We have said it before and, sadly, we will without doubt say it again: modern TVs seem incapable of producing sound of a quality anywhere near approaching the brilliance of the images they provide. Which is a problem. Without great sound, you can never truly be engrossed in what you are watching.
This is why we are forever recommending that you budget for a soundbar when you invest such a lot of money in a top-notch television. Even a relatively cheap model will, almost certainly, provide a better experience than the TV alone. In this issue, then, we give you a trio of choices in a trio of price breaks. Our round-up of bargain soundbars will give you some fine options that won't break the bank.
At the other end of the scale, certainly as far as price goes, we bring you some stunning stereo amplifiers. If you are serious about your music, investing in the heart of your hi-fi system is never a bad idea.
Bargain soundbars from £80-£500
Don’t worry – it’s not your ears; movie dialogue really has become harder to hear in recent years, thanks to a shift in acting styles, filmmakers prioritising characters’ emotional responses over clarity of vocal delivery and a rise in more prominent sonic special effects. And the sub-standard sound quality offered by today’s televisions – even flagship models with impressive visual credentials – does nothing to help the situation.
Thankfully, there’s an easy fix – in the shape of a soundbar. Even a budget soundbar is more than likely to raise the quality of the sound you hear significantly. And, whether you are buying a budget ’bar or a top-end device, it is in vocal delivery and other midrange sonics that the improvements are most noticeable.
What’s more, the best soundbars do a pretty good job of making your movies sound more cinematic – but without the need for multiple speakers and for far less money.
This month we are focusing on affordable soundbars (less than £500), but even in this arena the improvements in terms of additional bass weight and greater depth to the sound are obvious. Above the £300 mark, you will hear a wider soundfield and often even a palpable sense of height. And it’s around this price point that you will usually get HDMI eARC connectivity, giving access to more advanced sound processing modes and hi-res audio.
Soundbars proliferate like bunnies in spring, so to help you find the breed that’s right for you, we have assembled nine popular models in three price brackets. So if you’re not sure where to start, check out this month's What Hi-Fi?
Our favourite premium stereo amplifiers
The stereo amplifier is the MVP in any hi-fi team, being the beating heart of your separates system and the component that necessarily amplifies the audio signals from your source to an output that your passive speakers can deliver. Quite simply, no amplifier means no sound!
Which stereo amplifier you choose will greatly impact your overall system performance, so you want a best-in-class performer – one that also offers the connections your sources need.
While many amplifiers retain a more purist, analogue-only approach, the popularity of music streaming means that many now contain built-in DACs for connecting phones, hard drives and digital hi-fi sources. What you require will depend on your needs and the connectivity of any existing equipment you have.
This month we focus on the best stereo amplifiers your money can buy at the more premium end of the integrated market, specifically those priced between £1000 and £5000. You can, of course, go much higher-end, but these amplifiers are the sweet spot between fair money and top-drawer performance, with invariably lovely build and a sonic character that has found favour with us.
We have rounded up 11 great amplifiers from hi-fi stalwarts such as Arcam, Rega, Chord, JBL, Audiolab, Cambridge Audio, Cyrus and Naim; and we think that every one of these amplification stars will serve you well for years to come.
Budget streamers go head-to-head
Both the Cambridge Audio MXN10 and WiiM's Ultra are brilliantly affordable ways to add cutting-edge streaming skills to your hi-fi separates, and they can even be used to create a simple but effective audio system by connecting them directly to a pair of powered speakers.
However, with both of these products earning five-stars when we reviewed them, you might reasonably be wondering just which one should be the recipient of your hard-earned cash. So, we’ve put these two network audio players up against each other to find out which one comes out on top.
Find out more in June's What Hi-Fi?
First with reviews
Once more, our First Tests section is filled to the brim with in-depth, impartial and expert verdicts on the very latest hi-fi and AV gear.
This month we had LG's latest flagship TV, the G5, in our testing rooms. The Korean TV giants' premium G-series sets have always impressed, and this latest earned top marks from our expert reviewers. Read our thoughts on this five-star OLED in this month's What Hi-Fi?
That wasn't the only five-star TV we tested this month – we also put the 55-inch version of Sony's Bravia 7 through its paces. Elsewhere, another Sony product – this time earbuds – also acquitted itself well; the WF-C710N impressed us, and you can read just why this issue.
We also had JBL's latest iteration of its fantastic wireless speaker range, the Charge 6, in for testing, as well as a neat little lifestyle projector in the form of the BenQ GP520, Elac's new Debut 3.0 DB53 standmount speakers and iFi's Zen DAC 3. Finally we took a long, considered look at Hisense's Canvas – a TV that doubles as a work of art.
See what our review team thought of all these products in June's What Hi-Fi?
Top-drawer products at top-of-the-line prices
Our Temptations section of the magazine is where you'll find the highest of the high-end of hi-fi and AV products.
Esoteric's F-01 integrated amplifier and PS-01F power supply combination is an impressive prospect. "It marries exceptional detail resolution and dynamic fluidity better than almost anything else we've heard," enthused our reviewers, before throwing lots of stars at it. Read more in the June issue of What Hi-Fi?
The Canton Reference 5 are a fine-looking pair of floorstanding speakers that graced our test rooms this month. Our review team noted their "imposing driver complement doesn't disappoint, delivering deep, muscular lows with minimal stress". Sound like it's up your alley? Got deep pockets? Read more in this month's mag!
Finally, don't forget to check out our Buyer’s Guide, featuring a definitive and freshly updated list of all the best home entertainment kit you can buy – including winners of 2024's What Hi-Fi? Awards. If you’re looking to purchase anything from a pair of the best wireless headphones to a home cinema speaker system, this section will tell you where to spend your money wisely.
Whatever you do, don't miss the June 2025 issue of What Hi-Fi?. Grab a copy today, or simply download it onto your tablet or smartphone. Enjoy!
You can subscribe or buy the latest issue here, or buy the digital edition on iPhone, iPad, Android devices or Kindle edition
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