British brand Arcam is celebrating 50 years in the business with the launch of two brand new hi-fi products. The A50 Signature integrated amplifier and the CD25 CD player will both be making their big debut at this year’s High End Vienna showcase.

The new A50 Signature amp sits at the top of Arcam’s established Radia Series of amplifiers. It’s a range that currently includes the Award-winning A5+ and A15+ models, and is billed as the company’s “most complete expression of its Class G platform”.

The CD25, meanwhile, slots into the Radia line-up as a new reference CD player above the Award-winning CD5.

The A50 is the first Arcam integrated amp to use a fully dual-mono Class G architecture, with each channel built as a completely discrete amplifier section. Each side houses its own output stage and power regulation, designed to maximise channel separation and minimise crosstalk for a purer audio signature.

The new amplifier produces 300 watts at 8 ohms, and aims to deliver outstanding control and plentiful headroom across a range of loudspeakers. Digital conversion is handled courtesy of an ESS ES9039Q2M DAC supported by an ESS reference voltage regulator.

Digital inputs include HDMI eARC, USB-C, optical and coaxial, while analogue connectivity includes three RCA inputs, a balanced XLR input pair and a fully integrated Class A moving magnet / moving coil phono stage. For wireless connectivity, two-way Bluetooth with Auracast is also on board.

If you’re seeking a source to go with your new Class G amplifier, the new CD25 could be just the thing. The new model adopts a dual-mono DAC architecture, and is the first CD player in Arcam’s range to to implement ‘ESS Hyperstream 4 DAC’ technology for reducing jitter and minimising timing errors.

The new CD player uses a linear toroidal power supply for a “stable, low-noise operation and consistent analogue performance”, while a vibration-damped internal structure promises more accurate reading for your shiny discs.

Further, balanced XLR and RCA outputs are both on hand for connecting to your amplifier.

Externally, the CD25 follows the familiar design-language found across the established Radia range. It sports a glass front-panel with an OLED display, all housed in a black metal chassis.

The Arcam Radia A50 Signature and CD25 will be available in the third quarter of 2026. Check them out early at High End Vienna 2026 to whet your appetite. The A50 Signature is priced at £2499 / $3000 / €2799 while the CD25 will set you back £1499 / $1800 / €1599.

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When a hi-fi system is going to set you back more than £1000 per component (and four grand plus all in) you really ought to be looking at a set-up that will do everything well, of course.

That, however, is rather easier said than done. For a start, the sheer number of options out there for competent pieces of equipment is, at the very least, disconcerting – potentially even bewildering.

That number, admittedly, reduces when we restrict the search to individually brilliant products, but it’s still no easy task to match pieces that will perform perfectly together.

The system

• Arcam A15+ stereo amplifier: £1199
• Acoustic Energy AE309 Mk2 floorstanding speakers: £1199
• Bluesound Node Icon music streamer: £899
• Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable: £1099
• Total system price: £4396

Stereo amplifier: Arcam A15+

So when an amplifier as extraordinary for its price as the Arcam A15+ comes along, it merits a great deal of thought when it comes to partnering components.

Which, of course, is where we come in. Because here we have, we believe, a four-way set-up that is really tough to beat. It’s easy to live with, balanced, composed and sonically spot-on in every department. What’s more, as individually superb as they might be, put together, these four hi-fi components exemplify synergy in action.

The 2025 What Hi-Fi? Award winning Arcam A15+ amplifier does everything well – this is a truly great all-rounder. It retains all the smooth, even and authoritative character of the original A15, but takes small steps forward across the board – it's more detailed, cleaner and clearer.

We find it to be even more dynamically expressive than before, and "is more emphatic in the way it renders crescendos and shifts in musical intensity." Along with a surefooted sense of rhythm, the A15+ delivers satisfyingly punchy bass, and "it also retains a degree of tunefulness and agility that is rare to find at this level."

It has a healthy complement of analogue and digital inputs, including HDMI eARC, to plug all sorts of sources into it. The features that some (many…) amps at this level pay mere lipservice to – a Bluetooth connection, heaphone output and, importantly for this particular system, a moving magnet phono stage – are all right up there in terms of performance with the best at the price. This amp is a really accommodating and even-handed performer.

As our verdict on the A15+’s review concludes: “If you are looking for an amplifier that ticks all the boxes at this price, we haven’t come across a better one than the Arcam A15+.” Well, quite.

Floorstanders: Acoustic Energy AE309 Mk2

We are pairing the power in this four-way set-up with some equally accommodating floorstanding loudspeakers.

Acoustic Energy’s AE309 Mk2 may be floorstanders, but imposing they most certainly are not. Measuring 17cm wide and 90cm tall, these are compact enough to look and sound right at home in relatively small spaces, or equally for those who simply don’t want their hi-fi to dominate the room.

And it’s not simply in their size that these speakers stay out of the way. As we say in their review, “The hallmark of excellent speakers is that you don’t even realise they are there. Instead of being drawn to something they are or are not doing, you can close your eyes, and the music just washes over you. And that’s probably the biggest compliment we can pay the AE309 Mk2s – the seamless integration between drive units simply lets the music do the talking.”

