New issue of What Hi-Fi? out now: stereo speaker superstars and awesome OLED TVs

It’s not often we have a competition as tight as our £649-£699 stereo speakers Group Test. Tight not only as far as price goes either; all five of these rivals are superb performers, each with its own strengths, and very few weaknesses. And there are two that are brand new to these pages, to add to the spice.

Joining those speakers are two other Group Tests that posed our experienced review team some real problems in resolving the rankings, so good were the options. The 65in OLED TV is getting more and more popular, and with the four stunning examples we have it’s easy to see why.

And then we have a three-way tussle between three almost impossibly good pairs of flagship wireless earbuds from Bose, Bowers & Wilkins and Technics.

Best bang-for-your-buck speakers

As you move up out of the crowded budget-speaker arena into mid-priced standmounter territory – that is, from around the £500 mark upwards – it’s here that sound quality takes a significant step forward and the sonic character of each of the products on offer becomes more clearly differentiated from that of its rivals.

Until just a year or two ago, this terrain was dominated by B&W and its 600 series; more recently, though, a flurry of talented rivals have joined the fray and ruffled B&W’s feathers with their all-round quality and, in some cases, technological innovation.

So, we thought to ourselves, time to see how those venerable B&W old-timers stand up to the challenge from the best of the newer kids on the block by running a Group Test and declaring a definitive winner.

All five pairs of speakers we're testing against each other have impressive credentials and any one of them may suit you best. But find out which pair our team of experts declared top of the pile in November's What Hi-Fi?

OLED TV group test

After just two years in the sun, LG’s MLA (Micro Lens Array) panel tech has been consigned to the great electronics dustbin in the sky, with Primary RGB Tandem taking its place as the pinnacle W-OLED panel tech – and boasting a brightness increase of a third.

Because lots of TV manufacturers source their OLED panels from LG Display, the new Primary RGB Tandem tech is now found in a handful of TVs from different brands. And we have included the two most popular and prominent examples in this test – the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B.

Just because these two TVs share a panel doesn’t mean they will perform the same. The panel is just one – admittedly very important – ingredient in the recipe that makes up a TV. Each TV’s unique picture processing is just as critical.

There are also, of course, feature differences to consider as well, from the operating system to the number of gaming-friendly HDMI 2.1 sockets and quality of the built-in sound system.

But we have still introduced only half of the TVs in this flagship-OLED battle royale, which also features two QD-OLED models, the Samsung S95F and Sony Bravia 8 II.

But, this battle isn’t between OLED panel technologies – it’s between four of the most advanced TVs on sale today, and it promises fireworks – gloriously bright, colourful fireworks against the inkiest of black backgrounds…

Premium earbuds group test

So, what does a pair of wireless earbuds need to do to be considered ‘premium’? Their price tag should tell you they sit in the top end of the market, and the pairs we’re look at here are priced at somewhere between £250-£350.

But, whatever the price bracket, we’re still looking for the best performance-versus-pound; and even with a flagship pair, you should still be looking for a fair amount of bang-for-your-buck.

To this end, there are a number of things we look for when considering the best premium pairs. Our team assess multiple factors including comfort, ease of use, noise-cancelling, call quality and battery life. Ultimately, though, sound quality and value for money are top of our list of priorities.

We’ve been testing wireless earbuds ever since the product category first emerged nearly a decade ago. These three pairs, currently, represent the cream of the crop, with class leading features, build and sound. Whichever pair – Technics, Bose or B&W – ultimately wins this group test, we’re sure you’ll be happy with any of them – we’ve pitched them against each other because they’re competitive, after all.

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.

First up this month is the return of an old favourite, the NAD C 3050, now transformed via the addition of the MDC2 BluOS-D module, into a superior streaming amp. Read our review of this new combo in this month's mag!

Also on test this month, the TCL 65C8K proves the Chinese brand is a serious player in the world of LCD TVs - its five-star rating tells you we think highly of its new 65-inch TV. Elsewhere, Focal's high-end Bathys Mg prove to be real contenders in the wireless headphones arena, plus we have reviews of Ruark's latest version of its dinky desktop MR1 Mk3 speakers and the Samsung Galaxy S Flip 7 smartphone.

Guitar amplification legends Marshall have a new soundbar, the Heston 120, and other kit to pass through our test rooms includes the 48-inch version of the Panasonic Z90B OLED TV, and last but not least the Eversolo Play CD Edition.

See what our review team thought of all these products in November's What Hi-Fi?

Pricey, or priceless?

Our Temptations section of the magazine is where you'll find the highest of the high-end of hi-fi and AV products.

First up is the Eversolo DMP-A10 music streamer. It's not the cheapest option for streaming your music, but it is a nice looking bit of kit, with our expert reviews team also noting its considerable musical charms: "There are no rough edges here, just a good amount of insight, richly textured instruments and the ability to convey the sheer majesty of an orchestra well."

Then we take a look at ATC's SCM20ASL standmount speakers. Their presentation and impressive stereo imaging were enough to impress, even at their not inconsiderable price.

Find out more in November'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 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 November 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