There has really never been a better time to invest in a television. Big screen or not, if you look at the price you will pay in the shops today, it will in all probability be considerably cheaper than what you would have paid for a smaller TV from 30 years ago. And that’s without taking inflation into account.
I bit the bullet, back in the late ’90s, on a 32in CRT Panasonic. I needed to get Ian from next door to help me lift it onto its stand (that was when a telly was a telly, I can tell you). And it cost me the best part of £1200.
Take a look in this issue of What Hi-Fi?, though, and you will see that you can buy a 70in Sharp TV for less than £500. And it’s good. Our bargain TVs show you don’t need to break the bank to get impressive performance.
Ready to step up?
When it comes to stereo amplifiers, the £400-£800 price bracket is very popular with buyers – and, as a result, it’s fiercely competitive. That, in turn, means the quality-to-value ratio is at something of a sweet spot – particularly towards the upper end – making it a segment to investigate rather than avoid.
At this level, there is an abundance of great-sounding kit to select from. More than that, features are plentiful, build quality is usually very good, and performance is generally at a higher level than that of amps under £400 – which, these days, sit clearly in budget territory.
All of this means you can afford to be pretty choosy about getting the features that you actually want. Four out of the five amplifiers we have included in this round-up, for example, have multiple digital inputs, and all of them have a high-quality built-in phono stage.
A product’s appearance, of course, is more important to some than others, but practical considerations tend to affect us all. In that regard it’s worth noting that three of our five chosen models are ‘half-width’ designs. Whatever you think about the aesthetics of such designs – and lots of people love them – they can be a real boon if you are short on space.
TV bargains under £500
Given the general aura of doom, gloom and “things ain’t what they used to be” mumblings permeating our world these days, it is nice to be reminded of the many upsides of modern life.
And, if you love TV and films, one massive positive is the exceptional value for money that is available in the current market for affordable televisions.
Not only has progress in the world of flatscreen TV technology been searingly rapid over the past few years, but that tech has also quickly become available in every sector of the market, swiftly filtering its way down from the largest, priciest and most sophisticated screens to budget 43 inchers. At the same time, prices have steadily tumbled across the board.
Small- and medium-sized screens have become packed with sophisticated picture-processing tech and advanced features, while (equally well stacked) eye-poppingly affordable larger panels have been appearing in ever greater numbers. It all adds up to a telly buyer’s dream: quality screens at budget prices, no matter what size of TV you are looking for.
With so many bargains tumbling off the production lines at the moment, we thought it a good time to look in detail at four televisions typical of the budget genre – all of them are under £500 – representing four different screen sizes: 43in, 50in, 65in and 70in.
Our selection includes a Quantum Dot mini-LED option, in the shape of the TCL 506KS, while Sharp’s remarkable GK4245K is a Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos-toting 70in television for less than £500 – unthinkable just a few short years ago.
So, when it comes to the most affordable TVs on the market, it’s true; things ain’t what they used to be. Good job too, we say.
Projectors group test
Here we have three projectors at around the £5K mark, with Sony’s What Hi-Fi? Award-winning VPL-XW5000ES joined by new models from BenQ and Epson. Launched in 2022, the Sony has been our go-to at that price ever since, with four Awards on the bounce too. So we are delighted that it finally has some competition at the price.
The BenQ W5850’s new short-throw lens adds flexibility to its set-up, and means it can project a properly cinematic image in smaller living spaces – and helps it produce a lovely crisp, clean picture.
Epson’s EH-QB1000, meanwhile, impressed us with its sheer punch and versatility. It’s bigger than either of its BenQ and Sony rivals, with a natural dynamism and punch with HDR that makes it a good choice for brighter rooms. It’s also an excellent choice for gaming, thanks to its support for 4K/120Hz signals and impressively low input lag.
The VPL-XW5000E’s native 4K images are joined by Sony’s seriously impressive picture processing, which makes it hard to beat at this level and so its new rivals are going to have their work cut out to topple it from its podium.
All three models in this group test are fantastic in their own right, and consequently it’s a close-run competition. Each has its different strengths, and weaknesses, and ultimately one may suit your requirements better than another. For our money though, there is a winner here – read on to find out whether Sony, BenQ or Epson triumph in our £5K projectors group test.
First with reviews
As always, 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.
We kick off this month with the return to the soundbar arena of Yamaha. Its latest True X Surround 90A is a package including the bar, subwoofer and a pair of dinky surround speakers. Has the soundbar pioneer covered its return in glory? Find out this month!
This month we test Arcam's latest streaming system the SA35, a pair of open-back headphones from Audio-Technica, the ATH-R30x, a lovely new retro radio in the form of the Roberts Reva, and an affordable TV from Hisense, the U8QTUK.
Elsewhere we re-review Spotify in light of the arrival (finally) of its higher-res Lossless tier, a new and impressively weighty soundbar from JBL, the Bar 300MK2, and Sony's new Bravia Projector 7 home-cinema beamer.
See what our review team thought of all these products in January's What Hi-Fi?
Dig deep, you won't regret it
Our Temptations section of the magazine is where you'll find the highest of the high-end of hi-fi and AV products.
This month we have that rarest of things these days, a new CD player. And this one's a seriously impressive bit of kit – the Rotel Michi Q5. If you still love CDs, and you've got the coin, the Michi Q5 is extremely tempting indeed.
If you care about vinyl replay, on the other hand, you may be more interested in Michell's Apollo phono stage. It's a great sounding unit which will enhance your record playing quality, but at a price of course.
Find out more in January's What Hi-Fi?
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 2025'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 January 2026 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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