New issue of What Hi-Fi? out now: stunning speaker packages and AV receivers deliver home cinema heaven

Soundbars and soundbar systems are improving all the time, bringing true cinema sound closer and closer to the home environment. But, as the old rugby adage goes, “a good big ’un will always beat a good little ’un”; and so it is with home cinema.

To get what is often better than the sound you get in your local multiplex, you need to have a full-on home cinema system, complete with a dedicated multi-channel amplifier and, of course, some serious speakers.

In this month’s issue of What Hi-Fi?, we have a hard-fought Group Test of speaker packages at around two and a half grand, between a trio of the UK’s finest: Bowers & Wilkins, Fyne Audio and KEF.

To complement that titanic tussle, we also have our pick of some top AV amplifiers at a range of prices, and a stunning home cinema system that takes the best of the above and combines them with other top kit, to bring you a movie set-up that will stand you in really good stead for your stereo-music listening as well.

Surround sound speaker packages

There’s nothing quite like proper home cinema surround sound. Dotting speakers around your living room or home cinema has some practical drawbacks, but cinephiles know that the payoff is always worth it. The real question is this: if you’re going to share your space with five speakers and a subwoofer, which speaker package should you invest in?

Allow us to introduce this month’s Group Test contestants. We have the Bowers & Wilkins 606 & 607 S3 speaker package, a three-time Product of the Year winning system combines the talents of two pairs of five-star speakers – the 606 S3s and 607 S3s.

KEF Q Concerto 5.1 package includes the handsomeQ Concerto Meta standmounters and Q1 Meta bookshelf surrounds, featuring Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), which can reportedly “absorb 99 per cent of the unwanted noise from the rear of the driver for pure and natural sound”, as well as KEF's iconic Uni-Q driver array.

Rounding out the trio is the Fyne Audio F500E AV Pack 2, which features the exceptionally talented (and Award-winning) F501E floorstanding speakers with Fyne’s unique IsoFlare point source driver array that places the tweeter in the throat of the mid/bass driver for improved stereo imaging and ultimately a more cohesive experience.

All three of these systems come from esteemed British hi-fi manufacturers, and the stereo speakers that they are based on have proved to be seriously impressive in our hi-fi listening rooms. But which one will supply the best cinematic sound?

AV amplifier round-up

If you want to enter the rewarding realms of genuine surround sound, there is no substitute for a full home cinema set-up, complete with appropriate speaker package. Having helped you with the latter, we turn our attention to that set-up’s other key ingredient – the AV amplifier.

Our round-up this month covers our favoured premium AV amps, so even the least expensive – which will set you back £629 – can power a full 7.1 system. At the other end of the scale, the two priciest models have 11 channels of amplification, allowing for a 7.1.4 system (the ‘4’ denoting four Atmos height speakers).

Desktop speakers group test

But, we're not neglecting stereo sound this month. We also have a Group Test of desktop speakers for you. This relatively unassuming corner of the audio world has come on leaps and bounds in the past few years, with many manufacturers now bringing potent performance and up-to-the-minute features.

As a result, there are currently a healthy number of powered desktop speakers to suit your need, especially if you’re not keen on spending a huge amount to get hold of a pair.

The Ruark MR1 Mk3 (£399) are our established Award-winners at this budget end of the market, with the Onkyo GX-30ARC (£339) providing stern competition at a similar price and with a more comprehensive range of features and functions.

Then finally we have the Philips Fidelio FA3 which at £349 cost around the same money as their competitors but employ an active design – where each drive unit has a dedicated power amplifier.

While these may ostensibly be a trio of ‘desktop’ speakers, their capabilities stretch far beyond the realms of dutifully flanking your laptop to give your daily YouTube scrolling a bit more pep.

All are bolstered by Bluetooth streaming powers, and all – to a varying degree – offer a raft of physical connections to stretch their capabilities far beyond that of mere deskbound sound.

So which pair will triumph? Find out in this month's What Hi-Fi?

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.

A new entry into LG's C series OLED range is always a big deal for us. Consistently great, step-down OLEDs that boast a wealth of gaming features and a superb picture for the money, the C series is for many the sweet spot at this price.

We had the latest model, the C6, on our test benches this month. Does it continue the series' legacy of five-star performance and Award-winning specs? Find out more in this month's mag!

We also have reviews of the potentially Apple HomePod-rivalling Wiim Sound speaker, an impressive soundbar system from Sony in the shape of the Bravia Theatre System 6, and Rotel's smart new headphone amp/DAC, the DX-3.

But that's not all. The Sky Glass Air proved to be a great TV, despite its amazing affordability, and elsewhere we had iFi's Go Link 2, Huawei's FreeClip 2 open-style buds, FiiO's M21 portable music player and LG's Immersive Suite 7 Pro soundbar system all on test this month.

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

May we offer you temptation?

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

Moon's 371 streaming amplifier isn't cheap, but it ticks all the boxes for us. Our review team noted that, "Moon's sonic DNA is based around refinement and fluidity, with a clean, smooth balance that's hard to dislike." That should tell you a little about how impressed we were by its performance in our testing room. Find out more in this month's mag!

We also listened for many hours through Acoustic Energy's AE1 40th Anniversary standmount speakers, and were mightily impressed, noting that their sound "is unfeasibly big, particularly when we turn the volume up, and it is delivered with impressive confidence". Sounded good to us, then, do these premium standmounters sound good to you?

Read more about these products in this month'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 May 2026 issue of What Hi-Fi?. Grab a copy today, or simply download it onto your tablet or smartphone. Enjoy!

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