Best of the Week: Record Store Day, Technics SL-1200GAE, LG G5 and more

This week Technics confirmed the UK price of its much anticipated SL-1200GAE turntable. Yamaha introduced two new products for its MusicCast range and the UHD Alliance is about to clear up any possible confusion over it is certified to be a 4K Blu-ray player.

Elsewhere we had new reviews, including the LG G, which delivered brilliant sound from a smartphone thanks to a B&O DAC upgrade, the AT-LP5 USB turntable from Audio Technica, and the high-end Sennheiser HD800S headphones.

MORE: Record Store Day 2016 set for Saturday 16th April

MORE: What Hi-Fi? Deals of the Week

News

Technics confirms UK price for SL-1200GAE turntable as £2799

The limited edition SL-1200GAE turntable from Technics will go on sale in June for £2799.

It went on sale in Japan earlier this week and all 300 allocated units were sold in 30 minutes. It's a fair bet the same will happen when the other 900 go on sale later this year.

But fear not, if you don't snap up the Limited Edition, there's always the Technics SL-1200G, which is due out later this year in much larger numbers.

MORE: Technics confirms UK price for SL-1200GAE turntable as £2799

MORE: Technics SL-1200G hands-on review

Yamaha MusicCast amp and preamp bring wireless music streaming to any hi-fi

Yamaha is expanding its MusicCast range with the WXA-50 amplifier and WXC-50 preamplifier.

Both units feature Bluetooth, DLNA, Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect, and they can sit either vertically or horizontally for added flexibility.

The WXA-50 power amp will retail for £400 and the WXC-50 preamp for £300. Both go on sale in August.

MORE: Yamaha MusicCast amp and preamp bring wireless music streaming to any hi-fi

4K Blu-ray players to get Ultra HD Premium certification

As 4K gains momentum, the Ultra HD Alliance is set to make clear which products are certified to deliver the full-fat 4K HDR experience.

An Ultra HD Premium logo will feature on 4K Blu-ray players, just as it does on some 4K TVs and discs. Any player with the standard for the new format regarding resolution, colour, brightness and more.

Panasonic and Samsung are the first out of the gates with 4K Blu-ray players, so should be the first Ultra HD Premium certified 4K players when they go on sale later this month.

MORE: 4K Blu-ray players to get Ultra HD Premium certification

MORE: 4K Blu-ray beats 4K Netflix for the ultimate Ultra HD experience

MORE: Panasonic DMP-UB900 4K player review

Most smartphones tend to improve the innards while keeping the rest the same. Not so with LG's latest.

They've gone down the more radical route of modular design. It's a risky bet - and it pays off. The sound heard when B&O's Hi-Fi Plus DAC module is connected trumps the G5's own rather so-so sound.

Add a removable battery and a full suite of features and you have a fantastic piece of kit.

Read the full LG G5 with Hi-Fi Plus DAC review

"The only way in our minds you could improve on so comprehensive a package as this is to up your budget fairly significantly"

Audio Technica AT-LP5

A plug-and-play turntable may not always inspire confidence in the sound quality, but this effort from Audio Technica is the complete package.

The AT-LP5 delivers great detail and an expressive sound, and has USB functionality into the bargain for digitising your tunes.

It's our new favourite budget turntable.

Read the full Audio Technica AT-LP5 review

"Provided you have a good enough source and amp, these Sennheisers are an excellent buy"

Sennheiser HD800S

£1200 is a lot to spend on a pair of headphones, and yet we don't think that's the case with these Sennheisers.

A good quality set-up should be your first priority. Once that's done just sit back and listen. The presentation here is a well-balanced one that's composed and refined without sounding sterile.

The HD800s offer tremendous entertainment so long as you have a set-up worthy of them. If so you'll be rewarded with a stunning performance.

Read the full Sennheiser HD800S review