If you were to continue to read the AE309 Mk2 review, you would come upon the following: “It’s at this point that we retrace our steps, listening to the same tracks using the Arcam A15+ for amplification. And we can report that the speakers feel completely at home. The AE309 Mk2 sound much more relaxed (in a good way) in the company of something more suited to their price level.

“They still deliver a natural, balanced and detailed performance, and it’s hard not to think that this pairing, driven by a Bluesound Node Icon music streamer, could make for quite a capable system.”

Music streamer: Bluesound Node Icon

And, wouldn’t you know it, we’ve gone and tried just that in this very set-up.

While we are certainly fans of Bluesound’s family of network audio streamers, it’s fair to say that the models further down the ladder, while very capable, sound just a little bit too relaxed to compete with the very best in their particular classes.

This is the exception. Indeed, the Bluesound Node Icon stands head and shoulders above its siblings in design, features and, most importantly, performance.

This is the flagship model in the Node range and, as such, Bluesound has gone to town with its build, audio technology and features.

The BluOS app is well organised and intuitive to use, especially with large digital music libraries stored on connected NAS drives or media servers. The connection is stable over both wi-fi and wired ethernet, and there are no issues for us when we play music from Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect or BBC 6 Music.

And it’s a lively, engaging and dynamic performer that grabs our interest at the beginning and only continues to impress us the more we listen. “This isn’t an extroverted, look-at-me presentation,” we say in the review, “but the Icon’s sound has a glimmer to it – underpinned by stellar composure and well-judged ability over the frequency range – that is so appealing to listen to that we find ourselves playing song after song through the Node Icon and having a great time.”

Have you noticed the theme of this quartet yet? Everything here just gets out of the way and lets you, the listener, indulge in the whole raison d’etre of hi-fi: listen to the music without unnecessary distraction.

Turntable: Rega Planar 3 RS Edition

Which brings us to the final part of the puzzle, Rega’s phenomenal Planar 3 RS Edition turntable. This ‘Rega Special’ Edition of the iconic Planar 3 bridges the gap between the (we hesitate to use the phrase on such a legendary turntable, but…) vanilla Planar 3 and the step-up Planar 6. And, as such, this is really a superb value for money option.

It comes in a lovely brushed aluminium finish and, more importantly, an upgraded plinth with a high pressure laminate skin that we see in the more premium models. It also comes fitted with an Nd5 moving magnet cartridge, compared with the regular 3’s Nd3, and an outboard Neo PSU Mk2 power supply that also provides electronic speed switching.

All of which boost the performance considerably. It is more than worth the extra outlay. We were pretty effusive in our Planar 3/Nd3 review; the RS Edition delivers even more of what we like so much about the Planar 3.

“That same familial Rega sound is instantly identifiable,” we say in the RS Edition’s review. “Snappy, agile rhythm and dynamically exciting, and a fluid, natural way with melody that is simply fun to listen to.

Play The Unthanks’ Mount The Air single, and you get a better sense of the space the song is recorded in – a vast, sparse location – thanks to the 3 RS Edition offering a wider soundstage that allows detail to flourish more freely, along with a quieter, darker background.

There is a confidence and effortless quality to the way this turntable sounds compared with the standard Planar 3; it locks every detail, every instrument, every vocal into place in an assured way that is admirable and wholly enjoyable.”

And that really rather sums up this whole system, for us. Each of these components does its job in the best way possible, without shouting about it or showing off.

This is the perfect set-up for those of us who simply want to be able to enjoy our music in the manner its producers intended. Simply brilliant.

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Read our Acoustic Energy AE309 Mk2 review

Our guide to the best music streamers we've tested

And the best turntables across every budget

It has been only a month since Denon announced the arrival of its new AVR-S980H AV receiver, but the Japanese audio giant has clearly earmarked 2026 as a big year for home cinema. It has just taken the wraps off a further two new models!

Designed and tuned at Denon’s Shirakawa Audio Works in Japan, the new AVRs seem to have sound quality high on the agenda, promising as they do “improved imaging, clearer high‑frequency detail and more confident low‑frequency energy across every channel”.

Key to the audio improvements are the inclusion of a new 32-bit, eight-channel DAC, plus upgraded components and mechanical improvements across both models, many of which are designed to reduce the effects of noise and vibrations.

The Denon AVR-X2900H (£899/€1000/$1349) is a 7.2-channel AVR with 95W per channel, while the step-up AVC-X3900H (£1299/€1499/$1849) is a 9.4-channel AVR with 11.4 channels of processing and 105W per channel.

Both AV receivers feature a refreshed front-panel design and include Denon HEOS multiroom audio and support for Bluetooth (including LE Audio), Apple AirPlay 2 and online streaming services including TuneIn Internet Radio, Spotify and Qobuz.

Movie fans can take advantage of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks through both amps, with the AVC-X3900H adding IMAX Enhanced, Auro 3D, and 360 Reality Audio to its specification sheet.

