroquai’s test room credentials. Want proof? We’re the proud owners of the group’s Greatest Hits CD, regularly giving it a spin whenever we want to see how well a CD player or hi-fi setup handles rhythms, cohesion, and Jay Kay’s flighty falsetto.

As one of Jamiroquai’s biggest hits, Virtual Insanity is a great place to start, with its breezy vibes belying darker concerns regarding the creeping encroachment of digital alienation. Funky!

Words by Harry McKerrell

The Distance by Cake

There is no other band that really sounds like Cake. That mixture of college rock, alt rock and singer John McCrea’s sardonic tone is unmistakably recognisable the second you hear it, and their standout single, The Distance, from the second album Fashion Nugget (which is filled with great tracks) is a perfect testament to their musical talents.

McCrea’s deadpan delivery shouldn’t work so well with the driving, snappy rhythm section, but it all contrasts and melds together in a melodic, cohesive way. It is, quite frankly, a bop.

McCrea’s lyrics take centre stage in the verses before the crunchy guitars and trumpet flourishes kick in for the big chorus, and coupled with the backing vocals and the odd synth sounds, it creates this wonderful melange of noise that is arch, inventive, rocky and, simply, just a great tune that never loses momentum.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

MORE:

Kick off your 2026 in style with our list of the 7 best test tracks getting us through January

8 of the best Bruce Springsteen tracks to test your hi-fi system

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

The dazzling lights of Las Vegas can often be overwhelming, so there's nothing better to bring you down to Earth than sitting in a $70,000 Mercedes Benz that's filled to the brim with tech, lighting and speakers.

That's exactly how I started my year, as I had barely digested my turkey and finished unwrapping my Christmas gifts before I stepped onto an 11-hour flight to Nevada to cover the biggest home cinema announcements of the year at CES 2026.

Among the companies I caught up with at CES was Dolby, which had plenty of exciting announcements regarding Dolby Atmos, and it also finally gave us a clearer picture of Dolby Vision 2.

I'm sticking with the former for now, as Dolby gave me one of my favourite Atmos demos in years, and it had nothing to do with movies.

I'm stepping out of my home cinema comfort zone here to talk about in-car audio, a subject area that I am frankly quite new to.

While I can appreciate a good sound system in a car after attuning my ears to countless home cinema surround sound systems, I've also sat in plenty of my friends' cars, which have Bluetooth speakers lodged into the cupholder due to malfunctioning stereo systems.

Therefore, when Dolby was talking me through its selection of Atmos-equipped vehicles, which were neatly arranged in the Dolby Live Theatre, I couldn't help but take its endorsement with a heavy dose of scepticism.

I mean, do you really need Dolby Atmos in your car? As it turns out, yes, you do.

I tried the immersive audio tech in two of the four cars on show; one being the Mercedes-Benz GLC (which featured a sound system from legendary hi-fi manufacturer Burmester) and the other a luxurious Cadillac Escalade IQ (outfitted with a sound system from AKG).

The Mercedes-Benz gets bonus points, as it's one of the first cars in the world to feature Dolby Atmos over wireless Apple CarPlay (with Apple Music), whereas previous Dolby Atmos-equipped vehicles have required users to stream music directly through the built-in infotainment system in order to access the immersive audio format.

My demos also included music being streamed directly from the cars' smart systems via the likes of Amazon Music HD and Tidal, and I was even shown an excerpt of the 1984 audiobook via Audible.

Despite my scepticism, the 3D audio presented in the cabins of both vehicles absolutely blew me away.

I was treated to a demonstration of a few tracks, including Pink Floyd's Money, Elton John's Rocket Man, Prince's When Doves Cry and Tiesto's BOOM.

All of these tracks sounded crisp, richly detailed and, most importantly, super immersive as every speaker in the cabin of the car was put to work.

Sound travelled organically throughout the car, with some effects even coming from the very back of the vehicle (literally from the boot, or trunk for our American readers) and travelling all the way up to the driver's position.

In the case of 1984, the included background effects were placed throughout the cabin in a way that transformed it into an immersive audio drama, putting me (who was luckily seated in the driver's position) directly into the centre of the action.

I immediately pictured a long road trip with my favourite playlist blasting through the Atmos-equipped sound systems of both cars. The plush leather interiors and huge screens helped to sell the vision, of course.

In all honesty, it makes sense that Dolby Atmos works well in a car. An enclosed cabin with speakers placed all around it is, in theory, the perfect environment for Atmos to thrive.

It requires a different level of processing compared to the usual home cinema setting that we're used to experiencing Atmos in; however, 3D music has been on the rise thanks to support from the likes of Apple Music, Amazon Music and Tidal.

Admittedly, Dolby Atmos music isn't for everyone. Hi-fi purists may take umbrage with the processing, and it doesn't work perfectly for every song. But as a long-time Apple Music subscriber, I've grown to appreciate the immersive audio format for music.

I should also mention that your mileage may vary (pun intended) depending on the track you use. Not all Atmos mixes are created equally, and I'm acutely aware that Dolby likely demonstrated these systems with the better Atmos mixes out there, but that's to be expected.

While the cars that Dolby was showing off at its CES presentation were outside of my budget (I'll be sticking to the London Underground for now), Dolby does have an aftermarket Atmos solution.

It's partnered with Pioneer for the launch of SPHERA, which can take the spot of your current car stereo system to enable Atmos with your car's existing speaker set-up.

The catch here is that very few cars out there have height speakers built in, but Dolby claims that a virtualised Atmos processing system, akin to the one found in Dolby Atmos soundbars that don't feature height speakers, such as the Sonos Beam Gen 2, will be used.

Will it rival the pricey Mercedes and Cadillac motors that I experienced at CES? Probably not, but having the option to enable Atmos on older vehicles is certainly a step in the right direction.

So, should you consider Dolby Atmos when picking your next car? If your budget allows, and you're serious about sound on the go, then absolutely.

However, it has to be heard to be believed, and I wouldn't blame you for being as sceptical as I was. There are, of course, more important things to consider when investing in a new car, but for audiophiles, this is a feature that's certainly worth looking into.

MORE:

Everything you need to know about Dolby Atmos

Listen to our favourite Dolby Atmos test tracks here

7 things I’ve learned testing in-car hi-fi for a decade

It's a new year, and you know what that means: new music! Ok, so Kate Bush, Diana Ross and Paul Simon don't technically count as 'new' anymore, although the term is somewhat relative (they're a lot newer than Mozart, say), but we hope that at least some of the tracks we've served up below are new to you, our dear reader.

In fact, 2026 might be a new year, but this month's edition of Now Playing clearly has us feeling nostalgic as we hurtle back through the decades to find golden oldies from the '70s, '80s and '90s.

Call us doe-eyed nostalgia merchants, but things were just better in the old days, right?

• Check out the full playlist on Tidal

Cloudbusting by Kate Bush

When an artist has as much talent as Kate Bush, it’s difficult to refrain from playing their records, either at home or in our testing rooms. Such has been the case for me with the Bexleyheath-born artist’s 1985 hit Cloudbusting.

It’s always interesting when artists successfully use melancholic elements to create a song that is ultimately uplifting, almost as if they are trying to create the feeling that something is bittersweet, and that’s exactly what Bush has done here.

The song begins with the combination of beautiful strings and Bush’s ethereal vocals. Any hi-fi system that relays plenty of detail will allow you to appreciate the incredible depth of both aspects.

Cloudbusting is definitely more focused around the mid to high frequencies, but it has some fantastic rhythmic elements, too. What’s especially notable is the interaction between the strings and drums once the latter hits for the first chorus to inject a bit more bounce.

Words by James Cook

Upside Down by Diana Ross

While the rest of us have been looking forward to 2026, you may have been surprised to see the UK charts looking back 40-odd years to the heyday of the 1980s. The phenomenon can, of course, be explained by the pop culture domination of Netflix’s Stranger Things, the final season of which has sent Prince, Tiffany and, of course, Kate Bush back into the charts, despite the tracks comfortably settling into middle age.

While I’m also partial to Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein’s Kids theme from the soundtrack, it’s the aptly-named Upside Down by the iconic Diana Ross that left an impression on me this time. A reported favourite of our very own King Charles, the breezy song zips along effortlessly thanks to a propulsive bassline and Ross’s confident, charismatic vocals.

It’s a stark contrast to the lyrics, which are a surprisingly layered look at being head over heels for someone despite infidelity. Nevertheless, the dancefloor staple is great for testing thanks to its range of frequencies and Ross’s impeccable timing. The anthem revived Ross’s career – perhaps it could help reverse the fortunes of a struggling audio company, too?

Words by Daniel Furn

I Hate Hate by Razzy Bailey

Have we ever needed this tune more than we do right now? If Razzy thought that in 1974 there was “so much hate going on today / on the right and on the left,” Lord only knows what he would make of the current political climate (he died in 2021, so sadly we’ll never know).

But whatever your politics, or your take on the song’s message, you can’t deny the quality of the musicianship (or the excellence of the name Razzy).

With its sweeping organ intro, breakbeat drums, spoken introduction and the sweet, sweet vocal, it really sits at the intersection of northern soul, funk, country and blues. On first listen, you might miss the finer details like the violin in the first verse and children’s voices that join in the chorus, but they’re there, and they all add to the track’s power.

The message that love conquers all might seem hopelessly naïve, but we can dream, right? And have a bloody good dance while we do so. It’s what Razzy would have wanted.

Words by Joe Svetlik

50 Ways To Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon

Sometimes the Spotify algorithm manages to pull an absolute blinder. As I was listening to a relaxing mix curated to my tastes, Paul Simon’s 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover caught me by surprise and had me tapping my toes from the first beat.

From there, it quickly became a go-to in the test room to challenge all sorts of AV kit. Featuring soft '70s folk and taking inspiration from afro-pop, it’s a track that manages to put multiple aspects of a system’s audio to the test.

During the verses, Simon's drummer employs just a bass and snare drum which asks for a huge amount of subtlety and nuance from your system, as the stick bounces off the drum with the delicacy of a dragonfly’s wing fluttering.

This is partly interrupted by Simon’s clear vocals as he mulls over the best ways to leave his partner, but a good sound system will still keep the drum beat in check with the necessary softness. As backing vocals kick the track into a more upbeat tone, the addition of backing vocals and an energetic drum beat creates an absolute hip-swayer that is hard to resist.

Words by Robyn Quick

Down On The Upside by Soundgarden

I love Soundgarden. No, I mean it, I really love Soundgarden. I love them as much as I love the cold side of the pillow, Christmas dinner or meeting a friendly dog. Prod me with a sharp stick and I’d tell you that they’re in my top two favourite bands of all time.

Back to the point. If you’re only casually acquainted with Seattle’s number one export (yes, I love Alice in Chains as well), it’ll probably be via their airwave-hogging anthem Black Hole Sun.

A worthy reason to have gained lasting fame, and few will encourage you to seek out 1994’s peerless Superunknown opus more than I, but it’s the oft-overlooked follow-up Down On The Upside that I regularly dust off for regular testing duties. Yes, it's a whole album, but there's nothing wrong with bending the rules once in a while.

Down On The Upside is a weird one, mainly because I don’t really deploy it to pick out any specific, tangible element for testing. Instead, it’s an album that just has a feeling, an ambience, a colour even; a sort of mournful malaise that puts me in mind of rust and decay, of big old empty rooms and American deserts at night, of an indefinable sadness that creeps into your veins and can’t be shifted.

Not particularly helpful from an outsider’s perspective, but useful on my end.

Just listen to it for yourself, will you?

Words by Harry McKerrell

Lost by The Church

Streaming often gets a lot of FLAC (badum tss) from vinyl snobs, but over my Christmas break, I was reminded of one of its best features: discovery.

Let me paint the scene.

Sitting at the umpteenth pre-Christmas house party, we’d hit that special, special time of night. The one that happens after we’ve all stuffed our faces with enough cheese and wine to make gout a genuine risk, and managed to put the kids to bed.

All eager to prove age hasn’t dulled our ability to party, we sit comatose, trying to find the will to finish our latest “last” mug of mulled wine, too groggy to converse properly but unwilling to be the first to call it a night. In this sad portrait of middle age, the hi-fi box blasts out tunes from a mysterious song radio mix on Tidal that no one remembers putting on.

In the haze, a track starts playing from a band I loved as a teenager, but had long forgotten, shakes me back to life: The Church’s Lost.

Utterly appropriate to the mood, with a transcendental, ethereal style that feels like what would happen if Pink Floyd and The Cure had a baby, I’ve since been hooked on the track and revisiting the band’s work in general.

Trust me, if you’re a fan of new wave, psychedelia or just fancy a solid, introspective band to enjoy during the year’s darker months, you won’t regret doing the same.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

POSTERITY by Ludwig Goransson

I have no idea what Tenet is about. That position likely wouldn’t change were I actually to watch what has become the misunderstood outlier of Christopher Nolan’s outstanding canon, as I’m yet to meet anyone who can tell me in less than five paragraphs what it’s about.

I do know, however, that the music is superb. Ludwig Goransson is fast becoming a sort of Hans Zimmer 2.0 (that’s very much a compliment), with Nolan recruiting his services once again for his 2024 masterpiece Oppenheimer. We all know how well that turned out. "Can you hear the music, Robert?”

POSTERITY is the track you want to go with, although you’ll need quite a bit of time to set aside. At nearly 13 minutes of enthralling build-up crammed with conventional instrumentation alongside some rather distinctively odd sonic quirks (is that a zither being whacked with a bit of old drainpipe?), it’s a treat if you want to see how your system conveys both small scale and big-picture dynamics.

Words by Harry McKerrell

As a collective, our review team listens to a lot of music. Sometimes we rely on old favourites with which we're familiar, but we are always discovering new tracks – be they fresh releases or just songs we haven't encountered before – that give us key insights into new products we are trying out.

We also know that plenty of our readers are on the lookout for new tunes, either to assess the capabilities of a new system or simply to show off the full talents of their established hi-fi set-up. That's why we have come up with our monthly 'Now Playing' playlist, a rundown of everything we've been listening to and loving recently, whether at home with a set of headphones or at work in our fabulous test rooms.

Each instalment will bring you a handful of tracks chosen by our reviews team, detailing why we love them and what they bring out of certain products. So even if you're not looking for new tunes to play on your system, we hope you find something you'll love no matter how you choose to listen to it.

We're always on the lookout for new music, so drop a comment below to share what you have been listening to!

MORE:

Read last month's edition: Goodbye, 2025! Check out 7 of our favourite test tracks of the year

8 of the best Bruce Springsteen tracks to test your hi-fi system

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

“Harry, of all the tracks you heard this year, which was the one you used the most for testing hi-fi?”.

OK, I’ve not technically been asked that particular question at all throughout 2025, but I imagine that at least one person has thought about asking it during the past twelve months. I’ve certainly pondered it, although I am admittedly someone who spends all of their time obsessing over the fact that Tidal doesn’t do official track play counts.

That said, I did have the pleasure of Tidal’s ‘Rewind 2025’ retrospective which, while not as in-depth as Spotify’s almost fanatically analytical rundown, did reveal that my top tracks of the year featured the likes of Slipknot, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Avenged Sevenfold, Nine Inch Nails, Chris Cornell, Massive Attack and, of course, Lady Gaga.

That list was also decently represented by our old hi-fi favourites Radiohead, with Codex (hidden gem), Everything In Its Right Place (classic) and Decks Dark (underrated) all making the final shakeup. Then, right near the top of the pile, was the tune I used for hi-fi testing more than any other.

Burn the Witch has been my most used test track of 2025. While it was released way back in 2016, it’s taken me a while to get on board with Radiohead’s most recent album, A Moon Shaped Pool, so the delights of its lead track lay as unused and underappreciated as a dusty tome lurking in the corner of a creaky attic.

What a test track I was missing out on. When I gave the tune its own entry on our March edition of Now Playing, I described Burn The Witch as “a prescient, adrenaline-inducing polemic whose ever-amplifying drama and deft-handed orchestration make for a fine challenge of a speaker's organisational and rhythmic abilities”.

Breaking down a breakdown

Let’s break this all down with a handy play-by-play to see why that’s the case.

The whole arrangement is built around strings, which in itself is unusual for a reasonably mainstream record, opening with brisk, metronomic violin stabs underpinned by deeper cellos resonating below.

While those violins do most of the work in giving the track a scratchy, frenzied feel, the overall production has, if you listen closely, a sort of fuzzy softness which only lends to its slightly surreal, unsettling appeal.

Thin, slightly synthetic drums pop in at around the 12-second mark, before Thom Yorke’s unique vocals arrive at around 30 seconds.

Stop listening after a few more seconds and, even at that early stage, you’ll have a decent idea of whether your system has the organisational abilities to keep those varied elements fully in order, while ensuring the song’s relentless forward momentum is being conveyed with appropriate precision.

Things continue to build until the 1:30 mark, at which point a woozy, dreamy interlude should give you a decent idea of how your hi-fi system or headphones handle a change in pace and mood.

The next marker you should be looking out for comes at 2:29, and if you’re seeking a shortcut for your testing convenience, this is it.

Here the final push kicks into gear, with a multitude of strings combining with fullness and intent as the pace seems to quicken and the anxiety dial moves from ‘slight unease’ to ‘I haven't got any fingernails left’.

By the time you’re at 3:20, you should be all but assaulted by a musical barrage overlaid by violent screeches of Psycho-esque strings.

The whole of Burn the Witch is a test of dynamics, both in terms of low-level distinctions between notes and those broader, bolder shifts as things build to a climax, but this is the moment when you’ll really see how much drama your system can produce.

Only the finest components are able to replicate fully the ever-growing assault mounted by that terrifying final third.

The Musical Fidelity B1xi amplifier, for instance, demonstrated an adept handling of those crisp strings and the timbre of Yorke's nervous crooning, but couldn't match the explosive drama of the track's final third as capably as the Award-winning Arcam A5+ thanks to the latter amp's more astute dynamic handling.

(Don't) panic!

This song really is all about feeling. We usually talk about test tracks tapping into those classic emotions – sadness, melancholy, happiness, the desire to tap your toes – but bringing out genuine anxiety is a far rarer thing.

It’s a tricky thing for music to elicit (unless you live on your nerves like I do), but it’s the fundamental marker of how well your system conveys the ever-building dread conjured by a song characterised by a relentlessly panicked, almost accusatory nature.

Burn the Witch has been my go-to test track for 2025, and will likely feature heavily in 2026. As a workout for all of the key fundamentals of what any hi-fi or headphones should be capable of communicating – rhythms, dynamics, textural details, organisation, emotional resonance – it’s hard to beat.

As this is the season of giving and goodwill, consider it my gift to you – I hope it serves you as well as it has served me over the past 12 or so months. Here’s to finding something even better in 2026!

MORE:

Goodbye, 2025! Check out 7 of our favourite test tracks of the year

Down with Spotify! These 6 independent music streaming services want a better experience for musicians and listeners alike

A big year ahead? 6 pairs of wireless headphones and earbuds I'd love to see in 2026

It’s the end of the year, and that means that, since you’ve been good, you can all wear casual clothes this Friday and bring in your favourite toy to share with the class. Just make sure you’ve got a label somewhere on your fire engine so we know it's yours.

It also means that it's time to share our favourite test tracks of the year in this rather special edition of our 'Now Playing' column. Each month during 2025, we have brought you the test tracks, new and old, which we feel deserve a place on your testing rotation.

Now, for one final time in 2025, we're collating the tunes that we think will get your system purring, providing it's up to the challenge. From Ghost and Deftones to Billie Eilish and Bon Iver, we're making sure this rollercoaster year goes out with a bang.

• Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal

The Package by De La Soul

Best known for their loved-up debut 3 Feet High And Rising, New York hip-hop group De La Soul have gone back to their roots with this single off their latest album. And it’s a doozy.

Like their classics The Magic Number and Eye Know, The Package is built around a catchy sample, in this case the chorus from Seven Years by Curtis Mayfield’s group The Impressions. Producer Pete Rock makes the piano loop almost hypnotic, punctuated by that irrepressible horn. Your system will need a good deal of clarity in the midrange to pick up on the finer details of some of the more obscure vocal samples (Cynthy Ruth was a new one on me).

That all said, I’m not sure about the visualiser video that accompanies it on YouTube. It’s all a bit Monty Python – I keep expecting a massive foot to appear and squash it all.

But sonically, The Package is a treat. And that’s what really matters, right?

Words by Joe Svetlik

Blue by Billie Eilish

While there are plenty of single tracks that I’ve been obsessed with this year – Doechii’s Denial Is A River, Tunng’s Didn’t Know Why, Kendrick Lamar’s They Not Like Us, Marion Black’s Who Knows – there has been an album that I have dipped into every time during testing this year.

No, it’s not KPop Demon Hunters (although that did get a lot of replay); it’s Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft. I got into Eilish a bit late, and I have to credit my colleague Ketan Bharadia for playing Blue during one review, and it has become a staple test track ever since.

The album’s recording is gorgeous: dynamic, polished, intricately layered and intimate. On Blue, there are lush details, hypnotic vocals, and a gripping, rhythmic momentum that deserve to be heard on a great sound system.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Infinite Source by Deftones

There’s a lot of nostalgia for 2000s metal and rock bands right now. Every big festival, from Download to Primavera Sound, seems to have at least a few acts from the era playing the big stage next year.

While even a greybeard millennial who survived them the first time around will admit most of them haven’t aged terribly well, or weren’t very good to begin with, Deftones are a rare exception. So much so that calling their latest album, Private Music, a comeback leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Always the cerebral card in the 2000s pack, the band has delivered a steady stream of thought-provoking bangers. Each with its famous hypnotic vocals and incredible interlinking guitar parts that create a distinctive “vibe” – one that’s instantly recognisable to any fan, no matter how long it's been since they last visited the band’s work.

This remains the case with its new 2025 album, Private Music, which is fantastic from start to finish. One track in particular stands out to me, though, and has earned a place on my most-played list this year: Infinite Source. Starting with a riff that instantly hooks you in, it mixes elements of the epic, iconic track Minerva from 2003 with the earlier, heavier work from the band’s self-titled debut album.

The result is a track that feels entirely fresh and accurately conveys singer Chino Moreno’s feelings, celebrating his sobriety while owning and taking responsibility for his chaotic past.

Whether you’re an existing Deftones fan or new to their work, it’s a fantastic song that’s well worth a listen.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Everything In Its Right Place by Radiohead

This track by Radiohead is undeniably the one I have used the most this year to test out a range of different AV kit. With its ethereal feel and synthy vocals, Everything In Its Right Place properly challenges a sound system from the first few seconds.

The glitchy audio-effects fade in slowly along with a boppy bass track that sounds like something straight of a sci-fi movie and, with a top-quality system, should create a swirling circle of sound around the listener. This is done by the various tracks flitting from one speaker to the other, immediately challenging how well the product can handle organisation and separation.

