
Andy Madden
Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.
Latest articles by Andy Madden

Sony’s new LinkBuds range features two pairs of wireless earbuds and a surprise addition
By Andy Madden published
Sony has added a portable Bluetooth speaker to its 2nd Gen LinkBuds family of wireless earbuds.

Wireless earbuds for surround speakers –Bose’s new home cinema feature could be genius and I can’t wait to try it
By Andy Madden last updated
Bose Personal Surround Sound sends surround effects through its open earbuds instead of external rear speakers.

Bose’s new-look QuietComfort Earbuds are back to battle Apple and Sony
By Andy Madden published
The 3rd Gen noise-cancelling buds sit below Bose’s flagship QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds in its line-up.

Apple's AirPods 4 have finally killed off the AirPods (2nd Generation) – and I’m glad
By Andy Madden published
The arrival of two new AirPods 4 models has seen Apple’s long-in-the-stem-earbuds finally exit stage left.

Apple iPhone 16 event as it happened: AirPods 4, AirPods Max, and all the key announcements
By Andy Madden last updated
All the news on Apple's product announcements from its September launch event.

Bose, beware! AKG makes a splash at IFA 2024 with two pairs of premium wireless headphones
By Andy Madden published
AKG has unveiled the N5 Hybrid wireless earbuds and the N9 Hybrid over-ears. Can they compete with the class leaders?

Bowers & Wilkins brings Dolby Atmos and a taste of Abbey Road Studios to Volvo's new electric SUV
By Andy Madden published
The Abbey Road Studios sound mode aims to give users a flavour of the acoustics of the famous recording studio.

Onkyo’s new AV receiver is a home cinema heavyweight packed with streaming smarts
By Andy Madden published
Onkyo has taken the wraps off its TX-RZ30 AVR which supports Dolby Atmos and has a whole lot of streaming built-in.

I think this forgotten hi-fi classic is the perfect system for any student house
By Andy Madden published
Streaming might be all the rage, but Denon has the perfect old-school hi-fi system for music-loving uni students.

Even if Apple launches new AirPods at its September event, I fear I’ll be disappointed. Here’s why…
By Andy Madden published
A number of revamped Airpods might land during Apple’s September event but will the changes go far enough?

Marantz aims for a high-end home run with its new 10 Series hi-fi separates
By Andy Madden published
Marantz’s new range of pricey premium hi-fi separates consists of a stereo amp, SACD player and music streamer.

13 of the best classic funk and soul tracks to test your system
By Joe Svetlik published
These classic soul bangers from days gone by will sort the funk from the junk.

We’ve tested three of 2024’s hottest Bluetooth speakers from Beats, Bose and JBL – and the quality is superb
By Andy Madden published
We’ve put new Bluetooth speakers from three of the biggest brands in the business through their paces.

My biggest problem with Bose's flagship noise-cancelling earbuds has finally been fixed
By Andy Madden published
Bose’s latest software update for its five-star wireless earbuds brings a welcome upgrade that will make your life easier.

JBL Xtreme 4 vs Xtreme 3: is the new Bluetooth speaker worth upgrading to?
By Andy Madden published
JBL’s Xtreme series has impressed over the years, but how does the latest version fare against the previous one?

Best last-minute Prime Day deals on What Hi-Fi? Award winners and five-star tech
By Andy Madden, Harry McKerrell published
Multiple five-star products have been discounted for the Amazon Prime Day 2024 sales extravaganza - but hurry before stocks run out!

We asked top AV engineers for their favourite movie scenes to test your home cinema
By Andy Madden published
If you're looking for new scenes to test your home cinema system, these superb suggestions are a great starting point.

17 of the best movie franchises of all time to test your home cinema
By Andy Madden last updated
We’ve rounded up a selection of our favorite movie franchises, from Batman to Bond, Harry Potter to Han Solo.

10 of the best tracks brought back to life by movies and TV shows
By Harry McKerrell published
Sometimes all it takes is one iconic scene to bring a track back from the brink of obscurity.

Rewind: Audiolab’s 9000N streamer tested, hands-on with Marantz’s M1 amplifier, Sony 2024 TVs and more
By Andy Madden published
Last week was a busy one at What Hi-Fi? Towers, especially when it came to music streamer news and reviews...

I switched from the Sony WH-1000XM5 to the Sonos Ace and was surprised
By Andy Madden published
I have been spending some time getting to know Sonos's premium wireless headphones and it's got me thinking...

A new AirPlay feature is coming which Apple didn’t mention at WWDC 2024
By Andy Madden published
AirPlay is getting spatial audio support so you can stream Dolby Atmos audio between compatible devices.

I spent the evening at KEF’s new Music Gallery and it was hi-fi and home cinema heaven
By Andy Madden published
We spent some time immersed in everything KEF has to offer including it's flagship £180,000 Muon floorstanding speakers.
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