• Hands on: Denon AVR-X2900H review

HDMI connectivity is, as you would expect, high on the agenda. The AVR-X2900H features six inputs and two outputs, while its pricier sibling gets an extra output. Both amps offer 1440p passthrough and AMD FreeSync.

They will also be compatible with Denon’s Home 200, 400 and 600 wireless speakers via a future firmware update, should you want to use those models as surrounds in a speaker package.

Another promised future update will allow the amps to support Dolby Atmos music via AirPlay 2.

To help get the AVRs set up for your room layout, they each support Audyssey (you get a calibration mic in the box). Should you want to delve deeper into their settings, there is also optional Dirac Live Room Correction support, plus Bass Control and Active Room Treatment (ART) if you opt for the more premium model.

With Denon, Arcam and Yamaha all announcing new AVRs in recent months, 2026 looks set to be a strong year for home cinema enthusiasts. We can’t wait to get all of these new offerings into our test rooms for review.

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Our pick of the best AV receivers we have tested

Fancy capping off a four-day week with some juicy deals? Then we have some good news.

It's been a surprisingly solid week for savings, with several Award winners crashing to new lowest prices.

There's potential for you to build a fully-fledged home cinema from this week's highlights, or if you're looking for new headphones, we've got you covered, whether you're after earbuds or over-ears, Bluetooth or a classic wired set.

Once again, these are all products that we've tried and tested ourselves, only gaining our recommendation after an exhaustive review process.

So take a look at the deals for yourself – we'll go in-depth into what we like about them down below.

We all love a new lowest price on an Award-winner. And that's exactly what we've got with the Epson EH-LS9000. The 4K projector has hit a new low of £2699, which makes it rather great value given its performance as a brilliantly effective dark room home cinema.

If you're looking for wired over-ear headphones, you'd be hard-pressed to do better than the multi-Award-winning Grado SR325x. Offering excellent detail and dynamics, hugely entertaining performance, and a rugged build, these What Hi-Fi? favourites are now 25 per cent off.

The Samsung HW-Q990F offers immersive, detailed and engaging cinematic sound, wireless convenience and features including HDMI 2.1 passthrough and wireless music streaming options. We've seen some heavy discounts on the Award winner before, but never as low as the current 56 per cent(!) price cut.

If you're after noise-cancelling in your wireless buds, then the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are your best bet. The Bose flagships also offer punchy, full-bodied sound and a secure, comfortable fit, and are now at their lowest ever price.

If you're serious about sound, then the Arcam AVR5 AV Receiver may be for you. It lacks a few extra features compared to its rivals, but more than makes up for it with agility, rhythm and a dynamically authoritative performance.

The B&W Px7 S2e are the definition of old but gold – they may be from 2023, but that's also why they're enjoying a £150 discount. They're the complete portable headphones package, boasting a lovely full, lush sonic character, benchmark insight and the same devastating combination of style and performance as their Px7 S3 successors.

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What would you say is the main purpose of an AV receiver? Multiple channels of amplification? Surround sound processing? Audio/Video routing?

While all of these are true, at the end of the day your AV receiver is there to make your movies sound sensational – far more than a soundbar or built-in speaker could hope to achieve. That’s exactly what the Arcam AVR5 does, and it can now be yours for £1299 at Richer Sounds.

There are certainly AV receivers that cram in more features – often, to be frank, too many – but the AVR5 makes no compromises when it comes to sound. This results in sparkling clarity and an agility that outperforms AVRs well above its price bracket.

We were big fans of the Arcam AVR5 when we had it in for testing – so much so that it earned our spot on our best AV receivers list as our mid-range pick.

That was despite the AVR5 technically being an entry-level model – the sound is just that good.

“The ’80s classics in the opening of Ready Player One sing out from the soundtrack with resounding rhythmic agility and kinetic energy, an early indication that the AVR5 is a capable amp with music. As Wade’s narration begins there’s a distinct cleanness to the vocal that feels natural and unprocessed with plenty of presence and warmth,” our Arcam AVR5 review reads.

“There’s a transparency to the AVR5 that’s rare for a home cinema amp, bringing to life subtle sonic touches that lesser kit leaves unearthed.”

Arcam has clearly prioritised sound over features here, and that does mean HDMI 2.1 and a built-in calibration system are absent. The AVR5 is still more than capable, however, with seven HDMI inputs that handle 4K 60Hz passthrough signals with HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG compatibility.

The AVR5 offers seven channels of amplification, allowing for either a 5.1.2 or 7.1 setup, although it can natively decode up to 12 channels of Dolby Atmos audio. For larger systems, you will need to pair this AVR with the Arcam PA410 power amplifier, which is sold separately.

We find the feature shortcomings of the AVR5 to be more than made up for in its music and sound performance, with its agility and pinpoint accuracy making for an engaging performance. For anyone looking for a step-up AVR that offers more nuance and authenticity when it comes to cinematic sound, look no further than the Arcam AVR5, now £701 off at Richer Sounds.