The chorus ramps this up even more as additional vocal tracks and alien-like buzzing are added to the mix, all layered over the same bass line from the beginning. After this dazzling crescendo, the track simmers down and is stripped to just fading vocals and the synth bass.

It’s a simply exquisite audio experience that makes you feel every note, as well as being a great way to give any sound system a run for its money.

Words by Robyn Quick

From by Bon Iver

I’ve been saving this song in particular for our end of the year test track round-up, because I knew it would be my favourite upon my very first listen.

Cast your mind back to our April edition of Now Playing, and you’ll find that I highlighted Bon Iver’s Walk Home as my top track of the month. In that entry, I implored readers to “keep an ear out for the full album – titled SABLE, fABLE…”. And I’m glad I did, because it turned out to be one of the best records of the year.

The highlight of the album is From, a smooth and melodic track that I’ve had on repeat ever since the album dropped eight months ago. I’ve been listening to it in and out of the test room, and it even soundtracked a week I spent in Tokyo earlier this year.

It features a soulful guitar intro from Mk.gee (whose album Two Star and the Dream Police I’d also recommend wholeheartedly), which gives way to Justin Vernon’s falsetto vocals that glide across the track with ease.

They’re backed up by harmonies that interject during the chorus, which blend with Vernon’s vocals to create a rich and textured-sounding motif throughout the song. The lyricism in this song is also rather special, with themes of acceptance and personal struggle throughout. “Don’t let it trouble your mind, just take my love in your time” are lines featured in the chorus, and I think they sum things up beautifully.

I’ve played From through a range of headphones, earbuds and speakers, and I find that the most important aspects to convey are a solid sense of timing and spaciousness. Allowing the harmonies to breathe and ensuring the percussion in the background is snappy ensures that the dreamy, airy nature of the song is preserved.

Words by Lewis Empson

Satanized by Ghost

Before the entire album from which it’s taken was fully released, I selected Ghost’s Satanized as one of my top testing picks back in June. I was fully justified in doing so – it’s been a go to banger in the intervening months for both personal and professional reasons thanks to its campy orchestral feel and ability to tease out your system's rhythmic capabilities.

Since that time, Ghost released the entirety of their 2025 record Skeletá. And, while it doesn’t hit the heights of their previous untouchable effort Impera, it continues to demonstrate a group that is capable of delighting and bemusing in near-equal measure.

Satanized is probably the standout, but there’s fun aplenty to be had courtesy of the catchy peppiness of Peacefield, the overwrought balladry of Guiding Lights and the tongue-in-cheek ridiculousness of Missoula Amori.

Rock ain’t dead, folks, and if it was, you can thank Ghost for its unholy resurrection.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Absolute Monster by Rene Lavice

As I’ve only recently joined What Hi-Fi?, I have been wracking my brain for tracks that I think would be great to use in our testing rooms. This process has taken me back to Absolute Monster, a song I hadn’t heard for about a decade but that still hits as hard as it did when it was released in 2013.

If you fancy putting the depth of your hi-fi’s low-end to the test over the Christmas period, this thumper from Canadian drum and bass artist Rene Lavice is a great way to do so.

Absolute Monster begins with pounding kick drums that almost feel like they bite. This gives you a glimpse of what is to come before a disjointed, almost terror-inducing backdrop slowly builds until you’re swallowed by a tidal wave of dark, dingy noise.

This track could easily be described as audible filth, and a system with plenty of low-end depth will allow you to bask in it. However, that build up to, and eventual crash of, that gloomy wave is an excellent way to test your system’s handling of dynamics and detail, too.

Words by James Cook

MORE:

Read last month's edition: check out the 8 spectacular tracks lighting up our test rooms this month

These 7 films have been dazzling us in our test room this month – and will give your home cinema system a workout

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

Lumin has unveiled a new flagship network audio player, the Lumin X2, which boasts a fully custom, bespoke DAC circuit and advanced streaming features for a high-end price point.

After years of R&D, Lumin has built its first in-house DAC architecture that uses individually selected components, which allows the brand to optimise every aspect of the digital-to-analogue process to a higher degree of precision in this streamer.

Replacing the Dual ESS SABRE32 ES9038Pro DAC used in the previous X1 model, the new Lumin Discrete DAC is tailored to work with the brand's streaming engine. It sits in a redesigned system with new circuit layout, power management and more precise clocking, all of which are “carefully tuned for maximum coherence, ensuring exceptional precision in network audio reproduction.”

Designed from the ground up, this custom DAC circuit works in conjunction with a fully customised Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Dual Femto Crystal Oscillators, and promises reduced timing errors, minimised interference and preserved channel separation.

Other features include a new output-buffer for greater clarity, detail and warmth, a dual-mono power supply for the analogue circuitry, and a high-quality lossless digital volume control that means you can connect the X2 directly to a power amplifier.

The X2 carries on key technologies and specifications that were introduced in Lumin's previous X1 flagship. At its centre lies Lumin's advanced streaming platform, which gives you access to all the popular music-streaming services, including Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and their Connect versions, along with Amazon Music and TuneIn internet radio stations.

Apple AirPlay is also on board, but as with other Lumin products, they don't include lossy Bluetooth here.

File compatibility is comprehensive, with support for hi-res files up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512, and you can stream from connected music libraries and servers stored on the same network.

You can control your connected music libraries and sources using the Lumin app, and the X2 is also Audirvana and Roon Ready certified.

As for physical connections, there are balanced XLR and RCA analogue outputs, while a USB port with native full hi-res and DSD512 support sits alongside a BNC SPDIF socket for digital outputs.

There are additional USB ports for connecting hard disks, flash drives and USB storage. An RJ45 Ethernet port is provided alongside an SFP Optical Network input that offers complete isolation from the rest of the network, and there is a built-in network switch.

The new flagship Lumin X2 streamer is available from December in natural or black anodised aluminium, with a matching outboard power supply unit. It will cost a cool £12,995 / $16,800 / AU$21,500.

MORE:

Read our Lumin U2 Mini network transport review

Our guide to the best music streamers, reviewed and rated

Check out the best early Black Friday hi-fi deals

I'll cut straight to it. Apple's AirPods Pro 2 have dropped to a record-low price of £169 at Amazon. That's an impressive £60 off their £229 launch price.

Despite being superseded by the AirPods Pro 3, the second-generation buds still boast clear, detailed and powerful sound, excellent noise-cancelling and a long battery life.

At this discounted price we'd absolutely recommend going with the AirPods Pro 2.

This Early Black Friday deal ends on the 1st December or while stocks last, whichever comes first. Tempted? We suggest you don't hang around.

Best Apple AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds deal

The AirPods Pro 2 represent Apple's triumphant entry into five-star territory after years of solid – but not quite exceptional – wireless earbuds.

These second-generation flagships finally deliver the complete package that places them alongside class-leading competitors from Sony and Bose.

At the heart of the Pro 2's success lies Apple's advanced H2 chip, which powers significant improvements across active noise-cancelling, sound quality, and battery performance.

The ANC capabilities have been dramatically enhanced, with Apple claiming twice the background noise reduction compared to the original Pro model.

In practice, this translates to impressively effective isolation that makes background chatter and transport noise fade to a comfortable murmur.

The earbuds themselves remain visually identical to their predecessors, but Apple has refined the experience with useful additions.

Touch-capacitive volume controls finally grace the stems – a long-overdue feature that responds reliably to up and down swipes.

The inclusion of an extra-small ear tip size broadens the fit options, too, while the USB-C charging case gains a built-in speaker for location tracking.

Sound quality represents the most significant leap forward, though. They deliver a richer, more powerful presentation that maintains Apple's signature clarity, while adding welcome weight and dynamic authority.

These earbuds demonstrate impressive versatility across genres, even if rivals like the Sony WF-1000XM5 offer even greater insight and rhythmic ability.

Overall, the performance feels more engaging and entertaining than previous AirPods generations as well, with improved rhythmic drive that keeps listeners hooked.

Voices remain a particular strength – from gravelly vocals to podcast dialogue, they deliver natural, focused reproduction that draws you into whatever content you're consuming.

Some iOS updates have also added valuable features, including Adaptive Audio, which intelligently adjusts noise-cancelling levels based on your surroundings. Conversation Awareness also smoothly reduces music volume when you start speaking.

Battery life is six hours from the earbuds with ANC active, with a total of 30 hours including the charging case – competitive, but not class-leading.

The seamless integration with iOS devices remains unmatched, with near-instant pairing and intuitive operation that simply works without requiring too much thought.

In short, at this reduced price of £169 at Amazon, the AirPods Pro 2 make a compelling case to take the plunge and experience five-star audio at a nicely discounted price.

MORE:

Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Apple AirPods Pro 2: which premium earbuds are better?

Our pick of the best wireless earbuds you can buy right now

Apple AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2: what are the differences?

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

When Spotify launched its long-awaited Lossless streaming quality in September, I quickly signed up for an individual Premium subscription.

A big part of this was for work reasons, of course – I need to use it, test it and hear how this higher audio quality tier compares against its key rivals Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music.

I signed up for a great two-months-for-£6 offer, with a mental note to cancel it once it ended in mid-November, as I simply couldn't justify having yet another music subscription on my monthly bill. Except, after not using Spotify for many years, I found myself rather enjoying the various playlists and recommendations as I rediscovered Spotify.

But most importantly, I got hooked on audiobooks.

Reliving the experience of reading Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels over audiobook has been an absolute joy over the past two months, and I have loved being back in the city of Ankh-Morpork and its multitude of characters and adventures, and having Pratchett's incredibly sharp wit and even sharper satire running through my brain. When it came time to either cancel or carry on with my subscription, I was still halfway through Making Money – I couldn't stop now.

But my delight was punctured. A day before my full-price individual subscription was set to renew, I got that dreaded email through: that Spotify will be increasing the price of the individual Premium subscription by £1. For me, this meant my bill would be going up from £11.99 to £12.99 per month, starting from January 2026.

And that's a shame. Unlike other streaming services, Spotify has been increasing its price nearly every year, with a £1/$1 price rise in 2023 in UK and US, and another rise in 2024 to £11.99 / $11.99 for the Premium individual plans. Music Business World reported in October 2025 – only a month after Lossless was launched – that UK and Switzerland customers would be facing yet another £1 increase in subscriptions, while noting that US customers can expect another price rise in 2026.

Spotify says in the email sent to me: “The price of Premium Individual is increasing so that we can invest in our product, develop new features and continue to bring you the best experience.”

While I acknowledge that this streaming service giant has more subscribers than its rivals, and the demands of maintaining the service as well as introducing new features have their cost, I'm not sure the frequency of its price rise necessarily reflects the new features – at least from the point of view of a music fan who prioritises sound quality.

The introduction of Spotify's Lossless quality, which offers higher-resolution file quality up to 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC across its catalogue, is a feature many years in the making. It was included as part of Spotify's Premium tier, at no extra cost – at the time of launch, on 10th September. While this is an improvement over Spotify's previous 320kbps max file quality, this Lossless tier still trails behind its rivals, which offer up to full-fat 24-bit/192kHz hi-res quality.

In our updated Spotify review, we gave the streaming service four stars at its £11.99/month subscription price, noting its many feature strengths, but also pointing out that its overall sound quality (and hi-res limits) still fall behind the class leaders Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music.

Besides Lossless, which is undoubtedly the biggest update to the streaming service for music and hi-fi fans, the service has included various other features, such as enhanced listening stats, more sharing options, an AI-driven DJ and various others. Sadly, none of these, for my personal use, seems big enough to warrant paying for a price increase yet again.

In comparison, when Apple Music introduced hi-res and lossless streaming quality across its entire catalogue, it didn't increase its standard subscription. Tidal also simplified its tiers and didn't change pricing when MQA files were swapped for FLAC files in its hi-res tier. Apple Music and Tidal both currently charge £10.99 / $10.99 per month for an individual plan. Qobuz is the only one to match Spotify with a £12.99 monthly subscription; but what Qobuz lacks in extra recommendations, stats and sharing features, it makes up for with a dedication to offering only CD-quality and higher streaming.

Spotify's plethora of recommendations, its annual Wrapped stats, and its audiobook and podcast offerings are an embarrassment of riches. But when I'm already subscribed to another (better-sounding) music subscription service, have one or two TV/film subscriptions, and I can get podcasts for cheaper elsewhere, I'm not sure I can justify sticking with Spotify in the new year when the price rise comes into place.

What about my new love for audiobooks? I'll have to simply pick up my well-thumbed Discworld novels from my bookshelf and read through them again. For free.

MORE:

Read our full Spotify review

Hi-res music streaming services compared: Tidal, Qobuz, Apple Music, Amazon and Spotify

Spotify snubbing spatial audio could be the smartest decision it ever makes

Halloween is over, people! The jack-o-lanterns who, like proud and ghoulish sentinels, once stood so proud as they illuminated front porches across the nation, now have turned to unsightly mush in the damp of that cold November rain. Spooky season is over and – say it quietly – the festive period approaches at speed.

Before we get to that, we still have November to enjoy – and what better way to accompany the month of light and smoke than with another raft of test tunes? What a diverse mix we have this month, from Tame Impala to Gunship, Killswitch Engage to the man himself, Marvin Gaye.

Either way, there's sure to be something in here that tickles your fancy. Expect there to be fireworks...

MaD worLd by Gunship

Some songs always seem to sound better when they are covered by artists other than the ones who wrote them.

All Along the Watch Tower may have been written by Bob Dylan, but walk into any bar and I’m guessing that, for most people, it's the Jimi Hendrix cover which springs to mind before Dylan's original rendition.

For me, Mad World by Tears for Fears is one such song. That’s not because the original is bad – I actually enjoy its juxtaposed nature with a bopping, rhythmically chaotic backing track distinctly at odds with its dark, almost goth, lyrics.

It’s just that the Gary Jules version recorded for indie hit movie Donnie Darko is oh so much more soulful.

This week, though, I heard a version that I will forever hold in yet higher esteem: the new cover by synthwave powerhouse Gunship. The cover is a darker, gloomy take on the song that uses the band’s diverse arsenal of synthesisers to great effect, creating a dynamic, emotive track.

The textured interplay between the parts makes it feel more complex than both better-known versions, managing to tug at your heart's nostalgia strings while at the same time still feeling fresh.

I strongly recommend any synthwave fan give it a listen. You won’t regret it.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

My Old Ways by Tame Impala

Tame Impala’s latest album Deadbeat comes a whole five years after their previous entry, but oh boy was it worth the wait. The entire album is well worth a listen, but there’s one track that stands out as an excellent entry for testing out a sound system.

My Old Ways starts with a recording of a piano and the lead vocalist singing along in an absent minded way, with the sense we have walked into an intimate rehearsal session.

Then we get a spine-tingling transition as the track seamlessly integrates a synth drum beat and the vocal track moves to the centre channel.

The lines “Here goes nothin’ / I know what's comin', ain't so shockin'” are repeated while layers of sound are slowly built up around it to create an incredibly effective beat that is simply a joy to hear on a good sound system.

This excellently executed track is not only a great addition to an already cracking album, but is a great way to test out your system’s channel integration.

Words by Robyn Quick

Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) by Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye’s 1971 album What’s Going On might be better known for its title track, but for my money, this little ditty is even more seminal. The album is Gaye at his most politically engaged and socially conscious, with tracks such as What’s Going On and Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) painting a grim picture of life for millions of Americans at the time.

And then comes this little beauty on the damage we’re doing to our environment.

Check out some of the lyrics: “Radiation underground and in the sky / Animals and birds who live nearby are dying” and “What about this overcrowded land? / How much more abuse from man can she stand?” Talk about on the nose. And this was in 1971, before global warming was a well-known concept.

As with most Gaye tracks, it’s a dream of a production, hypnotic in its wooziness, until – fittingly – it all goes a bit sinister towards the end. A true testament to the man’s talents for producing beautiful songs about ugly subject matter.

Words by Joe Svetlik

The Signal Fire by Killswitch Engage

Not only is The Signal Fire an absolute ripper of a modern metal track, there’s also an excellent story behind it.

Killswitch Engage began life and had their first hit (2002’s My Last Serenade) with Jesse Leach as frontman. Leach left after just two albums and was replaced by Howard Jones. Nine years and three hugely successful albums later, it became Jones’s turn to leave the band. His replacement? Original singer Jesse Leach.

Despite their shared history, Leach and Jones apparently weren’t close until several years after their second switcheroo, when a friendship belatedly blossomed. Leach, inspired by this new friendship, The Lord Of The Rings, and the name of Jones’s new band Light The Torch, subsequently wrote The Signal Fire for the two men to duet.

The track, which was released in 2019, is fan service of the finest kind; a perfect sonic blend of the Leach and Jones eras, with swooping vocals and guttural screams working in perfect harmony.

Despite the thrashing guitars and demonic growls, it’s a brilliantly uplifting song about camaraderie and, unless I’m much mistaken, the importance of asking for help rather than trying to go it alone.

A great track with a great story and a great message, then, and it sounds terrific on a properly sorted hi-fi system – particularly one that can deliver bass with both weight and pace.

Words by Tom Parsons

Breakers Roar by Sturgill Simpsons

Country tracks aren’t often found in my playlists, but Breakers Roar by Sturgill Simpson is the one major exception.

It features in a pivotal scene of our AV testing room’s top reference disc of 2025, Civil War; if you have seen the film, you’ll know the exact sequence I’m referring to. I’ve lost count of how many times I fired that 4K Blu-ray up over our Awards testing period, but it was enough to make this particular track leave a lasting impression.

Despite generally not being a fan of country music, not even I could resist this song’s stunning and unconventional instrumental sections, which feature dreamy, warbling strings that are unlike anything I’ve heard before.

It’s all underpinned by an unquestionably ‘country’ acoustic guitar riff that sounds warm and inviting against the sweepy, spacey effects that ride over the top. For me, though, the highlights of the track remain the alien-like orchestral sections.

Simpson’s vocals are presented in a hushed, dream-like manner, and with lyrics such as “so enticing, deep dark seas, it’s so easy to drown in the dream”, the entire track has both an unnerving and comforting quality to it.

The American public broadcasting network NPR called Breakers Roar a “surrealist lullaby”, and I can’t really think of a better way to describe it. If you haven’t watched Civil War, then I’d highly recommend doing so, even just for the sequence that features Breakers Roar.

Words by Lewis Empson

The Veldt by Deadmau5

“Lindsey, come here and listen to this!”

If you want to spend seven minutes of your life having a (comparatively) heart-warming time, search out ‘deadmau5 finds the vocals for The Veldt' on YouTube. The legendary Canadian producer is performing one of his frequent livestreams (the video is from early 2012), and stumbles across a vocal mix for one of his (at the time) instrumental tracks.

Those vocals belong to Chris James, and they would end up gracing a tune on Deadmau5’s third sixth studio release, Album Title Goes Here. It’s bizarre to think that the track’s core elements come together from such far removed origins, especially as James’s lyrics fit so perfectly with The Veldt’s mystic, ethereal feel.

Inspired by Ray Bradbury’s short story of the same name, The Veldt is an enrapturing progressive house mini-epic, characterised by layered electronic stabs and James's natural, sincere vocals, all underpinned by a metronomic, propulsive tempo.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Who Knows by Marion Black

I’ve been in love with this track for the past couple of months. Marion Black’s 1970s soul hit Who Knows is all smooth and lush tones, with gentle but rhythmically delightful instrumentation that’s just lovely to listen to.

The textures of the ’70s recording and Black’s silky, soulful voice transports you to the romantic past, with the whole world turning just a little golden sepia around you.

As a test track, I use it for checking how well a hi-fi product conveys that bygone era of recording – it should get the feeling and mood of its time period across, as well as relaying the easy fluidity of his mellifluous vocals.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers

Who said test tracks need to be overly complex? Ain't No Sunshine certainly isn't, it's just Bill's caramel vocals, a couple of simple guitars and one very chilled out drummer coming together to make musical magic. You wouldn't complain that a ham and cheese sandwich was too simple, would you? Or that a football was rendered dull because of its predictable shape. Circular again, how boring.

Ain't No Sunshine is all about feel. Despite its relative simplicity, the track has that gentle rocking that puts one in mind of a lullaby, a sort of blissed out rhythmic sway akin to the easy trot of a gentle mare or the rocking of a calm ocean.

That sway, that feel, rocking easiness, call it what you like, is precisely what an insightful system will reveal, unearthing the natural warmth and reassuring comfort of Withers' seminal tune. Absolute bliss.

Words by Harry McKerrell

As a collective, our review team listens to a lot of music. Sometimes we rely on old favourites with which we're familiar, but we are always discovering new tracks – be they fresh releases or just songs we haven't encountered before – that give us key insights into new products we are trying out.

We also know that plenty of our readers are on the lookout for new tunes, either to assess the capabilities of a new system or simply to show off the full talents of their established hi-fi set-up. That's why we have come up with our monthly 'Now Playing' playlist, a rundown of everything we've been listening to and loving recently, whether at home with a set of headphones or at work in our fabulous test rooms.

Each instalment will bring you a handful of tracks chosen by our reviews team, detailing why we love them and what they bring out of certain products. So even if you're not looking for new tunes to play on your system, we hope you find something you'll love no matter how you choose to listen to it.

We're always on the lookout for new music, so drop a comment below to share what you have been listening to!

MORE:

Read last month's edition: These are the 7 scarily good tunes we've been using for testing this month

8 of the best Bruce Springsteen tracks to test your hi-fi system

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

It's spooky season! The leaves have turned, the weather's getting worse (or better, depending on your perspective), and we're all getting re-acquainted with our favourite chunky sweaters. Summer, we hardly knew ye.

We haven't completely doubled down on the spooky tunes for this month's edition of Now Playing – there's a dedicated best Halloween test tracks rundown if that's your jam – but we have made a few nods to this very special time of year in the list below.

What all of the tunes have in common is that they'll shock your system into bringing its A-game, be that via brain-melting basslines or blissed-out progressive house beats.

Oh, and there's a tune from a plucky up-and-comer called "Taylor Swift", who has a new album out. Apparently, it's rather a big deal...

• Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal

Uh Uh by Thundercat

If you want a song that will make you question your life choices for just over two minutes, Thundercat’s Uh Uh will almost certainly do it to you. That’s because his fast-paced electric bass guitar playing verges on superhuman, as he effortlessly plucks the strings at an incredible speed.

This makes for excellent sound testing, as even the most premium soundbars and surround-sound speaker packages can struggle to get enough detail into every note. There’s really no hiding place here, with subtle changes in tonality and bass giving life to the track.

Quiet vocals accompany the drums and guitar, providing an extra layer of subtlety that can catch some systems out. Get it wrong, and the track will sound more like an undefined and jumbled mess.

The track's beginning also acts as a brilliant test for your surround speakers, as a distorted whooshing passes around the listener to create a dizzying tunnel of sound. While it may be short, Uh Uh will tell you everything you need to know about your speakers.

