I arrived at What Hi-Fi? in 2008, fresh from a fast-paced time on men’s magazines and with a haircut to match, thinking that my love of music and tech would mean I could, a) have an easier job and, b) have a quieter life. Neither of these things proved true, though the legendary What Hi-Fi? listening room was an excellent place to have a rest.
Soon after my arrival, I looked at previews of a new 32-page supplement on Blu-ray vs HD-DVD that was just about to go to the printers. I then heard rumours that Toshiba was about to can HD-DVD and give the win to Sony and Blu-ray.
Toshiba may have had a problem but I had a crisis as I was digesting this information in a (mild) panic at London Fashion Week, champagne in hand, looking at new LG TVs as they were the key sponsor of the event.
Needless to say, we cut half the supplement and talked about the death of HD-DVD and added a lot more Blu-ray reviews. It’s amusing to write this at a time when PlayStation has recently announced the end of Blu-ray game discs.
Next, it was a trip to Japan with Sony to see the company's latest headphones and Bluetooth speakers, which included the launch of the Sony Rolly (pictured, below).
This was essentially an egg on wheels that could dance to music and also dance with other Sony Rolly products.
The highlight of the trip was seeing the fabled Sony Walkman room, complete with every model ever made and some of the engineering geniuses dusting the exhibits in the otherwise pristine white room. They were not involved with the development of the Sony Rolly to my knowledge...
Elsewhere in Tokyo, I bumped into Brazilian rock band CSS, who arrived in a club from a ladder located in the ceiling. I still love Japan as well as the fact that Sony can pull something wild out of the R&D lab, even to this day.
There were other notable arrivals and announcements in the office which I enjoyed during my time on the magazine.
Number one was the 2001-style space oddity that was a yellow oval internet radio from Pure called Sensia (pictured, below), which I retain was way ahead of its time in 2009 in terms of style, function and connectivity.
The Sensia had a big touchscreen display, just as the iPhone was taking off, and it felt like the future – so we stuck it on the cover. It was not the future of music (as I, possibly, wrote loudly) but you can trace the Sensia's inspiration in many more recent products from Apple to WiiM, Amazon to Ruark.
In a later review we curiously said, “Once all the promised upgrades are in place, it should function as effectively as a social networking tool as it does as a music-making device.”
In 2008, I also got a short, very corporate press release from Spotify and remember talking with legendary fellow editor Andy Clough about how this was huge – but neither of us could imagine how much it would change things.
Unsurprising, given smartphones hadn’t yet taken over the world and apps (and the App Store) were still in their infancy. The impact among artists is well known but the arrival of Spotify, and the rise of music streaming, was probably the biggest change for audio product development since the launch of CD.
The other huge change in the audio world in the late '00s was the arrival of Beats by Dre, which set a new premium price for mass-market headphones, delivered a blow to the traditional headphone market, and then quickly took it over thanks to great marketing. The brand was soon bought by Apple for a staggering $3 billion.
The boom in over-ear headphones ultimately introduced many people to the idea and excitement of hi-fi sound for the first time, and were a world apart from the free buds that came with early music players, iPods and smartphones. From that day forward, a new audience wanted home audio that sounded as good as their portable headphones.
Looking back through the issues, it’s also clear that we were seeing not only an amazing time for turntable development but the first signs of the vinyl revival, which has only gathered pace in subsequent years. The Clearaudio Concept sounded amazing and looked modern – and that convinced me to get back into vinyl.
The biggest revelation for me on my time on What Hi-Fi? (apart from free pizza on deadline) was how products could really push my digital music collection and deliver astonishing results from CD rips, even when played through giant, revealing Focal speakers.
I was lucky enough to work with the Naim team after What Hi-Fi? and still think so many audio brands owe an awful lot to the people of Naim, and specialist brands like them, such as Arcam, Dali, Grado and PMC.
Towards the end of my time on What Hi-Fi?, audio legend Mark Levison showcased some of his new audio products in London and then joined us at a Morrissey concert.
I don’t remember a great deal from the launch, but I did find a Mark Levinson CD in my jean pocket which consisted of his very own music. It was later issued as a free CD with his limited run of mini hi-fi systems.
I can’t see it on eBay but I swear it’s true. I know of only one other person that carries his own music around with him: Morrissey. Coincidence? Who knows, but I like to think both still read What Hi-Fi?.
I miss my time on What Hi-Fi? but founded an audio PR agency after leaving to stay close to all the kind of innovations I’ve mentioned, and I’m still on the lookout for the next big thing.
And I’m impressed with everyone that has worked tirelessly for decades on What Hi-Fi?, which remains the most trusted, independent voice in tech. In 2026, that’s truly something to celebrate.
Well done Team What Hi-Fi? for 50 years – here’s to the next 50!
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