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Read our review of the Denon AVC-X3700H

How to set up your AV receiver and get the best sound

Best AV receivers: brilliant home cinema amplifiers

When Quad unveiled a reimagined version of its 1960s 33/303 pre/power amplifier duo in 2023, it proved so popular that an integrated version was highly requested. And so the Quad 3 stereo amplifier was born two years later.

Unlike the 33/303, the integrated Quad 3 isn’t a revived version of an original classic. It’s a completely new and thoroughly modern amplifier designed for today’s demanding customers and their varied listening habits, albeit with a charmingly retro-inspired look.

Build & design

There’s no getting past the eye-catching facade of the amp, so we’ll start there.

The Quad 3’s design takes inspiration from the modernised 33 preamp – the compact size, the controls, the orange-backlit LCD display – while the curved contours are derived from the older, 1950s-era Quad 22 preamp/control unit.

The matte silver fascia is minimally designed and is punctuated with that bright, punchy orange display strip, while the rest of the body sports a dark grey finish.

It’s a nicely made unit and we particularly like that compact size. It sits in between the full-size, bulky Arcam A15+ and the even more compact and tidy Rotel DX-5, and we can see the Quad’s dimensions fitting into many spaces that larger hi-fi wouldn’t.

The front panel of the Quad 3 is adorned with rotary controls mounted flush to the unit, and a larger volume control dial with orange LEDs surrounding it to denote the volume level. The volume dial is nice to use, and we like the way LEDs of varying brightness appear for each volume step.

In fact, it reminds us of a similar design we encountered on the five-star Mission 778X amp. Considering Quad and Mission are owned by the same company, it’s not a huge surprise to see shared designs, and it’s one we’re happy to see repeated on the Quad 3.

The smaller rotary dials are for selecting source, adjusting the balance and bass (up to +3/-3db) and, most notably, the tilt control. This tilt control can trace its origin back to the Quad 34 preamp from 1982, and we find it a subtler way to adjust tone. Instead of separately adjusting treble or bass (as you’ll find on many conventional amps), tilt control allows you to adjust both ends of the frequency range together, pivoting at around the 700Hz mark.

So for a ‘cooler’ sound, you can lift the treble which automatically reduces the same amount of bass (again, in +1/-1db increments), while those wanting a ‘warmer’ tone can go the opposite way, like a see-saw. We think it’s worth playing around with to suit the rest of your system.

Once we get past the rather lovely looks and start using the unit, we start to encounter a few niggles and issues. Firstly – and most egregiously – we wish the text on the display was stronger and had better contrast, as the thin font can be hard to read up close, let alone from afar or at an angle.

The control dials can be a little fiddly to navigate, too. Some on the team preferred using the entire surface of the dial to move it, while others felt it was more natural to adjust it via the bottom lip of the dial that overhangs the display. A little indentation or mark on the dials would perhaps help guide us to the zero point.

The amp comes with a button-laden remote that is useful and responsive, but it feels a little cheap compared with the amplifier itself and with the more svelte, slimline remotes supplied with the Rotel and Arcam rivals.

We wish the button layout was just a little more intuitive, too, especially for changing volume, and that there were dedicated buttons for each input. The source up/down button to change the inputs from afar is pointless when you can’t read the input chosen on the display – and that’s at full brightness/contrast levels.

We find using the source dial on the unit easier to use when switching inputs, but that requires having the amp positioned close to your listening position and within reach.

Features & connectivity

Whereas the modernised 33 preamp is all-analogue, the Quad 3 integrated is a fully 21st-century hi-fi product with multiple digital inputs available. You get optical, coaxial and USB type-B inputs, and even an HDMI ARC input for using the Quad 3 with your TV system. It also has Bluetooth with aptX HD codec for easy streaming from your mobile devices.

On the analogue side, you get two pairs of RCA line level inputs, and moving magnet phono input for connecting a turntable directly. And finally, it has a dedicated headphone amplifier circuit with a 6.3mm headphone jack, just under the front panel.

In short, you can connect just about any source to the amp, and we’re impressed by just how much Quad has managed to fit into this compact amp.

Under the hood, the Quad 3 features Class A/B amplification with a beefy 235VA ultra-low-noise toroidal transformer. The amp has a claimed 65 watts of power into 8 ohms, which rises to 100 watts into 4 ohms – which is perfectly fine for this kind of amp and should be able to drive most price-compatible speakers. We found it had no trouble driving our reference ATC SCM50 speakers during testing.

On the digital side, the Quad 3 makes use of the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC chip, with special care taken over the clocking circuit to minimise jitter and the power supply circuit to further enhance the DAC performance.

File compatibility is extensive: you get hi-res audio support up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and full MQA decoding, while DSD512 files can be played natively via the USB input.

There are five filters available to you when using the digital inputs. The default mode is ‘linear slow’ and is the one we settle on as it sounds most natural out of the five options – to our ears, it offers greater subtlety, more dynamism and a better sense of space than the others.

You can access those filters through the menu – here’s where the remote comes in handy – and you’ll also find options to change the brightness of the display (you can turn it off if the orange backlight is too piercing), adjust the text contrast (we recommend leaving it at maximum), choose gain settings, set auto standby and more.