Words by Robyn Quick

The Fate Of Ophelia by Taylor Swift

In case you somehow missed it, a new Taylor Swift album has just been released, so of course I couldn’t help but highlight a track for this month's edition of Now Playing.

The Life Of A Showgirl is a lot glitzier and energetic than her previous effort, The Tortured Poets Department, which served up an onslaught of melancholic tracks, and while I still need time to assess this new album, I can already vouch for its opening salvo.

The Fate Of Ophelia opens with a deceiving bar of sombre-sounding piano that invokes the vibe of her last album, though it quickly gives way to a funky bassline which then opens up to an explosive, dangerously catchy chorus.

The track keeps up the pace from here, with a compelling storyline running throughout and a moody bridge that ramps up to one final punch of that infectious chorus.

It sets the tone for the album as a whole, leaning into the theatrics and energy that embodies The Life Of A Showgirl, and it’s an exceptional hook to get you invested into what surely must be one of the most anticipated records of the year.

Words by Lewis Empson

Zombie by The Cranberries

This month I went on a bit of a journey, revisiting Irish protest songs after watching Netflix’s latest divisive show about the Guinness family.

In doing so, I revisited one of my favourites tracks of all time, Zombie by The Cranberries, which also feels oddly appropriate given that the spooky season is upon us.

Written and delivered with fiery fury by lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, the song is a masterpiece from start to finish, full of emotive, evocative lyrics lamenting the violence in Northern Ireland at the time, in particular the tragic loss of children during an IRA bombing in 1993.

With changing dynamics, grungey, distorted guitar parts and shouted lyrics, the song is vastly different to most of the band’s other work and remains one of its best and most memorable to this day.

For hi-fi fans, O'Riordan’s incredible vocals, which rapidly alternate in both volume and pitch remain a benchmark only the best hardware will do true justice to.

Whether it’s simply to enjoy the amazing track, or give your separates a run for their money, If you haven’t heard it, I’d strongly recommend giving Zombie a listen, especially given its ongoing relevance in today’s troubled world.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Eyepennies by Sparklehorse

Eyepennies joins my list of sad/tender songs – alongside Nick Cave's Into My Arms, Elliott Smith's Between The Bars, and Tom Waits' Martha – that make truly terrific test tracks.

Why? It's less about specific musical elements and more about conveying the emotion of the song: the sombre weight of the track, the heart-achingly tender but definite piano notes, and the late Mark Linkous's whispery soft but carefully sung lyrics. PJ Harvey's guest vocals offer another dimension, but the steady repetitive beat is also a great test of a system's handling of rhythm and dynamics.

This song could easily sound monotonous or dreary through a less capable system, or not have the appropriate balance of weight and delicacy – it's a tightrope that should have your attention hooked to the song's narrative while also feeling every inch of emotion seep into your skin.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack

Some songs are just fun. There's no need to pick them apart to parse which note or instrument is faithfully conveyed through your headphones or speaker – they come through as a whole meal, concocted as a perfect pop song for pure enjoyment.

And KPop Demon Hunters has a whole soundtrack full of them.

The mega-hit animated film about a K-pop girl band fighting demons has a cracking soundtrack that I've had on repeat for the past two months – and I'm yet to tire of it. The triple threat of Takedown, How It's Done and Golden are absolute bangers that will be stuck in your head for days and weeks on end. They're propulsive, punchy, catchy and fizzing with energy. Just pure fun.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween by Muse

It's nearly Halloween, and that means it's time for scary movies, scary costumes and, if you can find then, even a few scary songs. While Werewolves Of London might be a bona fide belter, it's a little too simplistic to be labelled as test room fodder, so it's time to turn to our favourite Teignmouth trio for a scarily good time instead.

We included You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween as part of our best Halloween tracks to test your hi-fi system a couple of years back, and, like a zombie crawling from its earthy grave, it feels appropriate to resurrect it now that October is in full swing.

As far as guilty pleasures go, this is as much fun as Muse have been in a long while. A completely overdone pantomime of over-the-top guitar screeches and Psycho-inspired strings, you’ll want a system that can bring out the blend of anxiety and pure camp from the composition.

Words by Harry McKerrell

The Happy Dictator by Gorillaz

Gorillaz have been around so long they're essentially doing side quests at this point. It's not easy to keep up with the band's fictitious overarching story, a tale whose disparate plot points have included the commandeering of a piratical submarine, extended stints in prison and the establishment of a semi-Satanic cult in America.

Suffice to say that, as the title of the band's new track reveals, we're now on to the formation of a totalitarian dictatorship in an unspecified Eastern nation. It's a natural progression.

As the Gorillaz project has never been shy in bouncing around its bizarre narrative, the group has reflected such eclecticism in its musical output. This time, it's the Mael brothers, AKA Sparks, who have been recruited for The Happy Dictator, bringing their idiosyncratic, pleasingly camp electro-pop stylings to Gorillaz's latest release.

It's an odd one on first listen, a sort of airy, chirpy number that borders on the parodic. Once you can accept that's the whole point, of course, it's hard not to get it out of your head as Ron and Russell repeatedly sing, "Oh, what a happy land we live in / Oh what a happy land, oh yeah."

Faux propaganda has rarely been so catchy.

Words by Harry McKerrell

As a collective, our review team listens to a lot of music. Sometimes we rely on old favourites with which we're familiar, but we are always discovering new tracks – be they fresh releases or just songs we haven't encountered before – that give us key insights into new products we are trying out.

We also know that plenty of our readers are on the lookout for new tunes, either to assess the capabilities of a new system or simply to show off the full talents of their established hi-fi set-up. That's why we have come up with our monthly 'Now Playing' playlist, a rundown of everything we've been listening to and loving recently, whether at home with a set of headphones or at work in our fabulous test rooms.

Each instalment will bring you a handful of tracks chosen by our reviews team, detailing why we love them and what they bring out of certain products. So even if you're not looking for new tunes to play on your system, we hope you find something you'll love no matter how you choose to listen to it.

We're always on the lookout for new music, so drop a comment below to share what you have been listening to!

MORE:

8 standout tracks we've been enjoying in our listening rooms this past month

17 memorable hi-fi and AV products turning 25 in 2025

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

Fiio has launched its most affordable audio upgrade yet – a diminutive dongle DAC and headphone amplifier called Tiny that costs just £19.99/$19.99.

Promising to unlock hi-res audio playback from smartphones, tablets, laptops and even gaming consoles, it’s positioned as an unintimidating entry point into the dangerously wallet-busting audiophile world.

Despite its compact dimensions, the Tiny packs a DSP chip that enables 10-band parametric EQ adjustment via the Fiio Control app or web interface.

Users can fine-tune frequency response and gain settings, save custom profiles to the cloud, and share their tuning configurations with others.

The device supports PCM audio up to 384kHz/32-bit and DSD256 decoding, making it compatible with lossless and hi-res streams from Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music.

Fiio is offering two versions of the Tiny – the Tiny A features a 3.5mm headphone output alongside a USB-C port that supports pass-through charging at up to 2A/20V, allowing users to charge their device while listening.

The Tiny B replaces the charging capability with dual audio outputs – 3.5mm and 4.4mm jacks in a single-ended architecture – both of which can operate simultaneously for shared listening.

The plug-and-play device is aimed at wired headphones and IEMs, with its metal body using a T-shaped side output design to minimise cable strain.

It includes inline control support for headphone remotes and microphones, while an RGB LED indicates the current sampling rate.

The Tiny plays nice with Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux, and supports both UAC 2.0 and UAC 1.0 modes for compatibility with gaming hardware like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.

If that sounds like a tempting introduction to the world of DACs, you can pick up the Fiio Tiny now, directly from Amazon.

MORE

Best DACs 2025: USB, desktop and portable digital-to-analogue converters

Check out our Fiio M23 review

Best wired headphones 2025: the 7 top pairs tested by our review experts

Spotify Lossless may have grabbed the headlines in the music streaming world this month, but there are other popular streaming services and apps that have recently unveiled plenty of useful features that are designed to enhance your listening experiences.

Apple Music and Qobuz have cool new features in their respective apps – one focuses on evolving personalised recommendations, while a major software update introduces clever shortcuts, as well as a nifty lyric translation and pronunciation feature. In the hi-fi world, the BluOS control app – used with Bluesound, NAD, Cyrus and Dali streaming products – has a less showy but significant update for regular power users.

I've been exploring some of these new features this week, so here is a rundown of the most interesting updates from each platform.

Qobuz redesigns its Discover page and offers personalised Daily mixes

Qobuz has revamped its 'Discover' home page in the mobile app, which is now sectioned into 'Home' (everything), 'Editor's Picks' and 'For You' tabs.

The 'Editor's Picks' tab showcases new releases, playlists, albums of the week and more that are 100% human-curated selections by Qobuz's team of music experts. The 'For You' tab is more personalised to your listening tastes, and evolves as you listen. The Weekly Q recommendation playlist (which refreshes every Friday) is now joined by a new Daily Q playlist that is populated every day using Qobuz's recommendation engine.

Qobuz's editorial team also throws in a few surprises here, so it's not entirely algorithm-led. This means you'll get left-field suggestions that feel out of place if you're more used to Tidal and Apple Music's mixes, but it's great to see Qobuz offer more options for personalised playlists and tailored music to regular users.

You can also save Daily mixes as a playlist so that a great selection isn't lost the next day.

Additionally, there's a new Release Watch feature that highlights new releases from artists and labels you follow (Qobuz encourages you to follow more to make this more useful). And finally, a Spotlight feature focuses on one of your favourite artists, encouraging you to take a deep dive into their discography and peruse any related magazine content written by the Qobuz team.

iOS26 grants Apple Music a bundle of new features, including lyric translations

I just updated my iPhone to the latest iOS26 software and with that came a whole bunch of new Apple Music features. The menus and sub-sections have been given a fresh makeover in line with iOS26's 'Liquid Glass' concept, which results in a layered, more reactive and 'bubble-y' interface that works pretty well.

It's all rather slick, although I'm still getting used to the menu tabs disappearing when scrolling, and the search bar being at the bottom of the screen. There is also now a shortcut to open an artist's page in Apple Music Classical.

An AI-powered AutoMix feature is much hyped, which supposedly makes DJ-style smooth transitions between songs by matching beats, although I didn't find that this worked successfully in my existing (and carefully curated) playlists. The transitions between songs sounded a bit mushed, but perhaps I need to try another way.

I do like the ability to 'pin' certain albums and tracks at the top of my library, though.

One new feature that has impressed me is that you can now opt to see translations and pronunciation guides alongside the original lyrics. This means I now know exactly what they're singing, and how to pronounce the Korean lyrics, in the mega-successful KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. The font and layout are neatly done, and easy to follow along with the song.

Note that this feature isn't available for all songs – for instance, Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose and Kneecap's tracks all display their respective native French and Irish lyrics only. You'll need to look out for the little translation icon to see if it's available for any given song, and you can choose to show (or hide) either the translation or pronunciation, too.

Queue up songs and create playlists more intuitively with this helpful BluOS update

It's not just music streaming services that are offering new features; multi-room streaming and control app BluOS has added a 'Queue Builder Mode' that lets you queue up songs on the fly more easily, as well as edit, build upon and save these queues as playlists, without interrupting your music listening.

BluOS is the streaming platform for plenty of the best music streamers and hi-fi streaming systems, including models from Bluesound, NAD, Cyrus Audio, Dali and more. So if you have any one of the excellent streamers that use this platform – such as the Bluesound Node, the Cyrus 40 ST or NAD C 3050 – and enjoy building custom playlists, then this feature should be worth updating the app for.

This new mode "simplifies the way users build queues and playlists". When this mode is activated, you can add tracks as you're browsing (simply tap the plus sign to add to the queue) through connected services within the BluOS Controller app. You can even combine tracks from different streaming services here – it's a feature we are keen to try out when we next update the five-star streamers we have in our test rooms.

You can get the Queue Builder Mode in the BluOS 4.12 update, which also brings the all-important Qobuz Connect integration for supported models.

MORE:

Read our Cyrus 40 ST review

Spotify Lossless: release date, price and all the official details on the long-awaited higher-quality streams

This classic Elvis Costello tune is a great hi-fi test track – but not for the reason you might expect

Whenever we go into a deep dive of a particular track we think you should add to your testing arsenal, or we proselytise about the finest tunes we’ve been enjoying in our listening rooms for any given month, the same things to listen out for tend to come up time and again.

We’re looking for how your system can handle a range of given qualities and parameters, be they low-level dynamics, textural detail or the establishment of an emotional connection. Those things are generally easy to define, and you can whack on a range of tunes and see how your shiny new gear is stacking up.

This time, though, things are a bit different, as we’re looking for something that doesn’t always spring to mind when putting together a given set-up or selecting a new pair of headphones: how forgiving is it of unusual poor quality recordings?

It’s a question you might not have considered before, as many listeners can become convinced that all tracks are somehow recorded, mixed and edited in the same way. A moment’s pause, of course, exposes the true reality: not all recordings are born equal.

We put Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, for example, alongside the likes of James Taylor’s Sweet Baby James and Jay-Z’s The Black Album as some of the best-produced albums ever made.

It’s not just about how intrinsically good the music is, but how much care and attention went on behind the scenes – the ceiling for your hi-fi to bring out a given song’s qualities, then, tends to be rather high when the mix is up to scratch.

What happens, though, when your hi-fi comes face-to-face with something that’s a little harder to digest? What happens when it’s challenged to make the most of a mix that, in retrospect, leaves a little, or a lot, to be desired.

That’s where Elvis Costello’s Veronica comes in. Quite aside from being an up-tempo yet heart-punching melancholic tune about the younger days of a senior citizen with dementia in a care home, Veronica is a go-to test track for how your hi-fi or headphones manage when the going gets a bit rougher.

The version we use, incidentally, is taken straight from Costello's 1989 release Spike, and we're usually streaming from a decent source such as Tidal or, occasionally, Qobuz.

Veronica, great song as it is, is something of an esoteric recording, shall we say. It’s lean and thin, with a harshness, even a coarseness, to the production that can leave you feeling as though your ears are being scraped out by a drill.

Those snare drums can sound hard, even a little rattly, when they kick the tune into gear at the outset, while twinkling glockenspiel notes and a noticeably lean guitar threaten to tip things into excessive top-end brightness.

That can make it tough on the old earholes, especially when you’re listening to it at higher volumes or you’re using a pair of decent wired headphones that tend to dig up every musical aspect with forensic intent.

You need, then, a set-up that’s forgiving enough to ensure that your ears aren’t bleeding by the time that Mr Costello has started singing the first lines of the opening verse. Any excessive brightness within your system will only exacerbate the recording’s flaws, making the whole experience as enjoyable as putting your head next to a whirring buzzsaw.

Naturally, you’d think you'd want a product or set-up that can smooth over those rough edges, especially when scratchy guitars get peaky at the higher registers. That’s a helpful characteristic, but if that smoothness translates to a lack of energy or sharpness across other tracks, you’re rather cutting off your nose to spite your face.

What we’re aiming for, then, is a proper handling of transparency. A good product should be capable of showing the nature of a recording without highlighting its flaws, of bringing out the essential character of the tune without masking its core nature.

The wired Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X over-ear headphones do this brilliantly. We described those as being a “warts and all” set of cans, in that they refused to round off any hard or harsh edges but rarely shied away from showing, rather than over-egging, a particularly outlandish or challenging feature of any given source material.

As we said in our review, “The DT 990 Pro X don’t shy away from the industrial stabs and distorted high notes of Avenged Sevenfold’s We Love You, refusing to smooth over those harsher tones in favour of an informative, honest yet always entertaining approach.”

Those sentiments ring true when switching over to Veronica, of course – peppy ‘80s pop-rock is more palatable than experimental post-metal, too, which is part of the reason we're recommending it here.

In the world of proper hi-fi separates, the Fyne Audio F502S evidence a similarly canny balance. Like the DT 990 Pro X, they have the insight and detail levels to bring out what’s going on a track – be it good, bad, or anything in between – yet rarely will you ever feel as though any irksome elements are being exacerbated by their honest, insightful approach.

That’s what makes a track such as Veronica so valuable, in that it reveals an aspect of hi-fi that’s often overlooked but essential for your long-term enjoyment. It’s a really tough balance, too, with so many lesser candidates falling onto one side of the fence – excessive honesty or masking flaws so much that the the point of the music gets lost.

It's something that you may not have considered before, and if you've found your set-up or system straining you ears of late, or you're thinking of committing to a new piece of kit, it's an essential test for ensuring that you haven't invested in something that grates on your ears.

Feel free to use Veronica, then, as a sort of musical shortcut. Stick it on and, whether you're system matching various components or seeing how well run-in a pair of wired headphones are, you'll have a strong litmus test for whether the recording's flaws have become utterly fatal.

MORE:

We’ve reviewed hundreds of pairs of audiophile headphones – for most people, these are the only two pairs you need to consider

I've spent weeks listening to five-star wired headphones. Now, going back to wireless is nearly impossible

The ultimate music tracks to test your hi-fi system

When we first got wind of Spotify’s potential plans to offer a lossless streaming service, TikTok hadn’t taken off, Fortnite wasn’t yet a thing, and Taylor Swift wasn’t even one of the three biggest global superstars.

It was early 2017 and hopes were high among us audiophiles that the world’s most popular music streaming service would soon launch high-quality music streams into the mainstream. It didn’t.

In fact, it wasn’t until 2021 that Spotify officially announced it would start offering higher-quality streams by the end of that year, and infamously that didn’t materialise… until now, September 2025.

Indeed, at long last, Spotify has finally launched Spotify Lossless, allowing Premium subscribers to listen to the catalogue in audio quality up to 24-bit/44.1kHz, for no extra cost, on the mobile, desktop and tablet apps, as well as over Spotify Connect from compatible devices. Praise be.

The fly in the ointment

But hey, is that a fly I spot squirming around in the ointment? Ah yes, the 24-bit/44.1kHz thing.

You see, the quality of music streams (or any digital music file) is represented by bit rate (for example, 24-bit) and sampling rate (for example, 44.1kHz). When a recorded analogue audio signal is converted to a digital audio file, the bit rate refers to the amount of data that is processed per second, while the sampling rate represents the number of times samples of the audio signal are taken per second.

Essentially, the higher the number of both, the higher the audio quality.

Hi-res music is generally understood nowadays as that with 24 bits and a sampling rate of, most commonly, 44.1kHz, 96kHz or 192kHz. (You can get recordings beyond that quality, but it’s incredibly niche.) Again, Spotify Lossless delivers streams up to 24-bit/44.1kHz (2117kbps) – miles better than what it previously offered (320kbps).

But the quality of rival hi-res streaming services such as Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Qobuz goes all the way up to 192kHz (9216kbps).

So, have we really waited eight years for Spotify to get onboard hi-res streaming, only for it to still technically trail behind the others when it does? In a word, yes.

I don’t know why Spotify has chosen to impose this limit. To host hi-res streams, a streaming service must a) strike licensing deals with the record labels that own the music, and b) have the storage to host them, as well as the bandwidth capability to transmit them over protocols such as Spotify Connect, because hi-res files are bigger in size than lower-quality ones.

When the above can be met to host 24-bit/44.1kHz audio, how much extra legwork is really necessary to include 24-bit/96kHz and 192kHz streams? Perhaps something is eluding me here.

Either way, that technical shortcoming ultimately shouldn’t matter to most people for two reasons…

Why 44.1kHz streams are (more than) enough for most folk…

Firstly, most people listen to music streaming services on their phone. YouGov data for British streamers indicates that 52 per cent of streaming is on a phone, with laptops/computers and smart speakers together making up most of the remainder.

It’s reasonable, then, to suggest that most streaming is listened to through phones and laptops’ built-in speakers or, presumably, much more commonly, Bluetooth headphones and earbuds. In both cases, their acoustic hardware will not be sophisticated enough to reveal the extent of the sonic details in a 44.1kHz file anyway, let alone the extra details within a higher-quality one.

I would argue that this applies to every smart wi-fi speaker I’ve come across, and most mainstream audio hardware. Really, CD-quality audio (16-bit/44.1kHz) is probably enough for most devices and streamers out there.

With even the best Bluetooth headphones and speakers, it’s also important to remember that not even the highest-quality Bluetooth technology is advanced enough to transmit audio losslessly (without compression), again meaning that you won’t hear all the details within a 24-bit/44.1kHz file, let alone a 96kHz or 192kHz one.

Even with wired headphones fed by specialist digital audio gear (like a DAC), they would both have to cost several hundred pounds/dollars to be sonically transparent enough to reveal the differences between a 44.1kHz and a 96kHz or 192kHz stream.

Secondly, from what I understand and have seen myself over the years, most hi-res streams available are 24-bit/44.1kHz anyway; only the minority are available in 96kHz or 192kHz. So arguably, for much of what a Spotify Premium subscriber might listen to, they’re probably getting what a subscriber to another service is.

Are these two reasons why Spotify decided to stick with an upper limit of 44.1kHz? Maybe.

…but not everyone

That doesn’t fly for everyone, though. Many people out there, like me, will rightly be a little peeved that Spotify has shirked streaming support above 24-bit/44.1kHz, because they do have audio systems that are mature enough to reveal the extra details in the highest-quality music offered by those rival streaming services (and music download services and some SACDs).

And, therefore, why shouldn’t they be able to listen to a stream of Toto’s Rosanna (one of my favourites) in the very best possible available quality, 24-bit/192kHz?

We’re talking about a niche portion of music listeners out there, of course – but we do exist! And we remain better served by Tidal, Qobuz et al.

For everyone else, Spotify Lossless should be more than good enough. Enjoy the higher quality!

MORE:

Spotify Lossless: release date, price and all the official details on the long-awaited higher-quality streams

My laziness has been rewarded: Spotify HiFi (well, Lossless) is finally here

Hi-res music streaming services compared: is Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon or Apple Music better?

What is lossless audio? Is it worth it and do you need it?

The long, long wait is finally over: Spotify Lossless is here!

It's been four years since Spotify announced that it would be unleashing its so-called 'Spotify HiFi' subscription tier, and a whopping eight years since we first heard rumours that better-than-CD quality/high-resolution audio support could be on the way, leaving many of our editorial team wondering if the biggest streaming service in the world would ever actually make good on its promise.

We need wonder no longer. The newly announced 'Spotify Lossless' is now a reality and it offers audio streaming up to 24-bit/44.1kHz in FLAC across "nearly every song" in Spotify's large 100 million+ catalogue. That's just higher than CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz).

This Lossless upgrade is available to existing Spotify Premium (£12/$12 per month) subscribers at no extra cost (sorry, free tier users), and current users will receive a notification once Lossless becomes available.

Spotify Lossless will be available on mobile, desktop and tablet, as well as on third-party devices that support Spotify Connect.

Lossless works with Spotify Connect too, which is great news as so many hi-fi and audio products support Connect already. Launch partners include Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser, Denon, Marantz, Bluesound and Yamaha, with Sonos support available "in the coming weeks".

