KEF has cemented its position as the dominant manufacturer of active speaker systems in our 2026 What Hi-Fi? Awards. Its stylish all-in-one designs pack streaming smarts, amplification and wireless capability into a pair of stereo speakers, while delivering a level of sound quality that rivals the very best hi-fi separates alternatives.
It is a formula that has proven irresistible to our judges this year.
The highlight is undoubtedly the new premium KEF LS Luxe (£3500 / $4000 / AU$6375), which nabs the 'Best speaker system over £3000' trophy. This standmount package refines the company’s well-proven formula by adding a larger Uni-Q driver array (where the tweeter sits in the throat of the mid/bass unit) and a pebble-shaped cabinet made of BMC (Bulk Moulding Compound) rather than MDF.
Compared to the well-established LS50 Wireless II (£2250 / $2499 / AU$4295), the serial winner in the next price band down, the LS Luxe’s larger Uni-Q array (16.5cm vs 13cm) results in improved dynamics, higher volume capability and deeper bass.
Add in the newer model’s greater internal volume and better-damped enclosure, and the benefits are obvious, from the increased clarity to the crisper stereo imaging.
If your budget doesn't extend that far, we can highly recommend the third of KEF’s Award winners, the LSX II LT (£899 / $999 / AU$1695). These smaller speakers will fit nicely into more modest spaces while retaining much of the well-rounded character we so love from their pricier siblings.
Triangle’s excellent AIO Twin (£599 / $899 / AU$1799) completes our quartet of speaker systems. These are a fine alternative to the KEF LSX II LT, delivering a front-footed and entertaining sound for a more wallet-friendly price, and takes another win in the 'Best speaker system under £750' category.
Our expanding music systems category also includes ‘just-add-speakers’ solutions. We are pleased to report that the quality of such products continues to rise. The main attraction for such systems used to be convenience and a lack of clutter, but in recent years manufacturers have really pushed hard on sound quality.
Listen to the Roksan Caspian 4G Streaming Pre-Amplifier/Power Amplifier (£6500 / $8250 / AU$13,198) combination, and you would be hard-pressed to find a traditional streamer/amplifier alternative that performs better. It is beautifully made too, and is the first pre/power two-box system we've given an Award to, and it wins the new 'Best hi-fi system over £5000' category.
Well-established class leaders such as the Technics SA-C600 (£749 / $1299 / AU$1849), the Ruark Audio R610 (£1199 / $1899 / AU$2299), the NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) (£1749 / $2449 / AU$3799) and Arcam's SA35 (£2999 / $3299 / AU$6495) all hold on to their Awards at their price bands for another year – making this one of the biggest and most varied categories of the year.
We have to give Denon’s D-M41DAB microsystem(£399 / $630 / AU$1139) a special mention too. This little budget micro comes with excellent speakers and has been our go-to entry-level system recommendation for almost a decade now.
While streaming isn’t built-in, it does feature a CD player, radio and Bluetooth. Build quality is also high. Nothing we’ve come across in all this time has made us question our affection for this modest but surprisingly capable package. It remains a great buy.
NAD took home the overall systems Product of the Year win last year, but will it hold on to that crown for another year with such strong competition for 2026? All the 2026 Product of the Year winners for each category, along with some special Awards, will be revealed at the What Hi-Fi? Awards ceremony on 12th November, so check back online next week to find out.
MORE:
Check out all the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2026 winners
Best hi-fi systems 2026: CD, vinyl and streaming music players for the home
What’s your favourite physical music format of all time? Tell us why