During our testing, we used a variety of sources, including the Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition music streamer, the Cyrus CDi CD player, the Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable, and an iPhone 16 for Bluetooth. We used price-compatible speakers in the form of the Epos ES-7N standmounts and the PMC Prodigy 5 floorstanders, and we also plugged the Quad into our trusty ATC SCM50s to see how it would fare with more demanding speakers.

Sound

We kick off our listening with a mix of Kendrick Lamar, Alt-J and Waxahatchee, and are met with an immediately likeable presentation that sounds clear and detailed, with a lively sense of energy.

Songs flow in a smooth, fluid manner, while basslines are fairly zippy and nimble – before long, we find ourselves tapping along to songs as we run through our library of tracks. There’s enough punch and verve at hand, too, making it appealing to listen to.

While the scale of sound isn’t as large as more powerful rivals, the Quad 3 is a dab hand with the undulating dynamics of a track. Instruments are layered in a breathable soundstage that has decent depth, with enough in the way of detail that the varying tones and textures of each instrument are clearly conveyed.

Play Eminem’s The Way I Am and the Quad 3 proves it’s no shrinking wallflower; there’s plenty of snap and attack to his singing, with lyrics coming through with ample bite and attitude. The more we listen, we realise the 3’s midrange is the star – from Alicia Keys’ stunningly raw vocals on Fallin’ to Waxahatchee’s crystal-clear, melodious singing, voices are laid bare with a great deal of nuance and expression.

Voices are projected clearly and upfront through the amplifier, and, regardless of the input or source, the Quad 3 does a lovely job in communicating the emotional core of a song. At this level, the stop and start of notes could be more precise and another helping of subtlety and insight would flesh out those instruments and natural tones even further, but the Quad 3 combines the essentials together in a way that sounds cohesive and flows well.

We find the Quad is transparent enough to convey the different recording qualities, too, with the difference in recording eras easy to discern whether we’re playing Nina Simone’s Sinnerman or Dead Prez’s Hip-Hop.

Compared with its price rivals, the Quad 3 isn’t quite the last word in scale, detail and precision. When the sax takes centre stage in Dave Brubeck’s Take Five, for instance, the piano section gets subsumed into the rest of the instrumentation, and isn’t as well-projected as through its rivals.

The pricier and less powerful Rotel DX-5 (£1399 / $1699 / AU$2199) is clearer, crisper, and has tauter bass overall; while the less costly but more powerful Arcam A15+ (£1199 / $1099 / AU$2295) conveys the sweeping, orchestral might of the Jurassic Park Theme with greater muscle, authority, scale and detail.

None of that takes away from the Quad’s full-bodied tone and smoothed-edged presentation, which is a big part of what makes its sound so likeable and enjoyable to listen to in the first place.

That sonic character is consistent through the digital and analogue inputs, which is commendable. The phono stage is of good quality, exhibiting that same midrange fidelity when we play Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS record on the Rega turntable, although more dynamic prowess wouldn’t go amiss.

The headphone amplifier is also of fine quality, with a great amount of clarity and detail making for an involving and intimate listen. Pair with a solid pair of wired headphones – we used Grado’s SR325x and Beyerdynamic T1 Gen 3 – and it’s a terrific way to enjoy the Quad 3.

The only downside is Bluetooth, which has a noticeable drop in resolution and squashed dynamics, resulting in a very diminished, lifeless performance. While convenient to have, we’d avoid using Bluetooth – it’s not up to the standard of the rest of the Quad 3’s inputs.

Verdict

Quad’s meld of modern and retro has resulted in a characterful, enjoyable amp that, while not troubling the class-leaders at this premium level, has plenty of visual appeal and stands out from the crowd.

The generous spread of connections is impressive for such a compact design, and despite some usability quirks, the Quad 3’s fluid, punchy presentation with its particular talent for voices is worth an audition.

Review published: 25th March 2026

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Features 5

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Six thousand pounds is a lot of money. Of course it is. But break it down, and consider what you’re getting for your six and a quarter grand here, and things start to look not quite so bad.

And by “what you’re getting”, we don’t mean simply five boxes (with the two speakers) of hi-fi equipment. We mean the many, many years of joy that that money will give you via those individual bits of kit, working together to bring you the music you love at a quality that simply can’t be bettered for the money.

This is a level where performance leaps from good to truly great, all while avoiding the threshold of the outright extravagant (we’ll do one of those systems as well, though).

This system embraces the hands-on joy of vinyl and combines it with the modern convenience of high-resolution streaming. It channels its signals, both analogue and digital, through a remarkably capable integrated stereo amplifier and a pair of small but mighty standmount speakers.

The combination is a wonderfully balanced, articulate, and expressive hi-fi package.

The system

• Turntable: Rega Planar 6/Nd7 – £1655
• Music streamer: Arcam ST25 – £1499
• Integrated amplifier: Arcam A15+ – £1199
• Stereo speakers: Epos ES-7N – £1890
• Total system price: £6243

Turntable: Rega Planar 6/Nd7

Rega's Planar 6 turntable has been picking up What Hi-Fi? Awards since 2017 – and it continues to offer a terrifically capable and enjoyable performance at this level.