Of course, to enjoy full Lossless quality, Spotify recommends streaming over wi-fi or using wired headphones and speakers, or by using Spotify Connect to stream music directly to compatible products, as Bluetooth's limited bandwidth means the audio signal will always be compressed and lossy.

To enable it, users need to tap on their profile icon and then head to settings and privacy. From there, they'll have to tap on media quality and then select the option to enable Lossless quality – you'll have to do this for Wi-Fi, Cellular and Downloads options where needed. You’ll know it's switched on when the Lossless indicator appears in the Now Playing view or bar.

Spotify's big announcement is massive news for the streaming market. We've always admired Spotify for its usability, innovative nature and excellent discovery features, but sound quality has taken a step back as rivals – Tidal, Qobuz, Apple Music – have offered better-sounding streams thanks to hi-res quality being available as standard as part of their current subscriber plans.

It will be interesting to find out how the sound quality of Spotify Lossless compares to its current five-star rivals.

Spotify Lossless will roll out incrementally to more than 50 countries throughout October, with premium subscribers in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US, and the UK already starting to get access from launch.

That, of course, includes the What Hi-Fi? team, so we'll be testing it and updating our Spotify review in due course once we get access.

MORE:

Spotify Lossless still trails behind its hi-res streaming rivals – but that won’t matter for most people

Spotify Lossless: release date, price and all the official details on the long-awaited higher-quality streams

Check out the best music streaming services around

The full story: an excruciating timeline of our 8-year wait for Spotify HiFi

What is lossless audio? Is it worth it and do you need it?

My laziness has been rewarded: Spotify HiFi (well, Lossless) is finally here

It's official: the AirPods Pro 3 are finally here.

Apple has unveiled the next generation of its flagship wireless earbuds at its 'Awe dropping' event today, 9th September. The new AirPods Pro 3 succeed the five-star AirPods Pro 2, after three long years since they first launched.

We are promised "breakthrough audio performance", a refined design that promises better fit than before, longer battery life, and improved ANC that promises to be twice as effective as that on the Pro 2.

Apple says the AirPods Pro 3 promise a considerable step up in sound quality, including "breathtaking spatial listening". We are promised a sound that "brings vocals into stunning focus", along with transformed bass response, and a widened soundstage.

The Pro 3 feature a "custom multi-port acoustic architecture, which precisely controls the airflow that carries sound into the ear.”

In terms of active noise-cancelling, Apple is taking aim at Bose in wanting to offer the world's best ANC performance, with ultra-low noise mics and advanced computational audio claiming double the ANC quality as on the AirPods Pro 2.

Apple says the Pro 3 are four times as effective at eliminating noise compared with the original AirPods Pro.

We also get new foam-infused eartips to improve passive noise isolation.

Battery life has been extended, too. A single charge with ANC turned on gives you eight hours of battery life, up from six hours on the previous generation. This expands to 10 hours on a single charge when in transparency mode, which is especially useful for those using the AirPods as hearing aids.

The wireless earbuds themselves have been redesigned and reshaped to be better-fitting. Over 10,000 3D ear cans were analysed to optimise the fit, making them smaller than before.

The Pro are set to be the "most stable and best-fitting" AirPods ever, claims Apple, and they now come with five different sizes of eartips to help, including a new XXS size.

Water- and sweat-resistance has been updated to an IP57 rating, and there is a small sensor in the earbuds that senses your heart rate during workouts. The hotly anticipated live translation feature powered by Apple Intelligence has been introduced in the Pro 3, too.

The AirPods Pro 3 are available for pre-order now, with global shipping from 19th September. Most importantly, the price has remained the same at $249. Even better for those in the UK, the AirPods Pro 3 are going to cost lower than before, at £219.

The outgoing AirPods Pro 2 cost £229 / £249 / AU£399 at launch, so the new Pro 3's price being so competitive while its rivals are closer to £300/$300 is quite impressive.

MORE:

Read our full AirPods Pro 2 review

Our guide to the best wireless earbuds you can buy right now

Apple is gunning for Bose with the AirPods Pro 3, and I’m here for that battle

I'm hyped about the AirPods Pro 3 for 6 key reasons – starting with their price

Summer's almost over, or at least, it is if you live in the UK. The nights are drawing in, the leaves are turning brown (rather prematurely, it has to be said), and we're all preparing to hunker down for the long slog that is the British winter. See you in eight months, sun!

While that's bad for our tans and probably not much better for our mental wellbeing, it does mean that we'll be spending a lot more time inside, glued to our hi-fi or welded to our favourite headphones. That, inevitably, means lots and lots of listening (and lots of fodder for next months' edition of Now Playing).

Not that August's generally lovely weather stopped us from discovering lots of new test tracks, mind. You can't keep us away from a sound system, with the tunes below giving our test gear a good going over in the warmup to winter. Don't pull a muscle!

• Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal

Euro-Country by Cmat

“I think we’re gonna' diе trying, I wish we weren’t this way”.

You might think this lyric seems like something right out of a break-up song, but you would be mistaken. Instead, Euro-Country acts as a yearning to feel connected to one’s homeland and a struggle with identity.

It begins with lyrics in the Irish language, and Cmat has crafted a song that’s part love-letter, part political anthem. It’s hard to pin the genre down as well, with aspects of country, folk and pop emerging as it goes on.

Her wailing vocal performance is incredibly moving, with emotion and rage seeping through every note. As the drums reach their crescendo, for example, Cmat matches this energy with a furious cry that ends with “It was normal building houses that stay empty even now".

Cmat’s full Euro-Country album has just been released, so I’ll be strapping in for some (hopefully) excellent tunes.

Words by Robyn Quick

Won't Be A Thing To Become by Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld

This is a test track that we have used numerous times over the years, but I still can’t quite get a handle on it.

It’s a two-hander between saxophonist Colin Stetson and violinist Sarah Neufeld. The way each instrument’s distinct tone, timbre and textures remain clear and insightful while also dovetailing into each other when it comes to the rhythmic structure of the piece is something that is very difficult to get right, even with very capable hi-fi equipment.

What is important is to feel the deep, rich tones of the opening notes and layered subtleties of the strings, and to lose yourself in the otherworldly and slightly unsettling, moody composition.

The instruments should be delivered with a physical and visceral feel through the very best hi-fi, while also having a controlled, agile and dynamically expressive hold over the ebb and flow of the track. It’s a mesmerising tune, and definitely worth repeated plays.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

The Rope by Wunderhorse

Indie rock band Wunderhorse has been serving up grungy bangers for a few years now, but I’m ashamed to say that they have snuck under the radar for me until recently.

Formed in 2020, the band saw success with its 2022 album Cub, which contains the visceral track Teal – also worth a listen. Since then, they have supported some of my favourite artists, including Sam Fender and Fontaines D.C.

The group's latest offering, The Rope, leans into the edgy sound that they have established for themselves, though it's balanced out with a catchy guitar riff that cuts through the heavy track to superb effect.

It’s exciting and moves at a decent pace, with lead vocalist Jacob Slater’s lyrics piercing through with a raw and emotive quality that ties this record together perfectly.

Lyrically, The Rope feels fairly heavy. It is introspective and desperate, with the chorus hinging on Slater frantically pleading “don’t let go of the rope”, though that is swiftly followed by a reassuring and almost uplifting sentiment of “and if you’re rolling easy, go steady / You gotta' do what you do to get along”.

That's in keeping with the rest of Wunderhorse’s discography, which can be thematically weighty at times, but I think it solidifies their raw and pragmatic sound.

Play this track through a pair of earbuds or headphones that can balance the roughness without sounding abrasive or unkempt, and you’ll find plenty to like.

Words by Lewis Empson

My Mind Is A Mountain by Deftones

Has it really been five years since Deftones released their last album? It sure has. Not only was the recording of Ohms completed during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was released when the infamous ‘Rule of Six’ restrictions were in place in the UK. Crikey, what a strange time that was.

Their 10th album, Private Music, has just been released, marking the longest that the band has ever taken between albums. Perhaps that’s why it sounds so polished – and why it feels like the quintessential Deftones record.

There’s nothing envelope-pushing, genre-bending or style-mutating here. Private Music suggests that the band has done its evolving and has settled on what Deftones is. This is Deftones at their most Deftones-y, and it’s excellent.

This is typified, as you would hope, by album opener My Mind Is A Mountain. Sudden, brutal heaviness; chugging guitar riffs; propulsive percussion; soft, sweeping singing and contrasting, emotionally strained shouting – it’s everything you want from Deftones distilled into a three-minute track, and it sounds lush and dramatic through proper hi-fi.

Words by Tom Parsons

In A Silent Way by Joe Zawinul

The jazz enthusiasts among you may be looking at the artist listed here and getting confused.

Though pianist and keyboardist Joe Zawinul is the original composer of In a Silent Way, it was taken by Miles Davis, who is generally considered more famous in mainstream music, and used as the titular track of his 1969 album of the same name.

The catch? Davis thought Zawinul’s original work was a little too complex and chose to simplify the composition and cut entire sections – a move that led Zawinul to re-record the piece with a different band and his original composition a year later.

That’s the version we have here. This gives it a more haunting feeling in my mind, with the beautiful, slow-burning track alternating between modal and diatonic passages built on the E major or A major scale leaving an intentional sense of ambiguity.

On top of this, with a beautifully played soprano sax lead, that is masterfully backed up with a complex keyboard section that intertwines rumbling low and sparkling high parts, it’s a masterclass in composition that demands a decent hi-fi setup to do it true justice.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Lonely Night in the Park by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen has been on something of a streak recently, releasing a wealth of music he recorded but, for whatever reason, chose not to release, over his long and storied career.

I’ve always had a soft spot for The Boss, and found a sea of hidden gems in the releases, including Rain in the River, about which I wrote a separate feature.

But his most recent lost track release, Lonely Night Park, is by far my favourite. The wonderfully composed track was released on the 25th of August to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of his iconic Born to Run album.

According to Springsteen the track was “heavily considered” to be included on the album, but for undisclosed reasons didn’t quite make the cut. Listening to the newly released 1975 studio outtake from Springsteen’s Born to Run Record Plant sessions, I honestly can’t understand why it was cut.

Featuring an upbeat, booming backing track expertly delivered by the E Street Band along with Springsteen’s energetic, narrative-led vocals it’s a powerhouse demonstration of everything that made me fall in love with The Boss as a teenager and continue to listen to him over 30 years on.

Whether you're an existing Springsteen fan or newcomer to his work, this track is well worth a listen.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Jealous Type by Doja Cat

The complete antithesis to my rocking recommendation above, I have also been listening non-stop to the latest single from pop star/rapper Doja Cat. Jealous Type is a synth-laden dance-pop banger dripping in glittery ’80s disco influence, which appears to be the theme Doja’s upcoming album, Vie.

The funk-inspired bass riff that underpins this track is my favourite part, and it demands a pair of headphones or earbuds that can deliver taut and precise bass to make it truly shine. That strong bassline requires a system that doesn’t stumble where timing is concerned, as the song can easily lose its lustre if your audio gear isn’t striking the beat with precision.

Doja Cat’s sparkling layered vocals glide effortlessly over the densely packed melody, which contrasts said bassline rather nicely. An early section of the track that layers Doja’s lyrics over producer Jack Antonoff’s vocals is a standout, and it sounds particularly good on a pair of headphones that sonically lean on the richer side.

Spatial separation is also a must with this track, as it can otherwise sound ill-defined on a less-talented set of headphones or a middling Bluetooth speaker, ultimately resulting in its slick production being lost within a jumble of digital effects.

Done right, however, this track shines as a modern pop anthem.

Words by Lewis Empson

Mirrors by Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake might not be the hottest property in music any more – he has rarely been what you might call a 'credible' pop artist (not that kind of pop artist) in the same vein as an Elton John, say, or a Prince Rogers Nelson.

You might think NSYNC were just another generic boyband, or that Timberlake's earlier work was soft R&B fluff watered down for a mainstream audience. You may even think that 2011's Friends with Benefits was a bad movie (you'd be dead wrong on that one, you fool).

Think all of those things if you will, but don't tell me that Mirrors is anything short of a pop masterpiece. The penultimate salvo from 2013's The 20/20 Experience is outrageously well crafted, and when you've got a proper system to give it its due, the track's bold, brassy synths knock you for six before switching to snappy, Jackson-esque verses leading into that anthemic falsetto chorus.

Pop tunes can often be throwaway or breezy affairs, but Mirrors demonstrates that there's nothing wrong with genuinely orchestral bombast amid the more lightweight fluff.

Turn it up loud on a capable setup and the results are utterly breathtaking.

Words by Harry McKerrell

MORE:

Read last month's edition: 6 test tracks we've been playing in the What Hi-Fi? listening rooms this month

These are the best audiophile headphones for getting the most out of your music

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

When it comes to music streaming, Apple Music is my weapon of choice. Cheaper than Spotify, it features a much nicer interface and, most importantly, provides greatly improved audio quality with access to Dolby Atmos.

That's why I've stuck with it for more than 12 months now, despite being a serial switcher of streaming services. Overall, I have very few complaints as I find the service is constantly improving; there is one feature, however, that I wish Apple would borrow from Spotify.

Now, I should preface all this by saying that I am deep into the Apple ecosystem. I have an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K and an Apple Watch, and generally speaking, I'm a huge fan of how everything is interconnected.

That being said, I feel as though I am hitting a roadblock when it comes to controlling my music on multiple devices. For example, I often use my iPad or Apple TV 4K to stream music, but sometimes I need to skip or pause the track, often when I'm busy doing something else.

This is where I often think of whipping my phone out to pause, or tapping my watch to skip to the next track instead of rummaging around for my Apple TV remote – only then to remember that Apple Music doesn't sync playback across all my devices.

In times like this, I am reminded why Spotify Connect is truly one of the best music streaming features around.

The synced cross-platform playback that shows universal media controls on the Spotify app, regardless of which device you're streaming on, is something I wish every music streaming app had, especially Apple Music.

The ability to play music on my streaming device, wireless speaker or even my PlayStation 5 and pause, skip or adjust the volume using my phone makes things so simple and easy.

Considering Apple puts such an emphasis on its connected ecosystem, I'm surprised that AirPlay hasn't seen progression similar to Spotify Connect. Admittedly, it is capable of streaming video, which is a huge bonus, but controlling AirPlay still feels a bit clunky compared to the slick and cohesive experience of swapping tracks on Spotify Connect.

Apple Music is set to get a handful of upgrades with the upcoming iOS 26 update coming to iPhones and iPads very soon, but no such feature was mentioned at WWDC earlier this year.

Spotify still remains on the back foot due to the lack of high-resolution music streaming, but when it comes to a slick wireless streaming experience, it takes the upper hand compared with Apple Music.

MORE:

Read our full Apple Music review

And check out our picks for the best music streaming services

As well as our list of the best wireless speakers

One of the most exciting products revealed at High End Munich show earlier this year was the Eversolo Play streaming amplifier: a neat, compact unit that combines amplification, streaming and various inputs into one box – you simply have to add speakers.

More interestingly, there is a CD Edition with a CD drive included, and it's this Eversolo Play CD Edition that we have in for review.

Our review process can take many days (sometimes weeks), but with a feature-packed product like this, there are plenty of features, settings and specs that surprise us or pique our interest when we start setting the product up. So below you'll find a handful of cool features on the Eversolo Play CD Edition that stood out to me during the first day of the testing process.

Of course, my colleagues and I on the review team will be spending plenty of more hours and days listening to the Eversolo Play CD Edition to bring you the full details of its performance, but for now, here is a small taste of what this versatile streaming amplifier offers.

1. It's not just a CD player, it's also a CD ripper!

The CD drive in the Eversolo Play CD Edition can play CDs (but not SACDs, Eversolo has confirmed). But I also learnt it doubles up as a CD ripper.

Load up your CD and you'll find an option to rip the album appear on the screen – once selected, the Eversolo goes into CD ripping mode.

It's a straightforward and pretty swift process, with the display showing you all the options and progress at every step. I particularly like the animated graphic of the CD album (in our case, Weezer's Green Album) turning alongside the progress bar.

You have the option to rip the CD in FLAC or WAV formats, while the unit can also fetch metadata such as album artwork and track names – just make sure the Play is connected to your network.

Where do the ripped CDs go? The Play has 32GB of internal storage, so once the ripping process is finished, you simply have to head to the File section, select the Music folder, and you'll find your ripped CD tracks waiting for you there, ready to be played.

Another neat trick: long-press on the ripped CD album folder (on the unit's touchscreen display, just as you would on a smartphone), and you get options to rename it or even delete it entirely from the Eversolo Play CD Edition's storage.

2. You can play hi-res and lossless Apple Music tracks natively

Apple Music (in)famously doesn't integrate its streaming service into third-party hardware, so you tend to have to rely on AirPlay (iOS only) or Chromecast (for Android) to stream your Apple Music playlists to a hi-fi streamer.

The problem is, AirPlay 2 is still a lossy protocol that doesn't support lossless or full hi-res streaming, despite Apple Music's library being full of hi-res and lossless quality tracks.

Eversolo has a solution, in that it essentially allows you to download the Android app version of Apple Music directly on to the Play (under the App section), meaning you can access Apple Music just as you would on your smartphone – and it unlocks lossless and hi-res playback.

While it doesn't display sample rate and bitrate data in detail as with Qobuz Connect or Tidal Connect streams, our review sample shows that a stream of Waxahatchee's Right Back To It is being played at PCM 96kHz, while playing They Might Be Giants' The Mesopotamians switches to PCM 44.1kHz.

At first, you do get the usual Android app pop-up information about needing an external DAC to play full-fat 192kHz files, but you can disregard this in the Eversolo Play as it will natively play up to 24-bit/192kHz. We will be exploring this further during our full review.

Make sure you select the Hi-Res Lossless tier in Apple Music's sound quality settings (you can do all of this directly from the Play's screen) to get full-fat hi-res lossless ALAC files played directly from Apple Music.

3. "Listen At Will" feature will play "randomly recommended" songs – but it really is random

Here's a fun feature I've not encountered before. The Eversolo Play (and CD Edition) has a "Listen At Will" option, which will "automatically play randomly recommended tracks from both logged-in music services and your local music library.”

I am logged into my Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal accounts on our review sample and the unit can see our local Naim server full of CD-quality and hi-res digital files.

Now, I initially took this to mean that this feature will play from our saved playlists – any favourited songs, or songs on heavy rotation – or at least, something quite familiar and oft-played.

But the selection here is truly random, and the Eversolo offers a completely different experience from the algorithm-led shuffle feature on most streaming services.

I've spoken with our Eversolo contact and they said this feature is very much designed to be fully random, to "deliver surprising musical discoveries". I quite like this novel approach, and more time with the Play will tell if this "lucky dip" feature does throw out surprise new favourites I never would've otherwise discovered.

At the moment, our sample unit keeps playing Weird Al Yankovic songs. I can't remember the last time any service has recommended his work to me – it must be years! The "Listen At Will" feature did play The Streets' Turn The Page and a few other unfamiliar tracks, but oddly, every other song – so far – has been a Weird Al parody track.

Either way, at least it has a sense of humour.

4. Its built-in phono stage works with MM and MC cartridges

Plenty of all-in-one streaming amps these days include a phono stage. Whether it's the Ruark Audio R610, the NAD C 3050 or Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE, you'll find a moving magnet (MM) phono stage built in to cater to the still-booming vinyl revival.

In the Eversolo Play CD Edition, its built-in phono stage also works with the more premium and audiophile-friendly moving coil (MC) cartridges. It's unusual to have MC compatibility in this kind of product, let alone at this kind of price point, as good MC models tend to start around £400 and above (see: Ortofon Quintet Blue and others on our best cartridges list).

The Cyrus 80 AMP coming out later this year is the only other streaming amp I can think of that offers both MM and MC support, and that's set to cost between £5000 to £6000.

For the considerably more affordable Eversolo Play to offer both MM and MC support here is quite the bonus – it's nice to have the option here for those who want it.

We haven't tried this unit's phono stage's quality yet, so stay tuned for the verdict in our forthcoming review.

5. So many display and light customisation options

The first thing I did after connecting the Eversolo Play CD Edition to our test room's network and speakers was to log into all my music streaming services.

The second thing I did was to delve into the control app and unit's settings to marvel at the multitude of display options for the large 5.5in LCD touchscreen.

There is so much to choose from. There are multiple layouts for the 'Now Playing' screen available, from minimal album artwork to detailed information about sample rate, bit depth and file type alongside the usual artist, track and album names.

You can also choose to have the popular retro VU meter displays (there are multiple styles and colours to choose from) or go very 80s with a choice of spectrum graphics.

It's not just the screen that you can customise. There is a lovely, subtle RGB light ring around the volume dial, and you can choose from over a dozen solid and gradient colours to suit your tastes and style.

It's perhaps rather superficial, but I think these customisation options allow you to have a bit of fun (or even keep things entirely minimal) when using modern streaming products like this Eversolo.

6. It's double the price of the WiiM Amp Pro – will it be double the performance?

Most of the streaming amplifiers we tested previously cost about £1000 and above, but more budget options have recently popped up.

The recently reviewed WiiM Amp Pro is the cheapest streaming amp we've tested at £399 / $379. Its clear, detailed, lively and enjoyable performance earned it four stars.

At £699, the Eversolo Play CD Edition is double the price of the Amp Pro, occupying a larger footprint than the WiiM but also retaining the appealingly compact and square dimensions.

Interestingly, both units are powered by Class D amplification and have a claimed rating of 60 watts per channel (into 8 ohms). Numbers alone aren't an indication of actual sonic performance, of course, with both brands emplyoying different DACs and their circuitry and tuning will be different – but we are curious to find out just how much of a step-up the Eversolo will be and if the Play CD Edition will require different speaker partnering to get the best out of it.

We'll investigate it further during the full review process, so stay tuned for our final verdict in the coming weeks.

MORE:

Read our WiiM Amp Pro review

Check out our guide to the best CD players

I tried Lorde’s transparent CD in 7 different disc players – but did it play on any of them?

I’ve been using Apple Music for 10 years, and this one hi-fi feature would make my listening complete

Sony's ability to deliver a five-star pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones is undeniable; just look at its legendary WH-1000XM series, each of which has scored five stars, stretching back to 2017's WH-1000XM2.

Fast forward to the present day, and it has a handful of options from the range still on sale – one such model being the WH-1000XM4 from 2020.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, these wireless cans had been my ride or die travel companion, accompanying me on flights, coach rides and train journeys all around the world.

It might sound silly to become sentimental about a pair of headphones, but they quickly became my favourite piece of tech in my collection. The thought of replacing them became somewhat blasphemous; what could possibly compare?

Sony failed to tempt me away with the WH-1000XM5, in part due to their bulky carry case and fragile design, but it has worked some magic with the newly launched WH-1000XM6.

I was living in blissful ignorance until audio aficionado and fellow Senior Staff Writer, Harry McKerrell, waltzed into the office with the swanky new XM6 headphones.

Naturally, I was eager to have a quick demo to see if they could tempt me away from my beloved XM4 headphones. Unsurprisingly, they turned out to be really quite good; good enough that I started to question if it was time to take the leap and upgrade.

To help me decide, I borrowed them for the perfect longer-term test: not one but two, five-hour train journeys.

What I liked...

The biggest and most obvious upgrade that comes with the XM6 headphones is the improved sound quality. Naturally, two generations of upgrades result in a more refined performance.

I played a few of my favourite albums in full on Apple Music – Taylor Swift's Evermore, The 1975's Being Funny in a Foreign Language and Bon Iver's SABLE, fABLE – all of which sounded exceptional on these headphones.

These are albums I've listened to countless times on my XM4 cans, and I could instantly tell the difference with the new model.

The XM6 headphones sounded richer and more dynamic, and deliver greater detail – no surprise as they earned the full five stars in our review.

Voices sounded textured and natural, while lower frequencies were presented with ample punch. It's practically impossible to pick holes in how these headphones sound and to deliver such a clear upgrade on the XM4 was no mean feat.

The next crucial step is comfort, and the XM6 scored even more points here. The headband felt plush enough that I didn't feel it dig into my head for any of the 10 hours I spent travelling to and from Cornwall.

Furthermore, I didn't find the clamping force to be too aggressive; I have quite a wide head, so this can be a make-or-break for some headphones.

I tend to wear these headphones with the headband fully extended, and in that position they feel perfectly comfortable.

Next up is battery life. I had these headphones powered up with noise-cancelling activated for the entirety of my first train from Reading to Penzance; that's five hours and ten minutes.

Despite the lengthy listening session, the headphones had only dropped to 90 per cent, and I'm fairly sure they weren't at 100 per cent capacity when I started my journey. Impressive.

And I needed to have noise-cancelling turned on, as a shrieking child was sitting a few rows behind me for the majority of my return journey; thankfully, the XM6 blocked this out with ease, which I greatly appreciated.

Finally, the portability factor is back to the same level as the XM4. The XM5's lack of a folding mechanism was a dealbreaker for me, so I was thrilled to see Sony create a workaround that meant the slick new design was also functional.

Sony also gets bonus points here for including a fantastic case. The magnetic clasp is satisfyingly snappy, and it allows for quick access to the headphones – nice.

What I didn't like...

While I think that these headphones are an overall slam dunk from Sony, there are a couple of minor gripes I have with these latest-generation headphones.

Going back to comfort, I did find that the earpads got quite warm during use, and consequently a bit sweaty; sorry, it has to be said.

Sure, we are at the height of summer in the UK, but I've worn my XM4 on various crowded trains in the summer months and haven't really noticed this before.

My second and only other gripe is more of a personal preference, and it's to do with touch controls.

These touch controls, which involve swiping and jabbing the right earcup, are well-implemented on the XM6, but I'd still prefer physical volume controls. For me, the physical power button here still feels preferable to the touch controls.

So, should you upgrade?

The Sony WH-1000XM6 aren't a vital upgrade if you're currently using the WH-1000XM4; the older pair still provides excellent sound in a comfortable and stylish package.

However, practically every aspect is enhanced on the newer model, which makes them clearly superior and a satisfying upgrade should you want the latest and greatest experience.

I love how the XM6 headphones sound, and the new design has won me over thanks to its excellent portability and rather lovely case. This is why I'll be sticking with the newer pair and bidding my XM4 cans a tearful goodbye.

Understandably, this approach won't work for everyone; it's no secret that there is a pretty major price disparity between the headphones right now. The WH-1000XM6 are a hair under £400, whereas the WH-1000XM4 are quite literally half the price at £199.

The bottom line is that both of these pairs of headphones will satisfy any music lover or avid traveller. If you're happy with your XM4, then there's no need to rush out and buy the new model. But if you've caught the upgrade bug like I have, then I'm certain you'll be a satisfied customer with the newer model.

MORE:

Read our full Sony WH-1000XM6 review

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM4: which noise-cancelling headphones should you buy?

And check out our picks for the best noise-cancelling headphones

Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal

It's been a mixed few weeks for music fans.

Metal maniacs mourned the death of Brummie legend Ozzy Osbourne at the end of July, Tyler the Creator dropped a new album from pretty much nowhere, and Nine Inch Nails released their first new music in five years with a sampler from their soundtrack to 2025's Tron: Ares sci-fi sequel.

We even had a not-so-small music scandal courtesy of AI-generated group The Velvet Sundown hitting a million hits on Spotify. Well, humanity had a good run...

This month's edition of Now Playing pays tribute to such a turbulent time, at least to a small degree.

There's no AI-generated music on this playlist (and there likely never will be!), just everything from classic pop to a groovy summer classic and a spicy pick from the UK's most divisive group.

And yes, there is, of course, a nod to the recently departed Prince of Darkness.

God's A Different Sword by Folk Bitch Trio

It’s rare that I come across a brand new album, let alone a brand new artist, that instantly captures my attention.

Folk Bitch Trio are a folk/indie act whose debut album, Now Would Be A Good Time, only came out a couple of weeks ago and the first track – God’s A Different Sword – immediately won me over.

The young Australian trio’s harmonies are outstanding. They each have lovely vocals on their own but put together, the harmonies are incredibly layered, textured and soar high into the ether.

It’s a lush, acoustic sound; intimate while also allowing plenty of space for their vocals to luxuriate. That they are high school friends perhaps affords them an extra layer of closeness and cohesion, while there is a maturity to their tone that feels impressive for a debut LP.

Some songs are in danger of meshing into one another, but the tracks where their beautiful harmonies are the focus, such as the first track and another personal favourite, That’s All She Wrote, really leave their mark.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

The Wizard by Black Sabbath

Last week Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, father of metal and all round music legend, died, which is why I found myself feeling the need to revisit one of my favourite albums featuring his iconic vocals: Black Sabbath's original self-titled masterpiece.

On this stellar record, full of bangers and credited as the origin point of all metal – heavy, sludge and everything else in between – there is one song that holds a special place in my heart: the album’s second track, The Wizard.

While it is not as famous as the band’s breakout success, Paranoid, it’s the first track I heard from Sabbath and one of the main reasons I love metal as a genre to this day. Starting with a haunting harmonica intro, it's a brilliant example of what made the group so special.

With a thundering bass part provided by Geezer Butler, a tight but powerful drum section by Bill Ward, and topped with Ozzy’s immediately recognisable vocals and Tony Iommi’s lead guitar, I challenge anyone to make it through the track without head banging.

If that wasn’t enough, according to Butler, the song is about Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, which automatically makes it even cooler.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson

Whatever your views are on Jackson, you can’t deny that, during his golden period, he and Quincy Jones were pumping out arguably the finest pop music the world had yet heard.

Off the Wall. Wham. Thriller. Smash. Bad. Wallop. Three back to back classics, and all worthy of a place in your collection – if, of course, they’re not there already.

I could’ve gone for pretty much anything from this enviable glut of creative wonderfulness, but it so happens that Smooth Criminal has been lighting up our test rooms over the last few weeks.

Let’s be honest, you probably already know why it’s such a titanic piece of pop perfection. Jackson’s superb vocal gymnastics. The track’s ever-changing, ever-evolving use of various styles and moods. Jones’ pinpoint production. That outrageously entertaining central hook. Those slap-you-in-the-face percussive stabs.

Put them altogether and you’ve got a proper masterpiece that hasn't aged a day.

Words by Harry McKerrell

As Alive As You Need Me To Be by Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails are a band synonymous with experimentation and being at the forefront of the industrial music genre.

With Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross back together releasing new work under the name for the first time in five years courtesy of the group's latest single, As Alive As You Need Me To Be, it’s clear why.

Released earlier this month off the back of the band revealing their Peel It Back tour dates, the track is a tour de force of everything that made Nine Inch Nails’ work so iconic.

It’s the third song from the Cleveland group's upcoming Tron: Ares film score, which is set to tell the story of humanity’s first meeting with AI beings.

Featuring dynamic composition that mixes grooving synth parts with Reznor’s iconic growled vocals and an EDM-inspired rhythm section, it’s an incredible track – especially if you’re a fan of Nine Inch Nails' older work.

The rapidly shifting dynamics and mixed time signatures also make a demanding song that will really push any hi-fi system’s precision, dynamism and tonal balance.

Whether you’re an established Nine Inch Nails devotee or a complete newbie, I’d strongly recommend any music fan give it a listen.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Summer Madness by Kool & The Gang

This track is so mellow it hardly bothers to get started. A world away from the disco cheese that Kool And The Gang became known for, Summer Madness just simmers for the majority of its four-minute run time, and is occasionally cut through by its soaring synth. True, the end of the track does build to a climax, but for the most part it creates a lazy mood perfectly befitting its summer vibe.

It’s also as great a test of your system as any of Kool And The Gang’s end-of-the-night foot stompers. There’s a lot of subtle detail to be dug up away from the main synth work, and come synth time there’s nowhere to hide for your system’s treble.

It’s also one of the most sampled R&B tracks ever. Think Summertime by Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (it’s even referenced in the lyrics) and You Know How We Do It by Ice Cube, but it’s also been used by Erykah Badu, Aaliyah, Snoop Dogg, Gang Starr, Paul Hardcastle and many more.

Not bad for a song that can barely be bothered to get out of bed.

Words by Joe Svetlik

Yes by Coldplay

Yes, it’s Coldplay, ok? Let’s just get this over with from the onset, shall we?

I make no apologies for recommending a track from the most divisive British group since Oasis – in fact, if everyone’s going to go all wet-eyed over the reunion of the Gallagher brothers like they're the saviours of music, I don’t see why I shouldn’t indulge in a bit of Coldplay as part of my current test rotation.

Just drop your preconception and give Yes a chance. A far cry from the middle of the road safety of 2005’s X&Y, Yes represents the more Avant-garde direction Coldplay took with 2008’s enjoyably bombastic Viva La Vida.

Big, lush strings veer up and down as tingly guitars twang away underneath Chris Martin’s surprisingly meaty, confident vocals, making for a composition that feels as front-footed and creatively confident as anything the group has done before or since.

If the likes of Speed of Sound and Clocks have you reaching for the cyanide, the refreshingly off-kilter approach of Yes might be right up your street. Very... un-Coldplay, shall we say.

Words by Harry McKerrell

MORE:

Read last month's edition: eight test tracks that have been playing on repeat in the What Hi-Fi? test rooms

These are the best audiophile headphones for getting the most out of your music

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

Apple Music has been my go-to streaming service for the last ten years. I started using it as soon as the streaming service launched on 30th June 2015 – our original review (five stars) went live the following month – and I've not stopped using it since.

It helped that I already had a sizeable iTunes library, and figuring out how my downloaded and ripped files would behave when moving over to a streaming-first service was useful during our original review.

In fact, Apple Music remains the only product for which I've read the T&Cs in full – as Apple was tight-lipped about certain specifications (such as the bitrate songs were streamed at), and trawling through the fine print for additional information was necessary to discover them (answer: 256kbps AAC, during launch).

Apple Music's interface, excellent catalogue and integration with iOS devices, not to mention its very intuitive algorithm for music recommendations and expertly curated playlists, have kept me in good company for the last decade.

It sounds good, too. While Tidal sounds punchier and more detailed, and Qobuz offers greater clarity, I still find that Apple Music sounds, well, musical when played through headphones, wireless speakers and hi-fi streamers. It's clear, dynamic, well-balanced and sounds particularly natural and emotive with voices.

Since launch, Apple Music has grown swiftly to compete with streaming giant Spotify in catalogue (over 100 million) and it boasts 93 million paid subscribers, while – more importantly to us at What Hi-Fi? – it also made spatial audio mainstream and introduced 24-bit hi-res lossless tiers (from 48kHz to 192kHz sample rates) – at no extra cost.

In fact, while rival streaming services have increased their prices multiple times or have different pricing for different audio quality tiers, Apple Music has only implemented one significant price rise for its main individual tier. It started at £9.99 per month; it's now £10.99 per month.

I always reach for Apple Music when I'm listening on headphones or through Bluetooth speakers, especially when at home. At work, however, I tend to use Tidal Connect and Qobuz Connect – not just because of their better sound quality (which makes testing products easier), but also because the Connect version of those streaming services makes streaming to hi-fi kit so much easier, and I get to listen in hi-res quality.

Hi-res streaming has evolved – AirPlay needs to catch up

In fact, when Apple Music celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this month, I was musing on what I'd like to see changed or improved about the platform. And I quickly realised that what I wanted wasn't anything to do with Apple Music itself, but with AirPlay. Indeed, this Apple wireless protocol is in serious need of an upgrade.

Streaming products are becoming more common these days, and the ability to stream in 24-bit hi-res quality is also becoming more widespread as music fans want better quality sound. It's not just wireless speakers that boast Bluetooth, AirPlay or internet radio; network music streamers from WiiM, Eversolo, Bluesound, Cambridge, all-in-one systems from Ruark, Naim and more do, too – and they now support Tidal Connect or Qobuz Connect, or both!

We use a Naim streamer in our hi-fi test rooms, while I use a WiiM Pro Plus in my home hi-fi system – being able to stream music from Qobuz/Tidal in hi-res quality over a network so easily, and without my phone's apps or notifications affecting the playback makes for a rewarding music listening experience.

AirPlay, in comparison, is lagging behind. AirPlay is already integrated into a huge number of third-party wireless speakers, streamers, music systems, AV receivers and more. Unlike many of Apple's iOS-only features that remain within its own ecosystem, AirPlay is widely available for all.

It's a shame, then, that it hasn't evolved into a Connect version that would allow Apple Music's subscribers to enjoy their library in a more streamlined and higher-quality way.

The most recent update, AirPlay 2, brought us multi-room playback, which was necessary for its HomePod speakers, but I hope upgrading AirPlay to a full Connect model is something Apple will consider in the near future.

A Connect version of AirPlay would elevate the Apple Music experience

AirPlay 2 is a wireless protocol that allows you to stream music (and video) content from your Apple device over your home network to supported products, and claims to deliver 16-bit/44.1kHz quality streams. It's a big step up, both technically and sonically, over super lossy Bluetooth.

Unlike other streaming apps, Apple doesn't allow for Apple Music to have integrated support in third-party hi-fi kit – so you have to rely on AirPlay to stream Apple Music tunes (especially from an iOS device; Android users can use Chromecast) in better-than-Bluetooth quality to your chosen hi-fi streamer.

(The one exception here is Eversolo, which allows you to download the Apple Music Android app directly onto its streamers, which allows you to play in full hi-res.)

However, with AirPlay, the songs streamed come via your smartphone or tablet rather than from the streaming service's servers in the cloud – so if you close the app on your phone, have a call coming in, or play a video, it will interrupt and affect playback.

In comparison, the Connect version for both Tidal and Qobuz sends music straight from their servers to the connected hi-fi product, leaving your phone free to be used as you wish and solely as a remote, with no interruptions affecting the playback. It's such a smoother experience.

This is the main upgrade I'd love to see implemented in the next iteration of AirPlay. It would make so much more sense and streamline the protocol's use when streaming my Apple Music library to hi-fi products.

Will we ever see full hi-res support over AirPlay?

The second update I'd still like to see is one that we've mentioned before. Apple Music's catalogue has songs in lossless hi-res (24-bit) quality, but there is still no way to wirelessly stream that quality, either to its own AirPods or, via AirPlay, to hi-fi or wireless systems.

Apple Music's hi-res files are in the ALAC lossless format (an alternative to FLAC). However, when streaming using AirPlay 2, this gets downsampled to the lossy AAC format (a Bluetooth standard) – which means at no point are you ever getting to enjoy the hi-res or even full CD-spec lossless quality that the 100+ million songs are available in from your Apple Music library.

You can still access it if you go wired all the way, with a DAC in between your Apple Music source and endpoint – but that defeats the point of a wireless ecosystem, and seems retrograde when hi-res wireless is now available more widely.

And while I can live with AAC quality when listening to my AirPods Pro over Bluetooth, I feel shortchanged when I'm streaming to a network player or wireless system – be it WiiM, Naim, Ruark or any other AirPlay-supporting kit – and I can't hear my well-curated Apple Music library and playlists in hi-res quality like I can with Qobuz Connect and Tidal Connect.

The advent of Qobuz Connect earlier this year made the difference all the more stark, and proved just how much a Connect version of AirPlay would bring

I understand that Apple wants to prioritise seamless connection and integration across its own devices and when using its own technology, and AirPlay does offer that with success, even if it's at the expense of dropping audio quality.

The majority of Apple users likely don't care about codecs or bitrates and would rather their products simply worked smoothly 100 per cent of the time. And I agree here, too.

As part of the smaller percentage who does also care very much about getting the best sound quality from your kit, however, I simply wish for better.

We at What Hi-Fi? are big fans of Apple's tuning and balance with its current audio products (AirPods Pro 2 and Max, HomePods, iPhones) – imagine how much better it could be if Apple pushed the needle even further and started to think about delivering true hi-res (and hi-fi) audio quality?

For those of us who use Apple Music as their main streaming source and would love to hear its full quality through our excellent hi-fi kit and catch up with rivals, we can only hope that Apple decides to get a little more audiophile when thinking about AirPlay 3, and delivers a fully Connect-style version as a proper upgrade.

Let's hope it appears before another decade passes for Apple Music, though!

MORE:

Read our full Apple Music review

What is AirPlay 2? How it works, and what speakers and devices support it

Qobuz Connect: what is it? Which products support it?

Apple's AirPods Pro 2 have dropped to £189 at Laptops Direct, delivering a solid £40 off their £229 retail price.

While not quite matching their £179 Prime Day deal from a couple of weeks ago, this is still a great chance for those who missed out – most retailers put them back up to their regular price post-Prime Day.

Best Apple AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds deal

The AirPods Pro 2 represent Apple's triumphant entry into five-star territory after years of solid – but not quite exceptional – wireless earbuds.

These second-generation flagships finally deliver the complete package that places them alongside class-leading competitors from Sony and Bose.

At the heart of the Pro 2's success lies Apple's advanced H2 chip, which powers significant improvements across active noise-cancelling, sound quality, and battery performance.

The ANC capabilities have been dramatically enhanced, with Apple claiming twice the background noise reduction compared to the original Pro model.

In practice, this translates to impressively effective isolation that makes background chatter and transport noise fade to a comfortable murmur.

The earbuds themselves remain visually identical to their predecessors, but Apple has refined the experience with useful additions.

Touch-capacitive volume controls finally grace the stems – a long-overdue feature that responds reliably to up and down swipes.

The inclusion of an extra-small ear tip size broadens the fit options, too, while the USB-C charging case gains a built-in speaker for location tracking.

Sound quality represents the most significant leap forward, though. They deliver a richer, more powerful presentation that maintains Apple's signature clarity, while adding welcome weight and dynamic authority.

These earbuds demonstrate impressive versatility across genres, even if rivals like the Sony WF-1000XM5 offer even greater insight and rhythmic ability.

Overall, the performance feels more engaging and entertaining than previous AirPods generations as well, with improved rhythmic drive that keeps listeners hooked.

Voices remain a particular strength – from gravelly vocals to podcast dialogue, they deliver natural, focused reproduction that draws you into whatever content you're consuming.

Some iOS updates have also added valuable features, including Adaptive Audio, which intelligently adjusts noise-cancelling levels based on your surroundings. Conversation Awareness also smoothly reduces music volume when you start speaking.

Battery life is six hours from the earbuds with ANC active, with a total of 30 hours including the charging case – competitive, but not class-leading.

The seamless integration with iOS devices remains unmatched, with near-instant pairing and intuitive operation that simply works without requiring too much thought.

In short, at this reduced price of £189 at Laptops Direct, the AirPods Pro 2 make a compelling case to take the plunge and experience five-star audio at a nicely discounted price.

MORE:

Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Apple AirPods Pro 2: which premium earbuds are better?

Our pick of the best wireless earbuds you can buy right now

Apple AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2: what are the differences?

Apple's AirPods Pro 2 are enjoying a tempting discount during the Amazon Prime Day sales event, with the tech giant's flagship earbuds now available at their lowest-ever price.

For just £179 at Amazon, you can grab this five-star pair of the best AirPods with a £50 saving on their usual retail price of £229 – that's the best deal we've seen on them all year.

As an Apple user myself, the AirPods Pro 2 are my go-to wireless earbuds, and I've been using them daily for the past three years. Apple's flagship in-ear buds are splendid performers, especially for iOS users, and with plenty of free feature updates in the last couple of years keeping them fresh and up-to-date.

This fantastic £50 discount doesn't come around very often, so you'll have to act fast to secure this limited time deal.

Best Apple AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds deal

The AirPods Pro 2 are the earbuds that finally brought Apple into five-star territory after a swathe of four-star reviews from us. For us, they're the best in-ear AirPods you can get right now – apart from the over-ear and far more expensive AirPods Max that are also five-star winners.

The AirPods Pro 2 excel in pretty much every key area of wireless performance. We're talking a competitive total battery life of around 30 hours and intuitive use with iOS devices, as well as solid voice call quality and wireless charging capabilities.

Then there's the AirPods Pro 2's very capable noise-cancelling, which, while not quite on the same level as Bose's best, dampens external noises in a way that feels natural and adapts smoothly according to your surroundings.

You also get full spatial audio, user-friendly conversation mode, neat touch controls, and plenty of additional iOS-only features – including health-related features such as a handy hearing test.

Sonically, the AirPods Pro 2 are hugely entertaining, even if newer rivals such as the Sony WF-1000XM5 offer even greater insight and rhythmic ability. There's clarity and detail to be found on the Apple buds, but what impressed us during our tests was how rich and powerful the Pro 2 were capable of sounding.

They're also rhythmically adept, adding a feeling of drive and propulsion to tunes and giving your music the energy and momentum it needs in order to feel truly exciting.

As we stated in our review: "We knew Apple was serious about sound when we heard the AirPods Max headphones, and it’s fantastic to see it bring that level of quality performance to the more affordable AirPods Pro range."

There is no shortage of steep competition at this price point from Sony, Bose and B&W, but the AirPods Pro 2 remain a friendly, feature-packed and great-sounding pair of wireless earbuds, especially if you are ensconced in Apple's ecosystem.

And they're even better value thanks to this superb deal price of £179 at Amazon – snap them up before this deal disappears!

MORE:

Shop all of the Amazon Prime Day hi-fi and audio deals live right now

Huge savings at specialist retailer Richer Sounds

Don't forget to check out Sevenoaks Sound & Vision

Peter Tyson has some tempting TV deals right now

In these turbulent and uncertain times, it's nice to have a constant in your life. Something you can always rely on to be there for you, through the good times and the bad, through peace and through unrest, through sunshine and rain.

That's what Now Playing is for! This month's edition, like those which preceded it, is an excuse to bury your head in the musical sand and discover, or simply enjoy, some tasty test tunes.