We originally tested the Planar 6 with the Ania moving-coil cartridge, with the package costing £1400. That is still available, but Rega now offers the new Nd5 and Nd7 moving magnet cartridges, and the Ania Pro (MC), as the standard factory-fitted options for this package.

The Nd7 uses the same ‘fine-line’ nude diamond profile as Rega’s high-end moving coil designs, and this premium moving magnet (£450) is proving to be the most popular pairing and upgrade path for the Planar 6.

What marks this Rega Planar 6 out from its rivals (and as a step up from the Planar 3 models) is that it doesn’t go for immediacy to grab your attention.

As we say in our review, “Boldness isn’t put to the forefront – instead, its party-piece is the unnerving ability to juggle balance, subtlety and timing in the most understated way.

“It’s a frankly astonishing refined and mature sound.”

Basslines have no hint of flab – they are pulled taut and are utterly punctual, and with a great deal of muscular solidity underpinning the notes.

It’s not all about the bass by any means: “There’s a huge amount of space conveyed when playing The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Dukas. You can gauge exactly where all the sections of the orchestra are seated in the precise soundstage.

“Once again, the Rega shows off its maturity during the opening moments: the swift, high notes are crisply delivered and shine just enough without sounding too sharp.

“The rhythmic ebb and flow is effortlessly precise – and when it goes quiet, it really goes silent. Timing is spot-on, and the clarity with which every instrument is presented is wonderful to hear.

We like how the Rega Planar 6 doesn’t shout about what it’s doing. It just gets on and does it.”

Music streamer: Arcam ST25

Rather as with the Rega turntable, the first thing we notice about the Arcam ST25 streamer, when we set it to play a CD-quality stream of Madonna's Sky Fits Heaven, is its crystal clear and clean delivery. It sets an eerily quiet backdrop for the music, which allows all the instruments space to breathe.

“The track starts with rapid pulsing synths, which exhibit great texture and fine detail.

There’s a real sense of pace, agility and power to the bassline as it pounds along, laying a robust foundation for all the electronica poured on top.

“The ST25 is really easy to listen to and doesn’t leave any unpleasant aftertaste. Madonna’s vocal sounds effortless and comes at you covered in texture and oozing emotion.

“All the different elements mix like a perfectly crafted cocktail; drum machine, vocal and synths all move around in unison, with the Arcam really capturing the high-energy tempo of the track.”

The easiest thing to say about the Arcam streamer is that, whether it’s internet radio or hi-res audio streams, the ST25 presents them in a hugely enjoyable and musical way.

Integrated amplifier: Arcam A15+

Especially, not too surprisingly, when it is presenting them via its stablemate A15+ stereo amplifier. The original A15 was a superb all-rounder, delivering a combination of detail, dynamics and overall balance that we felt was class-leading. This new + version, introduced in 2025, retains that character but takes small steps forward across the board.

The + version has more expressive dynamics and seems to go from quiet to loud with greater fluency. We don’t note any significant difference in scale or absolute authority, but do find that the newer amplifier is more emphatic in the way it renders crescendos and shifts in musical intensity.

There aren’t any notable changes in terms of tonality, which remains a well-judged balance of evenness with just enough smoothness for the amplifier to remain enjoyable with rough or coarse recordings.

The A15+ has the transparency to reveal flaws in a recording or partnering source, but it won’t go out of its way to emphasise those shortcomings. This is arguably the ideal balance for something at this level, we think.

Stereo speakers: Epos ES-7N

And we finish up this quartet with a pair of double Award-winning loudspeakers. The Epos ES-7N are small standmounters that have a wonderful trick up their sleeves to be as practical as possible in regards placement.

There’s a toggle switch on the ES-7N’s back panel. Click it up and the speakers are tuned for what the company calls a semi-free standing position, with the speakers on taller 70cm stands, typically 30-50cm from the rear wall.

Move the switch down and the output through midrange and treble frequencies is raised relative to the bass, giving a surprisingly even sound when the speakers are used up against a wall or on (or even in) a bookshelf.

These are relatively small speakers, so can’t compete with larger rivals when it comes to bass weight, overall scale and dynamic reach. Yet, they do so much well that we don’t really mind the losses. The ES-7N are bold and confident performers that resolve high levels of detail and organise it in a cohesive and musical way.

It’s surprising just how solid and full-bodied they sound at low frequencies. They may not dig as deeply as some rivals, but they do sound more controlled and grippy than many.

The Epos are supplied in mirror-imaged pairs and we experiment with the speakers positioned with the tweeters on the inside edge and then the outer. We prefer them as the company recommends, with the tweeters positioned on the inside. This configuration renders more solid and focused results.

Our review verdict states: “Overall, the Epos ES-7N are charmers. They are small, hugely capable and surprisingly unfussy in use.”

Hugely capable and surprisingly unfussy in use sums up this brilliant system rather well; this is just over six grand extremely well spent.