We're not getting any less eclectic as time goes on. Wolf Alice, A$AP Rocky, Muse and Alice Cooper all on the same bill? You'd have to go to Glastonbury if you wanted to see such a diverse array of talent all in one place.

• Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal

Didn't Know Why by Tunng

Tunng's signature 'folktronica' sound is on full display in this track from their latest album, Love You All Over Again, 20 years after the band's studio debut.

Blending soft, textured English folklore tones with crisp electronica noises, Didn't Know Why is full of shape-shifting sonic surprises. The initial few seconds of crunchy, taut electronic noises that flit across the soundscape are gorgeous – heard on speakers that are particularly open, detailed and clear, these are sounds and textures put together in a way I haven't heard before. It is delightful and unexpected.

This gives way to a beautifully warm and melodic acoustic guitar, with nursery rhyme-like soft singing that tells a darkly pagan story – all further enhanced by the lush textures of the vocals. It may sound fairly simple at first, but the repeated refrain of "Wake up in the morning / Everybody eat your lungs and heart" needs a system with excellent rhythmic ability to maintain the momentum without ever losing interest.

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Bloom Baby, Bloom by Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice have returned with a punchy, edgier new sound that trades their sweet and nostalgic indie ballads for a rockier and shoutier direction, and I, for one, think it's a magnificent shift in tone.

As sceptical as I initially was, lead singer Ellie Rowsell commands this track with growling, snarling vocals, underpinned with a funky bassline and crashing drums, making for a raucously good time. The angsty verses give way to a harmonic, crooning chorus that juxtaposes beautifully, resulting in a technical showcase of Roswell’s superb vocal capabilities.

I have been using this track to test a range of soundbars recently, as it requires a clear, dynamic and punchy sound to truly capture its potent energy. A product needs enough low-end weight to capture the thunderous drums throughout, while a capable handling of dynamics is required for the pre-chorus transition into Roswell’s rapturous “I’m so sick and tired of trying to play it hard” motif.

Bloom, Baby Bloom is also a permanent fixture on my summer playlist. It's the perfect track to blast out of a Bluetooth speaker at a social gathering. It’s got soul and catharsis at its heart – just try not to sing your heart out after a couple of listens.

Words by Lewis Empson

Am I Dreaming by Metro Boomin, A$AP Rocky, Roisee

Most of the time when the lights go up at the end of a film in the cinema, I am one of the first out the door. During the end credits for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, however, I was seated until the very end.

This was down to an excellently animated sequence playing alongside Am I Dreaming, which recaps the plot of the whole film. I won’t spoil it if you have somehow not seen this movie, but the trippy visuals combined with the toe-tapping track are quite a treat.

After I had seen the movie multiple times in the cinema, the song slowly became a regular test track for me.

Starting with a solo violin accompanied by Roisee’s distorted vocals, the song eases you in with a slow and mellow pace, before Metro Boomin’s entrance shatters that illusion with a fast-paced rap verse.

Because of this mish-mash of styles and personalities, it’s a great test of dynamics for any sound set-up.

Words by Robyn Quick

More Than Enough by Universal Togetherness Band

If you’re thinking that the music video looks like it was shot 30 years earlier than this track’s 2014 release date, that’s because it was. Universal Togetherness Band originally recorded this in 1983, but it sat unreleased in the vaults until 2014, when independent record label Numero Group dug it out, dusted it off and dumbfounded everyone as to why they had never heard of this band.

Want to get up to speed? This great 8-minute documentary tells the story pretty well.

And if you’re thinking it sounds familiar, it was sampled by Hot Chip for Down in 2022. You can see why – it’s quite a hook, especially coupled with that infectious drum beat. Your system will need the full suite of skills to do it justice, from a solid low end for the bass to crisp mids and highs for the vocals.

But we can’t leave without a word on that music video. Talk about vintage charm – from the fuzzy VHS visuals to the literal acting out of the lyrics to the song, it would be raw and amateurish were the track not up to scratch. As it is, it makes the perfect accompaniment, especially 30 years on.

Words by Joe Svetlik

In the House - In a Heartbeat by John Murphy

With 28 Years Later out, I took the opportunity to revisit the iconic original, 28 Days Later. And while the film hasn’t aged terribly well, thanks to the poor quality of the digital recording and camera technology used, its original soundtrack has stood the test of time remarkably well.

Composed by John Murphy, the instrumental track is an absolute banger start to finish. As well as accurately portraying the slow, increasingly desperate tone of the film, it’s a great example how decent composition can truly instil a sense of dread in its listener.

Starting with a minimalist riff in D-minor, the track creeps into your psyche before blasting you with distorted guitars and a growling bass that gets your heart pumping and the hairs on the back of your neck standing to full attention.

Which is why this month, after revisiting director Danny Boyle’s dark, zombie-filled film universe, I haven’t been able to stop listening to the track

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Yellow Mellow by Ocean Alley

One of the leading lights of Australia's indie scene in the past decade, Ocean Alley revels in funkadelic rock, blending psych with reggae, mellow melodic hooks with '70s-inspired noodling instrumentals.

Their breakthrough song, Yellow Mellow, from their eponymous EP is a doozy of a test track, leading with a bluesy cymbal- and keyboard-led jam before breaking into a groove that's impossible not to bop along to, with frontman Baden Donegal's soulful vocal belting out lyrics just as playful ("She put too much sugar on her cereal this morning, just to get her out of bed").

A revealing system will convey the track's poignant pace change and the energy of the funk-infused rhythm, while keeping the unrelenting cymbals in check and the soundscape organised as the guitar riffs come in.

Words by Becky Roberts

Unravelling by Muse

Typical Muse, doing about four songs in one. Everyone’s favourite genre-warpers are back with a brand-new single, Unravelling, their first proper release since the debut of 2022’s generally rather decent Will of the People.

It’s tricky to know what to expect whenever a new Muse track lands, though this one seems to have fallen on the right side of the barmy spectrum. Synthy staccato choruses build to a typically operatic climax as Matt Bellamy wails about “a hymn for our love with no God and no throne” (no idea), but it’s the crunchy, wall-of-sound metal breakdown before the chorus hits that will have your heart thumping and your head banging.

We don’t know when Muse’s next full-length record is scheduled to drop or even what it will be called, but we are tentatively hoping the band cuts free from the leash and lets those metal impulses run wild and free.

Words by Harry McKerrell

MORE:

Read last month's edition: 8 tracks we have been using to test in the What Hi-Fi? listening rooms this month

These are the best audiophile headphones for getting the most out of your music

Check out our ultimate test tracks collection

Apple's mainstream announcements at its annual developer conference, which was held earlier this month, mostly concerned the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS and tvOS.

However there was one major audio-focused announcement that went under the radar.

During the developer-focused sessions of WWDC that follow the livestream, Apple revealed Apple Spatial Audio Format (ASAF). Aside from the Apple Watch, this new spatial audio format can be accessed on every product in Apple's ecosystem, including iPhones, iPads, Apple TV 4K and Macs.

It has been developed with the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset in mind, in an effort to bring the immersive audio in line with the immersive video experience. It will be delivered via a new audio codec called Apple Positional Audio Codec, or APAC for short.

Blake Gordon, Apple's Immersive Video Engineer, stated at WWDC 25 (via FlatpanelsHD) that "ASAF enables truly externalized audio experiences by ensuring acoustic cues are used to render the audio. It's composed of new metadata coupled with linear PCM, and a powerful new spatial renderer that's built into Apple platforms."

What makes this new audio format so interesting is that it can reportedly adapt the audio to the object's position on screen, as well as the listener's position. Gordon also notes that "sounds in ASAF come from all directions in any position, and at any distance".

According to FlatpanelsHD, the spatial adaptation will allow for real-time adjustments for both your position, as well as dynamically adjusting sound effects with changes to reverb, volume and echo.

This is where the Vision Pro comes into play, as it will use its head tracking capabilities and positional data from the built-in sensors to create a more immersive and closely matched audio experience based on what you're seeing on the Vision Pro's OLED display.

Apple's foray into spatial audio is by no means new; we're familiar with Spatial Audio and Dynamic Head Tracking on its AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max wireless earbuds and headphones.

However, this new format seems to be Apple putting its mark on the world of immersive audio, especially after Samsung and Google has recently released its own version to the world. Eclipsa Audio is currently available on Samsung's 2025 TV lineup, as well as its most recent soundbars.

However, at the time of writing it only works with a selection of specific content, with YouTube being the only platform that officially supports it thus far.

There is, of course, the big competitor we can't forget about. Apple has featured Dolby Atmos support on many of its products and services, including Apple TV+ and Apple Music; so we don't see ASAF taking the fight directly to Dolby immediatly.

However, Apple has stated that APAC will be required for all Immersive Video content. That could involve Dolby Atmos being supported by the codec, however, Apple could very well be setting up a system to prioritise its own immersive audio format.

As is the case with Eclipsa Audio, it seems as though ASAF will be limited to a specific use case for the time being. That being said, we'll be keeping a close eye on it to see if Apple can disrupt the immersive audio landscape in the near future.

MORE:

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

As well as our Apple TV 4K (2022) review

And here's everything you need to know about Apple Spatial Audio

If you're the sort of backwards cap-wearing whippersnapper who spends more time than they'd like to admit trawling the endless swathes of short-form content on popular social media platform TikTok, you may have already run into Radiohead's Let Down without even realising it.

The jury's still out on TikTok and its impact on the still-forming brains of our society's youth, but for exposing audiences to new (and old) music that's often outside of the mainstream, it's performing a surprisingly valuable service.

Let Down is just one of the many tracks enjoying a major resurgence thanks to its popularity on short-form social media.

According to Forbes, the fifth track from Radiohead's seminal 1997 behemoth OK Computer has enjoyed such a revival that it's in danger of troubling the official US Hot 100 chart ranking, and it's not the only tune to have enjoyed such a retroactive bump.

The likes of Alphaville's Forever Young, Coldplay's Everything's Not Lost and Modern Talking's Cheri Cheri Lady have become reborn colossi across the likes of YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, accompanying everything from Premier League goals compilations to in-depth makeup tutorials. I'll let you decide which of those I watch more often.

Long may this continue. If TikTok gets more people listening to Radiohead and OK Computer, so much the better. That said, much as I appreciate the love for Let Down, it wouldn't be my go-to for testing anything from headphones to hi-fi.

Instead, I'd direct audiences, be they teen TikTok trawlers or grizzled fellow Millennials, to the delights of another masterwork, this time taken from 2000's equally acclaimed masterwork Kid A. Let Down is great, but Everything In Its Right Place is the one to go for if you're serious about giving a product a chance to flex its muscles.

We, as a What Hi-Fi? collective, have been using it since before TikTok was even a thing, and while it's another track enjoying something of a renaissance thanks to social media, we can't take much of the credit for the revival.

Everything In Its Right Place represents, if such a thing exists, the definitive essence of Radiohead. It's an ethereal concoction, blending woozy, otherworldly synth sounds and warm, fuzzy keyboards with the unsettling glitches and twitches of a malfunctioning motherboard, pulling together seemingly contrary elements into a composition that feels both reassuringly warm and enveloping yet disturbingly fractured and bizarre.

Perhaps the track's title would be best served by the inclusion of a question mark at its tail: Everything In Its Right Place?

It's a sublime tester for anything you feel needs a test room challenge, but we particularly like the track for testing a pair of speakers. Those glitchy effects flit from one speaker to the other, elucidating how well a pair can handle organisation and separation, while Thom Yorke's arcing vocals should have both solidity and depth between your chosen pair of contenders. A great test of stereo imaging, then.

We listen to a good deal of dear old Thom and his Oxford-born buddies, so we know which idiosyncrasies and vocal textures to seek out from that instantly recognisable falsetto.

Yorke's voice should soar to appropriate heights, of course, but it's those oft-hidden elements, be they a slight hesitancy at the beginning of a line or the peaks and swells when singing words such as "everything" or "place" that should be tracked with absolute precision.

We always come back to the same question: does he sound like he's singing at a pre-show rehearsal, or is this a man trying to communicate something with real emotional power?

The longer it goes on, the more the intensity rises. Everything In Its Right Place might start off at a creeping pace, but it's the increasing sense of urgency as both tempo and volume build which creates, if you have the equipment, that paralysing sense of drama and heft.

Once you're past the 1:30 mark, you should sense an active shift as the track changes gears from languid scene-setting to a clamorous and incessant climax in which layers upon layers pile upon one another, creating a dramatic denouement which should instil both panic and awe in equal measure.

If you don't feel that change in tone, however, you may be dealing with hi-fi that doesn't have enough flexibility or sense of drama to take things to the next level.

This being Radiohead, it's all about playing with your emotions. Do you feel unsettled yet intrigued by the track's moody, ambient opening, or just bored and uninvolved? Do you feel adrenalised yet slightly overwhelmed as it builds to its climax, or do you sense that the track, or the gear you're using to play it, is holding back?

It's been something of a thrill to see social media reinvigorate the fortunes of various unexpected tunes, or else introduce a new generation of fans to music that isn't throwaway pop or a YouTube star's latest generic cash-in. If you're new to the world of Radiohead and want a truly mind-altering experience, I'd urge you to seek out Everything In Its Right Place.

And if you want that experience to be genuinely life-altering, I'd urge you even more strongly to find headphones or hi-fi that can do it proper justice.

MORE:

JBL, Bose and Cambridge Audio: these are the 5 freshly announced products that are on our radar

These are the best Radiohead tracks for testing your hi-fi

7 tracks we've been enjoying in our test rooms over the past month

WiiM’s first streaming amplifier – the WiiM Amp – made quite a stir, delivering amplification, DAC and wireless streaming features in a compact box that cost considerably less than anything else offered on the hi-fi market.

Its feature-packed, well-built and user-friendly design for such a budget price had plenty of appeal, but we found it lacking in the sound quality department.

The more ambitious WiiM Amp Pro aims to rectify this, while still retaining the same versatile specifications and affordable price that WiiM has become known for. If you’re looking for a space-saving, wallet-friendly streaming amp that you just need to add a pair of speakers to, the Amp Pro could be just the ticket.

Price

The WiiM Amp Pro is yours for £399 / $379 / AU$699 – still a terrifically priced product for those wanting a whole bunch of features and abilities in one compact box. All you need to do is add a pair of passive speakers, and you have a complete, streamlined hi-fi system.

We still haven’t come across any other streaming amplifier for such a reasonable outlay. The Award-winning Technics SA-C600 is a five-star favourite before things start to get too premium, but that streaming amp (which also includes a CD player) clocks in at a significantly pricier £769 / $1099 / AU$1599 these days.

The more budget WiiM Amp is still available for £319 / $299 / AU$495, so the step up towards the Amp Pro isn’t particularly steep.

Build & design

The WiiM Amp Pro looks identical to its younger sibling: a smartly built, very minimal design that puts us in mind of the Mac Mini. The footprint is also the same, with the ultra-compact 6.3 x 19 x 19cm (hwd) dimensions meaning it is well suited to those who are limited on space for their home audio set-up, as it can be placed anywhere from a busy TV cabinet to your work desk or even in a bookshelf.

The sleek aluminium unit has simple LEDs on the front to indicate power, input and volume level. The large volume dial is the only material change here: in the Amp Pro, it has a stepped feel compared to the smoother motion of the Amp’s volume dial.

You can further fine-tune how you use the volume by choosing the level of adjustment one volume step takes in the WiiM Home app – it’s a feature we rarely see in products like this and is a nice addition here.

You can press the volume and control dial to change inputs, but we mainly used the excellent WiiM Home app to control all our music playback from various streaming apps.

Delve into the app and you’ll find WiiM offers a wealth of customisation for the Amp Pro, from fine-tuning the audio for each input with various EQ settings to even customising the LEDs on the unit.

Another way of controlling the Amp Pro is the included voice remote, which is a nicely made handset and is responsive to all commands. Both the unit and remote feel like products with a higher price tag; the perception of high quality outstrips its affordable price point.

You can also set four presets on the remote to readily access your favourite playlists or internet radio stations. It’s not quite as intuitive as selecting presets using the touchscreen display of the WiiM Ultra streamer – you’ll have to remember what’s stored for each preset button, for starters – but it all works just fine.

We also appreciate that WiiM includes the required interconnect cables – HDMI, optical, RCA – in the box, making it easy for users to get started and connect their TV and other audio sources to the Amp Pro straightaway. Every little helps when you’re on a budget, after all.

Features & connectivity

The amount of features packed into the compact Amp Pro remains impressive. Inside is a Class D amplifier offering 60 watts of power per channel into 8 ohms. That’s the same power rating as the Amp, but the Amp Pro’s internals have been upgraded to help improve the overall sound quality.

We are promised wider dynamic range and lower distortion levels, as well as a higher signal-to-noise ratio. There is also a feedback loop from the speaker to the amplifier, to optimise the amp’s performance across a range of speakers.

The DAC chip has also been upgraded to the ES9038 Q2M Sabre DAC – the same one used in the five-star WiiM Ultra streamer – and it can handle hi-res files up to 24-bit/192kHz.

In terms of its streaming capabilities, the WiiM Amp Pro offers extensive support for playing music from most popular streaming services and methods. You get wi-fi and wired Ethernet network access (both stable and easy to set up) and you have everything from the recent Qobuz Connect to TuneIn internet radio supported. Its DLNA capability means the streaming amp can recognise and play local hi-res and CD-ripped files stored on the same network.

Bluetooth and Chromecast are also available, but the one notable exception here is Apple AirPlay 2. New generations of WiiM products have dropped AirPlay support, which will be a huge blow to dedicated Apple Music/iOS subscribers. If you use Apple Music with the Amp Pro, your only choice to stream music wirelessly from your iOS device is via lossy Bluetooth – hardly the best-sounding transmission method

The older WiiM Amp still supports AirPlay 2, however.

The WiiM streaming platform is robust and stable, and it has no problem recognising our iPhone or Naim music servers on the same network.

The WiiM app is swift, responsive and easy to navigate. Its user-friendly interface is a big reason why we’re fond of WiiM’s streaming products, as they make the process of juggling multiple music sources and playing music very smooth and accessible.

Around the back, you’ll find a decent complement of physical connections, which also mirror that which you get on the cheaper Amp. Inputs include HDMI ARC, digital optical, RCA stereo analogue and a USB type-A port for plugging in USB media sticks. There is also a subwoofer output and, of course, a pair of speaker terminals.

There is no headphone jack here, but you can connect a pair of wireless headphones by selecting Bluetooth as the audio output. We connect Sony’s WH-1000XM6 cans and it is a swift, uncomplicated process, with the WiiM’s sound quality remaining consistent here as with the rest of its audio sources.

Sound

We start listening to the WiiM Amp Pro, and we are met with a clean, open and smooth sound. It’s not unlike the sonic character of the WiiM Ultra streamer, which is a great start.

It’s an easy presentation to listen to, giving streamed songs ample space to flourish, with voices projected clearly and in focus, and instruments working together to deliver an engaging, lively sound.

It takes us only a handful of seconds of comparison with the Amp to discover that the Amp Pro has taken a leap forward in performance.

There is more punch, snap and sparkle to the sound than the Amp.

The flattened dynamics we criticised in the Amp’s performance are improved here: the Amp Pro offers greater subtlety to the way dynamic swings are communicated, and there is a more convincing sense of dynamic contrast and rhythmic agility to the sound.

There’s more flair and personality, aided by the Amp Pro digging out more detail overall as we run through our playlist.

Where the Amp used the same simplified brush over all songs, the Amp Pro offers more light and shade, making it a more interesting listen. Doechii’s personality and the way she pronounces words with attitude in Denial Is A River come through with greater intent and nuance here, while we hear more impactful slam and depth at the lower frequencies.

Disturbed’s cover of The Sound Of Silence sounds more muscular and powerful, while Aesop Rock’s gritty Checkers propels forward with nimble footwork. The same songs played through the Amp sound rather disinterested and leaden in comparison.

There is simply more detail and subtlety revealed through the Amp Pro, with a sense of fun and energy that keeps us listening.

We still find there is a hint of restraint to the sound, though, with the WiiM Amp Pro playing it just a little safe. Even acknowledging its budget billing, we would like to hear a better sense of timing and momentum, as well as have it dig out greater texture to the body of instruments to make them sound that bit more realistic.

There are instances – in Dave Brubeck’s Take Five and Radiohead’s The National Anthem – where the Amp Pro gets a little confused with the complex rhythmic patterns and isn’t as musically cohesive as we’d like. Piano notes could have more resonance and textural depth, too. We think there is space for the WiiM to mature – but overall it’s a move in the right direction after our criticisms of the cheaper Amp’s sound.

The Amp Pro’s sonic improvements are heard through the various sources we use, from Qobuz Connect to Bluetooth to our Naim server. We also plug in a Cyrus CDi CD player using the RCA inputs, and we hear the same sonic character, with an increase in grip, detail, dynamics and spaciousness.

We spend the first part of our testing with the Amp Pro paired with our reference Epos ES-7N speakers, but then switch to a more realistic price-compatible pair of budget speakers, the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1. The Wharfedales are a great partner; their easy-going, balanced and dynamic nature works a treat with the Amp Pro, adding a touch of warmth and midrange fluidity to the WiiM’s starker and more efficient presentation.

Verdict

The WiiM Amp Pro’s combination of talents at this price level and for this compact size remains unusual. That it also delivers an improved sound performance over its predecessor while juggling so many different elements is impressive.

We are pleased to see the WiiM Amp Pro moving in the right direction in terms of sound quality; if it can continue at this pace, its potential is sky-high.

The lack of AirPlay will be a disappointment to many potential users here, but if it’s not a priority, we have no problem recommending the Amp Pro for those who are limited in space and budget – its user-friendly design makes listening to music fuss-free and enjoyable.

Review published: 11th June 2025

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Features 4
• Build 5

MORE:

Read our review of the WiiM Amp

Also consider the WiiM Ultra streamer

Best hi-fi systems 2025: CD, vinyl and streaming music players for the home

Apple’s WWDC 2025 conference introduced a new Liquid Glass visual design language that will appear across its devices once the upcoming iOS 26 software update lands this September. Mostly offering a new look and dynamic feel to the way you interact with apps, iOS 26 will also bring some new features to AirPods, tvOS and Apple Music.

One Apple Music update caught my attention.

Yes, it’s nice that lyric translations will be available so we can fully understand what Bad Bunny or the latest K-Pop sensation are saying when singing in their native languages. The dynamic, animated album art that will take over your iPhone’s lock screen is also a nice touch – I'm sure it will look pretty.

But the one feature update I’m looking forward to is something more practical: Music Pins. Come iOS 26, you’ll be able to pin your favourite albums, playlists and artists to the top of the Apple Music app to access your favourite and oft-played music quickly.

I was genuinely thinking last week that this was exactly what I was missing from my Apple Music experience. Right now, your saved tracks/albums/artists are neatly stored away in their respective folders, alphabetically, and every time you save a new track or album, it joins a never-ending list in the Recently Added section of the Library tab.

What if you want to play a song you saved a few weeks ago, but can’t scroll back far enough to find it? Apple currently limits how many new additions are displayed in the Recently Added section, so if you can’t remember the name or haven’t saved it in a curated playlist, it’s going to be a pain to find it again. Or it’s lost for ever.

One-off songs or albums I have saved – such as H3LLB3ND3R’s soundtrack to indie horror film Where The Devil Roams, or Chilly Gonzales' lovely piano composition Whist – are now too far back to easily access. Some songs just don't fit a specific playlist, but I want to listen to them over and over again.

Being able to pin my most frequently played songs or playlists to the top for easy access will be super helpful for my daily listening.

Reportedly, you get up to six pins in iOS 26 – but this number may change in the final release. You can also mix up the pins – song, album, playlist, artist – think of it as presets on a radio for quick access to your go-to choices or current favourites.

I have been using Apple Music for 10 years – ever since it launched in June 2015 – and I've generally enjoyed the experience overall; but it is due a more thorough update.

This ability to pin favourites is a small but useful addition – I just wish I didn’t have to wait until September to get it.

MORE:

Read our Apple Music review

Apple announces tvOS 26 with a new look and better AirPlay speaker integration

The next generation of streaming amplifiers are here, and I think they point to an exciting new chapter for hi-fi

Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference, or WWDC as it is more commonly known, took place last night, and it was certainly eventful.

The tech titan announced that it would be unifying its entire product offering with a consistent software approach across everything from iPhones to Apple TV 4K, and even the Apple Watch.

Current version numbers have been scrapped, meaning every product runs a new "26" version of their respective operating system; for example we now have iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and tvOS 26.

The biggest change, however, is the introduction of "Liquid Glass", a design ethos that spans all of Apple's hardware. It refines the user experience with a new translucent look, features slicker transitions, and aims for a more immersive experience overall.

While there were plenty of other interesting announcements, including upgrades to Apple Intelligence and a new gaming hub on iPhone, the presentation was unquestionably light on AV, music and home cinema announcements.

We had hoped to see more updates for the Apple TV 4K, HomePod range, AirPods lineup and Apple's services, but that didn't appear to be Apple's priority.

With our WWDC 2025 wishlist now in tatters, here are the things we were hoping to see revealed last night, but ultimately didn't get:

1. Any new hardware

Apple doesn't always announce new products at WWDC, but when it does, it does so in style. It took WWDC 2023 as an opportunity to launch Apple Vision Pro, while WWDC 2022 saw a flashy, upgraded MacBook Air make a debut.

Unfortunately, there was no mention of any new hardware at WWDC 2025, which is a shame, as a couple of key AV products are long overdue for an update.

The HomePod Mini is the first that springs to mind, as it's fast approaching its fifth anniversary; that's practically geriatric by Apple standards. While the existing Mini is a gem of a smart speaker – not to mention a four-time What Hi-Fi? Award-winner – it would be nice to see a refreshed model with even better performance, and maybe even a few new colours.

The other key Apple product that could do with a refresh is the Apple TV 4K, which is coming up on three years old. Once again, the existing Apple TV 4K is a great streamer, in fact, it's the best streaming device on the market, but we wouldn't say no to an update.

As evidenced by the upgrade from the second generation to the third generation model, the picture and sound performance tends to improve every time, even if there doesn't appear to be many changes on paper. We can only dream of what a fourth-generation model could offer, though rumours suggest that one is on the way.

Rumours and speculation are never enough for us, though, and Apple didn't even drop a crumb of evidence that a new HomePod or Apple TV 4K is on the way.

2. Big changes to Apple Music and Apple TV+

Apple's services were also sidelined at this event, aside from a few minor changes coming to Apple Music.

Lyrics translation is coming with iOS 26, meaning you can sing along to your favourite international pop hits without putting hundreds of hours into Duolingo. AutoMix is set to transition your current track into the next seamlessly, and you'll also be able to pin your favourite tracks, playlists and artists to the top of the Apple Music app for easy access.

That's about it, not counting the new "Liquid Glass" look to the app, which will presumably be locked to Apple devices.

It would have been nice to see some highly requested features, such as a button to download your full music library, or even higher quality streaming to match the likes of Qobuz and Tidal.

Apple TV+ didn't receive much attention either, though there are some nice poster-style artwork options for Apple's original programming. We would have liked to see a proper watchlist feature separated from the Up Next section, and a bigger design refresh wouldn't have gone amiss either, especially after Amazon Prime Video and Netflix's recent updates.

3. The big tvOS update

Ahead of last night's livestream, there were murmurs of a revolutionary tvOS update that would see the biggest shift in design and functionality since it launched in 2015.

While rumours should always be taken with a liberal pinch of salt, we couldn't help but be a bit disappointed when we found out that this design upgrade was merely a few transparent elements and a profile selection screen.

tvOS 26 looks remarkably similar to the currently available tvOS 18, and there aren't that many new features or usability tweaks to show for it either, aside from the ability to set an AirPlay-enabled wireless speaker as your permanent default audio output.

The good news is, of course, that tvOS is one of the best (if not the best) streaming-based operating services around, so we're not angry, just disappointed.

MORE:

Apple announces iOS 26 with a new "Liquid Glass" design and an upgraded Apple Music app

Read our full Apple iPhone 16e review

As well as our Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

Apple has announced the latest version of tvOS, the operating system that powers its five-star Apple TV 4K streaming box. The latest edition brings new features and a fresh look to the streamer's home menu and Apple TV app.

Liquid Glass is Apple's new ethos, with a focus on fluidity and translucency; and it's a design scheme that's being applied across iOS, macOS and iPadOS too.

It's perhaps not quite as much of a radical redesign that was hinted at ahead of WWDC, but a more modern and consistent design will certainly be appreciated by Apple fans who are already equipped with the full ecosystem.

The visual upgrades represent most of the changes with tvOS 26, with translucent elements such as the control centre and dock at the top of the home page now featured in the name of enhanced immersion, according to Apple.

Content is now easier to access, too, with larger poster-style artwork for shows and movies within the Apple TV app.

You'll also find a new profiles system, which will work similarly to how the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus implement their user profiles. Users will be able to toggle a setting that brings the user profile selection page up automatically when the Apple TV 4K wakes.

Personalised content recommendations will apply to each user, alongside user-specific watchlists in the Apple TV app and playlists in the Apple Music app. This new version of tvOS will also include a karaoke mode with Apple Music, which allows you to use your iPhone as a microphone; if that's your sort of thing.

One useful upgrade coming to tvOS that Apple didn't mention in its WWDC livestream is related to AirPlay speakers. With this forthcoming update, users will be able to designate AirPlay-enabled speakers as the permanent audio output option for their Apple TV.

Currently, the Apple TV 4K will default back to your TV's speakers after it's switched off, with HomePods being the only AirPlay-enabled speakers that can be set as your default audio output. With tvOS 26, you shouldn't need to manually select your wireless speakers, which is a nice touch.

There are also new aerial wallpapers and an upgraded FaceTime app coming with this update. tvOS 26 is set to arrive later this year, though Apple has not shared a specific release date.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

As well as our list of the best streaming devices

And read our full Google TV Streamer review

Apple has announced the latest iteration of its iOS software, and it's looking like quite the upgrade. The tech goliath touts this upgrade as its biggest change since 2013's iOS 7, with a new look and name signifying the shift.

Its new design ethos, titled Liquid Glass, is a sleek and fluid new take on iOS, with a greater focus on transparency and simplicity.

It's also got a new name; Apple is unifying its software offerings across its portfolio, meaning this new version is called iOS 26. The latest version of the software is expected to roll out this autumn alongside the rumoured iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro iPhone 17 Air.

The whole look is designed to be softer and more adaptive, meaning the transparent elements will dynamically react to what's on screen. Icons appear more rounded, too, and the clock and notifications found on your lock screen will adapt to your wallpaper.

So, what are the new features? Apple has announced changes across the whole software experience, with a new camera app, Safari web browser experience and a range of upgrades coming to practically every app on your iPhone.

However, we're drawn more to the new Apple Music upgrades coming with this update.

Dynamic album art will now take over your lock screen with an immersive animated look, and lyrics translations will also be added, so you can understand lyrics even if they're not in your native language.

There's also Automix, a new feature that Apple says will blend tracks intelligently for smoother transitions between songs. Finally, you'll be able to pin your favourite albums, playlists and artists to the top of the Apple Music app for quicker access to your most frequently accessed music.

Admittedly, this isn't a complete overhaul to Apple Music by any means, but a handful of new features and a new look are nice additions regardless.

iOS 26 is expected to launch with the (yet to be announced) iPhone 17 series later this year, and will be supported on the following iPhone models:

• iPhone 16e, 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max

MORE:

Read our full iPhone 16 Pro review

As well as our iPhone 16 review

And find our list of the best iPhones here

Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC 2025) keynote has come and gone and it brought with it a number of AI-themed updates to the tech giant's entire software portfolio.

These included everything from quality life updates to its Apple Music service, designed to improve curation, to a completely new Liquid Glass design that is being rolled out across all its platforms.

Our team of hi-fi and home cinema experts where on hand updating this page with all the news throughout the event. Scroll down to see their coverage and hot takes on all of WWDC 2025's audio and home cinema announcements.

Also make sure to get involved with the conversation and offer your thoughts on Apple's latest news in the comments, or on our social media pages and forum.

Welcome to our WWDC 2025 live hub!

Welcome to our WWDC 2025 live blog, where I (editor-in-chief, Alastair Stevenson) will be posting all the latest developments, as well as insights directly from our experts on the announcements.

The event’s opening keynote is set to start at 6.00pm (UK time), which means there is some time left until the news officially starts flooding in. Ahead of that, here’s a quick summary of what we’re expecting from the event.

A complete overhaul to Apple’s tvOS software: Apple is expected to make big changes to the software powering its Apple TV 4K streamer. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, tvOS 19 will be the biggest update to the platform since it launched.

AI upgrades: we haven’t had many specifics, but tvOS is one of many platforms set to get a big update, according to pre-event rumours. Rumblings suggest Apple is also set to completely rebrand its iOS mobile phone software, adding a wealth of new AI-focussed features, alongside a new name.

New AirPods features: according to rumours Apple is also set to add a host of new features to its AirPods. These include new motion controls, sleep detection and a “studio quality” mic mode.

Meet the team covering WWDC 2025

We have not one, but three members of the What Hi-Fi? Team covering WWDC 2025. Here’s what you need to know about them.

What we want to see

WWDC is always an interesting event as it’s largely software focussed – with Apple tending to do its hardware launches separately.

That’s why we’re not expecting to see the fabled iPhone 17 until September. We’re also expecting the company’s hotly anticipated new AirPods and HomePods to be no-shows at the event.

But, even with that knowledge, our team can’t help but hope the firm will have at least a few surprises that haven’t been covered by the pre-event rumours at WWDC 2025’s keynote.

Eager to share them, our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, penned a pre-event feature detailing the three biggest things he’s hoping to see at WWDC 2025.

Read the full story: Here are the 3 big home cinema and audio announcements we're hoping to see at Apple's WWDC event

Got something not covered by Lewis that you’re hoping to see at WWDC 2025? Then get involved in the conversation and let us know in the comments or on our social media channels! We’re eager to hear from you.

The one thing I’m really hoping to see at WWDC tonight (but probably won’t get)

Entry by Lewis Empson

The Apple TV 4K (2022) remains the best streaming device on the market thanks to its excellent user interface that doesn’t bombard you with ads or nonsense, alongside its stellar picture and sound quality.

There is, however, one slight issue now; it’s getting on a bit. The streamer has been on the market for over two and a half years, so where is the replacement? Rumours of a new model have been rife, though they are, at the time of writing, unsubstantiated.

I’d really like to see Apple change this tonight and announce a 2025 model that uses a more up-to-date processor (might I suggest the iPhone 16’s A18 processor) and packs in some of the new features rumoured to be coming with the next version of tvOS..

Rumours suggest an overhaul to tvOS will be debuted tonight, so a new streaming box (or stick, who knows) to complement the design refresh just seems right. Throw in Apple Intelligence compatibility, a shiny new remote (backlit buttons would be nice) and 8K support, and that constitutes a substantial upgrade to me.

Ultimately, this is probably wishful thinking, but I’m still holding onto a little bit of hope.

Additional features for AirPods Pro

Entry by Kashfia Kabir

We’re not expecting any new hardware launches during WWDC, but there are rumours that the current AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 could get plenty of new features.

This continues Apple’s run of introducing new features to its flagship AirPods Pro 2 at no extra cost – keeping these five-star wireless earbuds fresh and feature-packed without having to pay for a whole new model.

Since the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C case launched in September 2023, the flagship buds have been updated with software features such as Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Transparency and a host of health-related functions, including being able to use them as hearing aids.

So what can we expect from the update this time around? Your AirPods Pro could gain gesture controls for adjusting the volume when in Conversation Awareness, take a photo by pinching the earbuds’ stem, and detect when you’ve fallen asleep and auto pause any music or podcasts.

Small but useful features that only enhance the AirPods experience for iOS users even further. Until we finally get AirPods Pro 3…

My most-used streaming service could be getting a major overhaul in the next few hours – here’s what I want to see

Entry by Lewis Empson

I admit it, I’m an Apple Music user. Despite switching from an iPhone to the Android-based Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra a couple of weeks ago, I just couldn’t face going back to Spotify, especially after the most recent user interface update.

Speaking of user interface updates, Apple Music is reportedly set to get an AI-focused upgrade in the near future, according to reputable Apple insider and Bloomberg editor, Mark Gurman. While AI isn’t at the top of my wishlist, I suppose Spotify has seen success in embracing our soon-to-be overlords, so I can see where Apple is coming from.

Gurman didn’t confirm if this update would be imminent, or if it's slated for down the line, and no Apple Music announcement has been confirmed for tonight yet either. Regardless, it’s on my radar, and I hope to see a mention tonight.

If I had my way, there are a couple of changes I would like to see come to the Apple Music app. The biggest one is a “download all” button in my library, as in my last device transfer, I had to click download on each of my saved albums individually – all 273 of them.

Furthermore, Spotify remains the king of social music listening when it comes to Jams, Daylists and more. I know we care about sound quality above all else, but these curated playlists and social features are a huge draw for me, so I’d like Apple to take inspiration from Spotify in this case.

Could Apple Music get a new look?

Entry by Kashfia Kabir

Apple Music is 10 years old this year. I’ve been using the music streaming service ever since it launched in June 2015, and apart from one interface change shortly after launch, the platform has remained largely the same – albeit with additional features (video, hi-res lossless and spatial audio) being added over the years to its extensive catalogue.

Could we see a fresh look for Apple Music alongside the rumoured iOS26 updates? Apple’s native apps generally evolve alongside its iOS updates, but it would be exciting to see a deeper overhaul for this streaming service.

For now, the main rumour I’ve seen is about full-screen animated artwork on the iPhone lock screen. That would be pretty cool – I love seeing animated album art within the app – but I would worry that this would be quite the battery drain.

A whole new name for iOS

Entry by Joe Cox

In case you missed the recent leaks, it looks like Apple is going to change the way it names its OS releases. This is good news.

Rumours say Apple will align all of its various operating systems by naming them after the year. So expect to hear about iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 and so on at WWDC, rather than the scheduled iOS 19.

Ultimately, we think this will make sense once we get used to it. After all, how many of you really know which OS your various devices are currently using? Naming them after the year should make it a lot easier to remember.

That said, launching iOS 26 followed by the iPhone 17 later this year could still prove confusing...

We’re live!

Entry by Alastair Stevenson

Apple’s WWDC opening keynote is officially underway and we’ll be here for the duration bringing you all the latest news, as well as our hot takes until the event ends.

As a reminder, we’re expecting the event to be a big one for music and TV fans, with pre-keynote rumours suggesting tvOS will be getting its biggest overhaul ever and Apple will re-brand its iOS software.

Make sure to get involved with the action and drop any questions, or thoughts, you have on the news in the comments or our social media channels!

Entry by Alastair Stevenson

Apple CEO, Tim Cook has taken the stage and confirmed the keynote will address all of the company's software. There is already a very heavy focus on Apple Intelligence, but little concrete detail on how it will impact the firm's Music and TV platforms thus far.

Apple software chief Craig Federighi has taken over the keynote and is still talking about Apple Intelligence. The main news thus far is that Apple is making its intelligence on device model available to all apps. This means the features can work offline using data stored locally. Nothing music or TV related.

Apple has unveiled a new universal "Liquid Glass" design it claims will react dynamically to what the user is doing. We haven't had full details on how it works, but we've seen demos of it throwing contextual menus up when people are watching movies on an iPhone and iPad. Apple describes it as "blurring the line between hardware and software".

A new name for all of Apple's software

Apple has updated the naming convention for all its operating system. Every single new version will jump to 26. So iOS, tvOS, MacOS and every other platform in Apple's portfolio will leap to be version 26, regardless of the previous release number.

We've still not had much more detail on Apple's Music and TV plans. Instead the firm has showed of how Liquid Glass adjust the UI on iOS dynamically depending on what the user is doing. It's since moved on to talk about its CarPlay software and how will leverage the new design.

Thus far Apple's focussed on iOS messaging, call, emoji and translation services. These include better screening options on calls and messaging and the ability to make polls and split bills within in app when in a group chat. The emoji service lets you use AI to merge existing emojis to create new ones. It showed combining the sloth and lightbulb emojis as an example. The translation upgrade adds live transcriptions to messaging and video calls, from what we've seen. Still no TV or music news.

AI Apple Music upgrades are coming

Apple has, very quickly, confirmed a number of AI / Intelligence flavoured upgrades coming to Apple Music.

Highlights include:

• AI lyrics: this will let you see the lyrics to the song you're listening to in real time.
• AI pronunciation: as well as a transcription, it will also help you say them correctly using Apple Intelligence.
• AI mix: a new feature that will use Apple Intelligence to generate playlists specific to users tastes.

Our contributor is typing up a full story with the AI Apple Music updates, so stay tuned for more detail!

*Editors note: we missed Apple Music Auto Mix. This is an AI powered mix service that aims to smoothly transition songs in your playlists, like a DJ.

The AI playlists we mentioned relate to Auto Mix, which actually just smoothly transitions songs you already have liked better using AI.

Apple AirPods updates

Apple has unveiled upgrades coming to its AirPods, however, rather than focus on music playback the new additions relate to mic quality and camera commands. Specifically, it has unveiled a new "studio-quality audio recording" and camera remote feature. These will both be launched on the AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro via an over the air update. The " studio-quality audio recording" is aimed at content creators and works to improve the voice quality of recorded audio. It apparently works using the Apple H2 chip and Apple Intelligence processing to reduce background noise.

tvOS 26

Apple has unveiled a wealth of new TV originals as well as a compete overhaul to its tvOS software. The key points are:

• A move to Apple's contextual, AI-powered Liquid Glass universal design. This adds dynamic UI elements that change based on what the user is doing and their habits, in a bid to make the OS more intuitive to use.
• The new UI also tweaks the app, making it so the UI can display more movies, reducing the need to scroll when looking for something to watch.
• The ability to enable any AirPlay speaker as the Apple TV's main speaker permanently.

Our all-star contributor, Joe Svetlik has penned a full guide, detailing the biggest changes coming to Apple Music!

Read the full story: Apple Music gets 3 new features – and could put DJs out of work

An early hot take from our editor

Entry by Alastair Stevenson

As expected Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote is all about the firm's Intelligence AI platform. This is a big deal, with the "Liquid Design" elements being rolled out across all its software, including tvOS 26, and streamlined naming convention making sense.

But, from a purely music and home cinema perspective, these add up to quality of life, rather than performance upgrades. None of the announcements work to improve performance metrics, like HDR performance, upscaling or surround sound on tvOS.

Equally the Apple Music features are more about curation, discovery and showing off Apple Intelligence's clever translation services rather than upgrading its core audio quality.

I'd personally hoped to hear more about its plans to match rival codecs and chipmakers, such as Qualcomm, which confirmed it is aiming to offer fully scalable, 24-bit/192kHz audio wirelessly to headphones "soon" during an interview with me earlier this year.

All the details on Apple's WWDC 2025 AirPods upgrades

Apple has unveiled, quietly, a smattering of upgrades coming to its AirPods via an over the air software update. You can get all the details in our handy guide!

Read the full story: Apple's AirPods get studio-quality recording, camera remote

VisionOS 26

Apple's also confirmed upgrades to its Vision Pro operating system, adding a wider selection of apps and platforms that support its immersive video platform. These include the ability to edit immersive video in Adobe Premier Pro directly from the headset and link it with and watch footage shot on GoPro and other 360 experience ready action cameras.

All the facts on tvOS 26

With Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote coming to an end, our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, has finished writing his guide detailing all the changes coming to tvOS 26.

Read the full story: Attention Apple TV 4K users! Apple announces tvOS 26 with a new look and better AirPlay speaker integration

WWDC 2025 wrap up

With Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote over, we've seen a number of AI focussed announcements on its entire software portfolio. But was it a hit and are the upgrades what we wanted? Here's the What Hi-Fi? team covering WWDC 2025's personal hot takes on the keynote.

Do you agree with our hot takes? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch on our social media channels and forum!

Do portable Bluetooth speakers need a wired audio connection? It’s not quite a question as old as time, and perhaps not as important as whether there’s life on other planets (definitely) or what the best flavour of Monster Munch (picked onion, obviously), but it has cropped up recently amongst our review team following a spring period packed with Bluetooth speaker testing.

We’ve had the five-star JBL Flip 7 and JBL Charge 6 pass through our doors, as well as the classy Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (3rd Gen), all portable models capable of delivering excellent wireless sound to take with you on your travels. After all, isn’t that the point of a Bluetooth speaker?

Well, yes and no. Connecting your smartphone (or other music source) to any of the aforementioned units’ predecessors was done exclusively via Bluetooth, but according to JBL, one request from customers was the inclusion of a wired audio connection. Why? JBL told us it's because their customers wanted to be able to hear the higher-quality 24-bit lossless audio provided by the best music streaming services these days, like Apple Music, Amazon Music, Qobuz and Tidal.

And that's what JBL did. The new Flip 7 and Charge 6 feature wired listening for the first time, supporting up to 24-bit/96kHz hi-res lossless audio playback from a smartphone, laptop or other source device using USB-C. The new B&O Beosound A1 (3rd Gen) that we just tested offers a wired listening option via USB-C for the first time, too.

This all feels a bit counterintuitive, considering the type of portable products we’re testing, but it’s hard to deny the sonic gains achieved by using a wired cable. Naturally, a wired connection will offer better sound quality than the very compressed and lossy Bluetooth wireless connection, and we can confirm from our testing that all three speakers undoubtedly sound better when using USB-C.