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Check out the best stereo amplifiers we highly recommend

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: which premium music streamer should you buy?

This golden trio of Award-winning products gel together to deliver a superb-sounding streaming system

We’re getting into serious hi-fi territory here. This set-up, of four superb products, proves you don’t have to spend really silly money on getting stunning stereo ability.

For just over three grand (in the UK, that is; those in US and Australia will be paying a bit more), you are getting here a system that will give you many years of service playing your vinyl and digital discs. And, of course, there is always the scope to upgrade, should you feel the need, adding (say) a music streamer to the party.

That might not be needed for a while though, as the CD player here has the ability to handle hi-res files as well, so there’s plenty of variety available here straight out of the box.

The system

• Turntable: Rega Planar 3/Nd3 – £840 / $1395 / AU$1799
• CD player: Arcam CD5 – £699 / $770 / AU$1495
• Integrated amplifier: Rega Brio Mk7 – £799 / $1095 / AU$1699
• Floorstanding speakers: Fyne Audio F501E – £999 / $1299 / AU$1999
• Total system price: £3337 / $4559 / AU$6992

Turntable: Rega Planar 3/Nd3

Rega’s Planar 3 record deck has been around for as long as What Hi-Fi? – that is to say, it is now in its 50th year, having been launched back in 1976. In that time, of course, it has been tweaked, upgraded, improved, and lots of other words implying generally made better, on numerous occasions.

Probably the biggest evolution came a decade or so ago in 2016, but it was buffed again in 2024. The minimal but well made Planar 3 is now available in four finish options: black, white or red, all in gloss, and a light-oak finish. The big change last year, though, was the switch of cartridge from the Elys2 to the newer Nd3.

As we say in our most recent Planar 3 review: “The comparisons between the Nd3 and long-running Elys 2 don’t take long to make. As we work our way through Michael Jackson’s Bad set, The Boatman’s Call by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, it becomes clear that the new cartridge is better in just about every area.” And the Elys 2 package had won plenty of Awards itself, remember.

“The Nd3 tells us more about the recording, rendering vocals and instrumental textures more convincingly. It has stronger dynamics too.”

So what we have is a package that improved on an already rival-beating forebear, and not for too much extra money either. No-brainer there, then.

CD player: Arcam CD5

The turntable is joined here by Arcam’s new(ish – it came out in 2023) CD5 CD player. New kid it may be, but the CD5 has fast become a mid-price contender.

Connections have been kept frugal, with a single pair of RCA line level outputs and, on the digital side, one optical and one coaxial output apiece. Importantly, though, and as referenced above, you can also play music files (in FLAC, WAV, WMA, MP3 and AAC formats up to 24-bit/192kHz) if they are stored on a USB flash drive or hard disk, thanks to the USB-A input on the back panel.

It is a tremendously entertaining and talented performer with an engaging, punchy and muscular delivery. It’s a great big spread of sound that fills up a room easily, but never overwhelms, staying on the pleasant side of transparent and neutral. The CD5 offers an evenly balanced performance throughout: the treble bites but never makes us wince, while the muscular low end has a satisfying solidity that keeps us connected to every genre of music.

As we say in our review: “Most of all, it’s just fun to listen to. The CD5’s rich and likeable presentation delivers the essence of a song in the most entertaining way, while also ensuring it hits all the right hi-fi notes along the way.”

Integrated amplifier: Rega Brio Mk7

The Rega Brio amplifier, like its stablemate turntable in this system, has been around for quite some time – in this case since 1991. Now in its Mk7 iteration, it (finally) acknowledges the world in which we’re living, and includes digital inputs for the first time (potential system-upgrade potential alert).

With the improvements to this version of the Brio, however, also came an increase in price – and we were somewhat concerned that it might not be able to compete as effectively in this higher price bracket. Clearly, we shouldn’t have worried.

Judged by those price standards, it is a hugely accomplished performer that puts clear air between itself and its predecessor. “As we compare the two, it doesn’t take long to appreciate the new amplifier’s greater insight, organisation and improved dynamic expression.

“The Brio Mk7 has a bold presentation, one that brims with confidence and substance… it is hard not to be impressed by the Brio’s taut, grounded, low-frequency performance and its ability to deliver dynamic contests with conviction. It has a firm grip of rhythms too, giving the music a solid foundation and a great sense of momentum.”

Floorstanding speakers: Fyne Audio F501E

We needed speakers in this system to take advantage of all the musical strengths the sources and amplifier bring to the party, of course.

And Fyne Audio have absolutely pulled it out of the bag with the What Hi-Fi? floorstanding speaker Product of the Year winners, the F501E.

The big news for this impressive entry level floorstander is that Fyne’s trademark Isoflare driver array, where the tweeter sits in the throat of the mid/bass unit, has trickled down to this range for the first time.

General build quality is as solid and neat as expected at this level. However, these speakers are available only in a black-ash vinyl wrap. The lower production cost of having just a single finish is a part of the reason Fyne can achieve such an aggressive price for the F501E. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a compromise that we – after hearing these superb floorstanders perform – are only too willing to make.