Sound-wise, wired is the way to go

To quote from our recent Beosound A1 (3rd Gen) review: “A wired connection to an iPhone 15 offers noticeable sonic improvements, with the speaker hardening up just a touch but finding new levels of clarity, punch and spriteliness when listening to the same songs on Tidal via wired compared with Bluetooth”.

It’s the same with the two JBL speakers. From our JBL Charge 6 review: “Switch to wired lossless listening, and there is considerably less noise in the background. You get subtler depths to both detail and dynamic shifts when listening via USB-C, too, but the character remains the same as Bluetooth.”

Well, that’s that then, isn’t it? If a wired connection makes your Bluetooth speaker sound better, why wouldn’t you include one and, more importantly, why wouldn’t you use it? We’re all here for better sound, aren’t we?

Better sound, less convenience?

Yes and no. The reason we ask the question in the first place is that we do wonder if people who buy portable Bluetooth speakers (especially the affordable ones) really care enough about sound quality to prioritise a physical connection over the more convenient Bluetooth one.

Better sound is great, of course, but the Bluetooth performance you get is still great by current standards for a portable product. And let’s be honest… isn’t the cable-free convenience of a wireless speaker the whole reason you buy them in the first place?

It’s much less convenient in practical terms to be physically tethered to your JBL or B&O as well. The fun of a Bluetooth buddy is that you can be standing on the other end of a field or have the speaker in any place in the house and still control your tunes. It’s nice to be able to switch tracks quickly from your phone at a house party rather than having to drop what you’re doing and, hunched over like a gremlin, start trying to find Tina Turner on Tidal.

Plus, if you are using a cable, you may have to relinquish use of your smartphone and not have it on your person at all times – which means not being able to check those all-important WhatsApp messages the second they come in, or being able to change the music as easily. Unless you want to be carrying both around at the same time, you’re going to have to leave your smartphone by your speaker in order to keep it connected. That can be impractical if your speaker is placed out of reach, and if you're using a short cable.

A Bluetooth speaker gives you so much freedom and flexibility – that's the whole point. We imagine most people will still use the JBLs and B&O exactly as intended – wirelessly – for the most part, but it's nice to at least have the option for wired listening for those who really want it.

Being able to simply switch from wireless to wired gives you the best of both worlds. It’s having your cake and eating it, but the cake here is a JBL Flip 7. Or maybe it’s a lossless USB-C tether...

It's nice to be heard

What we appreciate most is manufacturers actively listening to consumers about their desires and concerns. JBL is a huge player in the portable speaker game, and it has a proven record of listening to feedback and making improvements to its products. Sony has recently exhibited similar behaviour, adding foldability and strengthened hinges to its five-star WH-1000XM6 over-ears after customer feedback.

Will we start to see a wired connection option become commonplace with Bluetooth speakers going forward? We're not sure, but it is encouraging to know that there is a growing appetite for higher-quality and hi-res music listening from the users of these popular portable Bluetooth speakers.

Across products of all types and prices, users are demanding better sound alongside ever-improving convenience. Now that's something we can get behind.

MORE:

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (Gen 3) is the best Bluetooth speaker I'd never buy

These are the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy

7 tracks we've been enjoying in our test rooms over the past month

A month ago, we asked our readers how you listen to hi-res music in your hi-fi system? Do you exclusively use streaming services, or do you buy and download hi-res files?

Overwhelmingly, your answers indicated a combination of the two methods, with owning music being a huge priority.

With so much choice available in how to stream music – Apple Music, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Tidal – these days, as well as various download sites available (Bandcamp increasingly gets a mention), we found that our readers use a variety of different listening methods available today that suits their needs, preferences and ethos.

Many of you use streaming as a complement to CDs and vinyl – proving that you don't have to choose a side in any format war – while others have eschewed physical formats entirely in favour of hi-res streaming or digital downloads.

The most common thread throughout, however, is the importance of high-resolution sound quality, as well as being able to own the music you buy. It's a sentiment we agree with entirely.

Owning music you love is the priority

Forum member Cork says: "I listen to hi-res for music that I think was well recorded, typically music recorded relatively recently. I like to own the music, so I purchase CDs for non-hi-res and primarily use HDTracks for hi-res (occasionally I use Bandcamp). FWIW, I'm very happy with HDTracks because I *am* an older listener who likes jazz, classical and "dad rock". I like to listen to an album once before I purchase it, so I use Tidal to check out albums; I listen to Tidal's hi-res version if one's available."

Simon Broch says: "I listen to a lot of hi-res music which I store locally on a Bluesound hard drive connected to my hi-fi system. I don't use streaming services as I much prefer to own my music."

"I am downloading more frequently from Bandcamp where I can stream most of my favourite new music.... I also like to buy music in a way that best rewards the artists."

We have to say we agree with Adam Ranson's position, especially as a frequent user of Bandcamp to discover and support artists directly.

MusicSloth says they would consider streaming if the monthly subscription fees were lower for "essentially "borrowing" music", and is sticking to digital FLAC downloads for now, also citing how external storage devices and hard drives are cheaper to buy these days.

We like his mantra: "Pay once, listen as often as I want to."

Combining streaming for music discovery and then buying downloads

Many users simply use streaming services like Tidal and Qobuz for music discovery, and then buy and download the digital hi-res album on HDTracks, Qobuz Store or Bandcamp to own the album permanently.

"Both. I purchase, mainly from Bandcamp, and stream via Tidal," says Forum member hootywwfc.

ruffian22052 does the same, but with different services. "I’m listening to music via Apple Music in the highest quality available, but when I find an album I really love, I’ll buy it from Qobuz in whatever the highest res version I can find. That way, I’ll have all my favourites, and an extensive CD collection (which I’m ripping slowly to my NAS), to keep me happy if I ever have to give up my Apple Music subscription."

A commenter on Facebook reinforces their preference for owning music they love. "I use streaming services to audition music, then buy a lossless digital copy to have and hold in my own home storage whenever I find music I genuinely love. I don't want to be at the mercy of shifting licensing agreements when it comes to the core collection of great music."

Fellow member busb echoes the sentiment about owning music and paying artists fairly, but issues a warning about disappearing downloads: "Until a couple of years ago, I'd say that streaming was my favourite option – renting rather than buying. Using iTunes has enabled me to locally cache a huge amount of music including classical & individual songs.

However, differences in SQ [sound quality] aside, dozens of tracks and/or whole albums suddenly become unavailable, despite downloading them. "This song is no longer available in your region." Others may be able to explain the whys, but there's no technical reason music can't effectively be available forever – you don't need to make another batch of CDs or LPs! If I "buy" music, I don't own it but do have the right to listen to it – you don't get home to find some CDs or LPs are missing.

I do agree that equitable payment needs to be sorted out but politics seems to be intervening. I'd say to anyone thinking of streaming: be aware that your favourite music may suddenly be unavailable!"

Sticking to streaming or download exclusively – but sound quality remains important

And of course there are those that exclusively use one method.

"I stream via Amazon Music Unlimited using the Alexa app; would not be without it now," says DREADZONE.

"For me it is internal streaming, I download the album or track to my Server / NAS and stream to my Linn streamer. I don't use any of the streaming sites to stream music." - michael hoy.

"Almost exclusively streaming," says a Facebook commenter. "Saves getting out of the chair to change the disc!"

"I am a dedicated downloader," says James McWilliams, "having abandoned streaming a couple of years ago. Qobuz is my download site of choice. It has a great selection of keenly priced jazz and classical music in its BNF collection and there are regular sales and special offers. I rarely download Hi-Res as, to be honest, I can't detect a difference relative to CD quality. I see the main advantages of downloading relative to streaming as being ownership and the ability to listen offline."

Many have embraced the convenience that streaming brings, after a lifetime of collecting physical music. "I am just streaming. Tidal and Apple Music are my streaming services," says Welzar. "Streaming Hi-Res and CD quality sounds as good or better than my CD collection without all the hassle of dealing with CDs."

For those who ripped their CDs back in the day and now combine them streaming, Joe_Christmas says that using a third-party platform like Roon has transformed the way they listen to all their music, both streamed and stored locally.

"I mostly listen to hi-res music streamed online through the Bluesound ecosystem – mostly Tidal, though I have a Zen Innous for all my old CDs. I don't download from Tidal/Spotify and have never really had an issue with disappearing tracks or albums – I mostly listen to jazz/folk/Americana.

A game-changer for me was Roon, which allows for the proper integration of both my sources – being able to create a playlist from a mixture of Tidal and my own CDs is tremendous, and its player functionality is significantly better than Tidal, Spotify and Bluesound."

Many users have confirmed lifetime subscriptions for Roon that they use in conjunction with a Tidal subscription and a NAS drive full of stored CDs. But many have gone streaming only, with commenter Alex now "instead preferring the Tidal versions rather than what I have ripped on a PC and stored."

There was a lot of love for Tidal and Qobuz in particular for their sound quality. Richard Ridgeway streams via Qobuz as "they only stream CD or better audio," while AndyC405 prefers Tidal "primarily for the hi-res stream quality and because I'm concerned about what the artists earn."

We had two shoutouts for something a little bit different.

Commenter GRPR has a particular focus when it comes to streaming: "It's all about Dolby Atmos from a streaming perspective. Apple Music on an Apple 4K TV. I have enough stereo and surround titles on my own music servers, which is around 42 TB at this point. It's the new releases in Atmos that I want to use streaming for."

And brandavon shows love for the niche Blu-ray Audio. "Tidal, SACD and Blu-ray Audio" are their preferred formats. "Blu-ray Audio should've taken off instead of vinyl having a restore. I use Tidal the most as there's never been enough SACD and Blu-ray Audio discs."

Streaming as a complement to vinyl and CD listening

Many users also mix up the streaming discovery with the physical formats like vinyl and CD, stating how owning and listening to music on a physical unit is more emotionally involving than a digital file.

Forum member mavplace64 says: "I grew up in the age of vinyl, then converted to CD and have returned to vinyl about 15 years ago. So vinyl is my main source for music purchases and preferred way to listen to music. About 4 years ago I set up a streaming system with a streamer and DAC using Tidal and Qobuz, this I use only really to discover new music but still stream at the highest quality I can.

Storing and purchasing downloads has never interested me as there is no emotional involvement for me. Maybe being of a certain age and listening to an album rather than individual tracks means streaming and downloading will never be for me."

Chris_Horner plays records when it's all about sound quality, but uses streaming for its convenience and ease – for instance, as background music when they are cooking, have people over, working on something or just want it to be easy without having to deal with flipping an LP.

"Different sources for different priorities," he wisely says – something that plenty of us can identify with in how we listen to music these days.

And we have to salute eduard, who has spent a lifetime enjoying hi-fi and buying music. Bitten by the 'hi-fi virus' at 14 and using a tape deck to record vinyl from friends and the local library, eduard has now discovered streaming at age 65, upgrading their entire system and enjoying the vast amount of music at their fingertips and how easy it all is to use a tablet compared with putting on a CD or vinyl...

"I am not only pleased by the sound quality – I agree there will always be the dream of a next higher level – but especially by the hundreds of new discovered albums and artists, I never would have discovered when I had to buy those music."

A happy convert, indeed.

A happy coexistence – but things could be better?

Unlike the format wars of the past, it's clear that there are so many options and permutations to hi-res streaming and downloads these days, that there really is no one answer. The prevalence of better than CD quality and hi-res audio being available both as digital downloads and on popular streaming services means that we now have greater access to high quality music than ever before.

And they can all happily coexist together. Sticking to just one type of listening feels like a rarity, as our readers show how streaming, downloads and even CD and vinyl can all be part of your hi-fi ecosystem. Streaming as a music discovery tool to then buy the albums you enjoy is a common theme – in fact, we are struck by how strongly many of you felt about owning music you buy and how important this was, rather than 'renting' music, alongside ensuring artists are paid fairly.

Our What Hi-Fi? readers obviously care about sound quality, so it's no surprise that this is a top concern, with most of you perfectly happy with the hi-res quality on offer via streaming or downloads.

However, some of you noted how hi-res Masters on streaming don't necessarily sound as good as they could be...

MattJKing71 writes: "The quality of many Masters are often so poor that Hi Res can barely shine. Qobuz and Tidal had some good masters but not the range (a 16-bit/quality compression is why I've held out for Spotify to go Hi Res and will download to play at home offline to avoid streaming glitches."

davidbix also queries the mastering quality. "So much hi-res stuff that's out there isn't done that well. For brand new releases, they'll use the same mastering steps from the CD-quality version even though the hi-res audience obviously doesn't want the kind of dynamic range compression that's long been too common... It's rare that I'll find a hi-res title that matches or exceeds both the vibes and perceived sonics of a good vinyl pressing, so I don't go back to it as much as I'd like.

It doesn't help that a lot of the best hi-res releases are SACDs that aren't legally available to stream. (Whether in-print or otherwise, often from speciality reissue labels like Mobile Fidelity, Analogue Productions, Intervention Records, or Impex.) So listening to them in a more convenient fashion requires jumping through a lot of hoops."

There's always room for improvement, as the chase for ultimate hi-fi sound is never-ending. But it looks like the majority of you are enjoying music in the variety of ways that are available today, finding a happy balance between them all.

Thank you again to all our readers who commented and shared their opinions.

MORE:

Rainer Finck on his hi-fi career highlights as a 30-year Marantz engineer and original developer of the Philips Bitstream DAC

Hi-res music streaming services compared: is Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon or Apple Music better?

Our pick of the best music streamers across all budgets

You're all probably sick of me banging on about the Apple TV 4K, so you'll be happy to hear that I've swapped it out as my primary streamer.

Yes, the device that I called "comfortably the best streamer" is no longer attached to one of my TV's HDMI sockets – but it's for a good reason, I promise.

As an avid AV enthusiast who's expected to stay up to do with all of the latest products and services for my daily reporting and reviewing, I've been trialling Sky Stream.

And you know what? So far my experience has generally been positive.

While detaching my beloved Apple TV was a tough pill to swallow, and signing into all of my apps again was rather tedious, I could immediately feel the benefits of Sky Stream.

Now, I know comparing a £149 / $130 / AU$219 streamer for a subscription package that starts at £15 a month (or much higher depending on how you decide to spec your package) might not seem like a fair comparison, but there is some logic in it.

Let's stick with Sky Stream Essential, which is £15 a month for 24 months. This includes the streamer, access to Sky TV, the entry-level Netflix subscription (which is £5.99 per month usually), and access to Discovery+.

That comes to £360 in total for those two years, which is just shy of double the Apple TV's price.

Take into account that the Apple TV doesn't come with any included services (not even Apple TV+), and then it makes even more sense.

Regardless, the Sky Stream puck has filled the Apple TV 4K-shaped hole in my TV setup and after browsing through the interface, flicking through channels and resisting the urge to sob at the latest episode of The Last of Us, I can confidently say that I've been converted.

During my week with Sky Stream, I've picked out three things I like about the service and a couple of things I would like to see improved or added. So without further ado, here's what I like and dislike about Sky Stream:

Like: Everything in one place

If there is one thing that Sky has absolutely gotten right with Stream, it's that all of your content is superbly easy to access.

Regardless of whether it's on Sky's own service or on a third-party streaming platform such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or BBC iPlayer, it will be featured on the Sky OS home screen.

This has practically eliminated that awful wild goose chase of trying to find which service a TV show or movie is on once you've decided to watch it.

Integration is pretty seamless too. After plugging in all of my login details to the various services, I can now just click on a film or show, and it will take me straight to the app it's featured on.

In contrast, the Apple TV 4K is a more traditional streamer. While I am a huge fan of tvOS (especially compared to other streaming operating systems out there), I did find myself having to cycle through the apps to track down what I wanted to watch.

The Apple TV app did negate that somewhat, as certain services could be linked to it to create an all-in-one streaming hub, but it is nowhere near as cohesive as Sky OS's ambivalent approach.

Dislike: It's a bit glitchy

While I certainly have no qualms regarding Sky OS's feature set, there are a few performance hitches that I've encountered in my week with the streamer.

The main home screen of Sky OS can sometimes stick and I've encountered a couple of endless loading wheels that have resulted in me having to restart my puck.

Another more frustrating incident involved me having to factory reset and log back into my puck, as the volume controls refused to work and the setup process to allow the puck to recognise my Philips OLED907 TV broke entirely.

These are by no means dealbreakers, and I can handle a bit of lag here and there. But, coming from the Apple TV 4K – which hardly ever stuttered and worked seamlessly with my TV and soundbar straight away – I did notice the teething issues.

Like: Playlists are my new obsession

I'm familiar with playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, but, I've never really paid much attention to them on my TV. Sure, Netflix, Disney Plus and the rest all have watchlist features in which you can bookmark content, but Sky's playlist feature is a step above.

First and foremost, it comes down to that service ambivalent approach, as I can add whatever I like to my playlist to watch later; regardless of where it's located.

Secondly, Sky makes a much bigger deal of this feature and actively encourages you to use it thanks to a dedicated playlist button on the remote.

The big plus icon that's highlighted in red is hard to miss, and I've gone rather trigger-happy with it, adding whatever I like the look of to my playlist with the press of a button.

It's the first widget you see when you turn Sky Stream on as well, which makes it easy to jump back into and continue what you're watching. Overall, I'm a big fan of playlists.

Dislike: A couple of apps are missing

While the Sky OS ecosystem is mostly well-equipped, there are a couple of apps missing that I would like to see on the platform.

All of the larger streaming services are covered, however some of the niche services including MUBI and Shudder are absent.

This isn't a major gripe by any means, but it would be good to see Sky incorporate some of the smaller players in the streaming world especially as Apple, Google and Amazon's streamers have them.

Furthermore, the Apple TV app is purely for streaming on Apple TV+, which means you can't buy or rent movies directly, instead need to do so on a phone or tablet separately.

Music apps are the bigger issue for me, as the two services I'm signed up for aren't supported.

Apple Music and Tidal are both absent, and while you can cast to the Stream puck, I prefer a dedicated interface that allows me to play my music directly from the device without having to faff around with wirelessly linking my phone.

This won't be a dealbreaker for many, however, I like to queue music up on my TV to play through my soundbar when I'm doing a spot of cleaning, or when I have friends around.

Like: The remote is excellent

I've reviewed plenty of TVs, projectors, soundbars and streaming devices at this point, so trust me when I say I know a good remote when I see one.

The Sky Stream remote (which it shares with the Sky Glass) is an absolute doozy, with superbly tactile buttons that make clicking around the interface a joy. It's also responsive and features one of my absolute favourite features for any remote.

Yes, it's backlit. I tend to watch my TV in as dark a room as possible (asking our TV and AV editor Tom Parsons what he thinks about ambient light), so having a remote that illuminates to make operation easier in my preferred viewing environment will always score brownie points.

While I do miss the aluminium casing and iPod-style touch wheel on the Apple TV remote, and it has the advantage of having a charging port so I don't have to go out and buy batteries when my controller runs low on juice, the Sky Stream's superb remote has softened the blow.

MORE:

Read our full Sky Stream review

Check out the best Sky TV deals

And check out our picks for the best media streamers

I've had a first look at the upcoming WiiM Sound smart speaker at High End Munich 2025.

WiiM is fast becoming an exciting brand to watch, with compact, affordable streamers and electronics that pack in so many features – and now the company has ventured into the world of speakers for the first time.

The samples on display at the WiiM booth are still in the development stage, so not all features are fully functional, but I was able to have a good poke around the new wireless speaker to see how it works.

It's very obvious where the design inspiration has come from – the Sound is roughly the same size and shape of the Apple HomePod, albeit perhaps a little narrower and squarer.

The top panel has a simple touch-capacitive display for playback and volume controls, with icons illuminating as you tap. The top panel is rather large, extending closer to the edge of the speaker than the HomePod 2's smaller, circular design.

The woven fabric covering feels sturdy and the sample unit on display looked smart and well-made.

The big highlight is the small, porthole-like display on the front of the WiiM Sound speaker.

WiiM has clearly beaten Apple to the punch here – the rumours of a HomePod with a screen or display have long been touted, but we're still waiting to see something materialise.

On the WiiM Sound, it's a smart window that shows app icons grouped together (not unlike on an Apple Watch... imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all).

The icons also offer access to your music library, internet radio, clock, settings and presets. You can tap on the apps and swipe across the screen to access different app interfaces.

This functionality wasn't fully working yet on the sample I tried at the stand – but it does work well enough when opening the music app or swiping across to get to your music queue.

When on standby mode, it displays a clock face. We hope it's a customisable one, just as we've seen on the WiiM Ultra streamer's display.

The Sound runs on WiiM's own proficient streaming platform, with the accompanying Home app offering all the settings and control.

The feature list covers Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, DLNA – but conspicuous in its absence is AirPlay.

WiiM's latest products – Ultra, Amp Pro, Amp Ultra – are also missing AirPlay, but we're not too surprised that Apple's streaming technology isn't featured in a clear rival.

You can use the WiiM remote for voice commands, too. A WiiM representative said that Alexa integration, such as with a microphone built into the smart speaker, could be in the works in the future.

At the moment, it seems that you activate Google and Amazon voice assistants via your smartphone rather than speaking directly to the speaker. We will clarify this voice control aspect once the product is finalised.

Of course, how the Sound, err, sounds remains an unknown. The HomePod 2 is a fantastic-sounding device, delivering excellent detail, natural voices, engaging dynamics and a spacious sound from its compact form. Can WiiM compete? We can't wait to find out.

Considering WiiM's trend for delivering well-thought-out products at very affordable prices, it could be a serious competitor to the £299 / $299 HomePod.

Depending on the final price, the WiiM Sound could even be a rival to more budget Amazon Alexa smart speakers, considering the WiiM's extensive hi-res streaming features.

Additionally, the WiiM Sound can be used as part of a 5.1 surround sound system. The WiiM Sound speakers were being used in conjunction with two Audio Pro wireless speakers as the front and left/right speakers, but you can configure any connected (and compatible) speakers you like using the WiiM Home app.

WiiM has already worked with Audio Pro to launch two 'WiiM Edition' models, and it shows how compact a TV or cinema set up (and a multi-room set up) can be. The whole 5.1 system could also be wireless but for connections to mains power.

The demo system at the show was being run by the new WiiM Amp Ultra streaming amplifier, which gives you even more scope to connect to streaming apps, devices and a TV. We are big fans of the Ultra streamer, so one that combines its excellent touchscreen display with an amplifier inside to make a compact, all-in-one system is hugely appealing.

I didn't get to test out much on the Amp Ultra – most were on static display – but it looks compact, smart and as seamless in use as the five-star Ultra. Let's hope it sounds good, too.

Both the WiiM Sound and WiiM Amp Ultra will go on sale later this year, with prices yet to be confirmed.

WiiM has a penchant for keeping prices reasonable, so it will be interesting to see quite how affordable the Sound and Amp Ultra will be. Watch this space.

MORE:

Read our Apple HomePod 2 review

High End Munich 2025 highlights: streaming amplifiers, large high-end speakers and more exquisite hi-fi

The all-new Amp Ultra is exactly the WiiM product we wanted next