One of the advantages of a coaxial configuration such as the Isoflare array is that it disperses sound more consistently as we move off-axis. This trait pays dividends in the F501E’s focused and layered stereo imaging and the way its soundstage remains stable even when we move away from the (relatively wide) sweet spot.

“We like the sense of scale and are impressed with the low-end authority and punch they generate on demand,” we say in our review. “Bass is taut, tuneful and articulate by class standards. We push the volume levels northward to see how the F501E cope – they tick that box confidently at anything that passes for normal listening levels.

“These towers are a fun listen too, as a trip down memory lane with The Low End Theory from A Tribe Called Quest proves. The F501E are fluid and expressive. They track rhythms with determination while communicating changes in musical momentum in a natural and convincing manner.”

We sum up our review of the speakers thus: “The F501E is a talented all-rounder that has a range of sonic abilities that are hard to better at this price.” And really, that sentence could stand for each of the products in this impressive system.

The fact that, on top of that, they all gel together so remarkably well, means that this is a quartet that you just won’t be able to top at this price.

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This neat streaming and vinyl system is a modern take on a classic hi-fi setup – fewer boxes, great sound

This golden trio of Award-winning products gel together to deliver a superb-sounding streaming system

It seems like an easy win, doesn’t it? Take the low-hanging fruit of all those five-star products that are available when you are trying to put a system together; they’re bound to work well together, right? Ooh, I know – even better. Take some What Hi-Fi? Award-winning equipment from 2025 and stick them in a set-up. Job done, surely?

You would think so, perhaps. But, inevitably, life just isn’t that simple. You might strike lucky, of course; but almost as likely is that something doesn’t quite gel with the random (well, not quite, admittedly) products you have selected. No matter the brilliance of individual products, they can’t always work optimally with everything else. You could create a team containing the 11 best goalkeepers in the world; but it wouldn’t be anything approaching the best football team.

And so it is with hi-fi products. Even Award-winning ones.

Luckily, we have a team of experts who have spent years – decades, even – toiling away over a hot amplifier to gain the experience required to know precisely which top products will, in fact, work together to create a system that performs even better than the sum of its trophy-winning parts.

Even more encouraging: when you are looking for a mid-tier streaming system, you’re looking at products right in the What Hi-Fi? wheelhouse. Here, then, is an absolutely barn-storming stereo set-up comprising three current What Hi-Fi? Award winners; a trio of top performers that will harmonise as well as the Bee Gees and perform musical magic right up there with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

The system

• Music streamer: Bluesound Node Icon – £899 / $1199 / AU$1949
• Integrated amplifier: Arcam A5+ – £749 / $1200 / AU$1595
• Stereo speakers: Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2 – £649 / $1099 / AU$1580
• Total system price: £2297 / $3498 / AU$5124

Music streamer: Bluesound Node Icon

Pitched as the “audiophile” flagship option of the Bluesound Node family, the Node Icon has been imbued with more advanced audio technology and tuning, and a greater spread of connections than its junior siblings. The streaming elements remain the same across the family. Which means that native file resolution support goes up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD256.

In addition to that, the Icon is the first Node product to implement MQA Labs’ Qrono digital-to-analogue technology. This aims to refine the DAC’s timing response, so that it aligns more authentically with the original recording.

And it does a good job, delivering music with a pleasing richness and solidity, an agile sense of rhythm and a strong handle on dynamics.

The Node Icon is more musically cohesive and dynamically subtler than its most obvious direct rival, the five-star (and still, of course, very good) Cambridge CXN100; the Bluesound times better and has that spark that keeps our attention fully captured through the drama and message of a song.

Integrated amplifier: Arcam A5+

And it performs particularly well, we find with the new “plus” version of Arcam’s A5 amplifier. We loved the A5 – a What Hi-Fi? Product of the Year in 2024 – so the bar had been set high for the A5+ sequel. As we say in our review of the product, though: “After a time we come to a definite conclusion – the new boy is a clear, if subtle, improvement on its outstanding predecessor.”

With the A5+ working in tandem with the Bluesound streamer, it is immediately obvious that the two products “meld together with a deft handling of dynamics that means there is an appropriate sense of drama and excitement when listening to Fontaines D.C.’s high-octane Starburster track. The Icon is tidily able to convey the subtler flourishes and different timbres of instruments in Khruangbin’s funky, easy-going Maria Tambien, as well as the softly mournful piano notes in Ólafur Arnald’s Raein composition.”

The new amplifier seems to have a better understanding of how instruments should sound than its forebear. It brings out more of the essence of what, say, a drum, guitar or human voice should be. Our attention has been grabbed, and we’re keen to see what other treats we can feed this brilliant belter. What we discover is talent across the board.

“The amp is clearly having a lot of fun,” we say in the review, “but it’s not the sort of performer to get so carried away that it forgets to take care of the fundamentals. The Arcam showcases impressive stereo imaging, serving up a reasonably wide but nicely focused soundstage that gives a tangible feeling of depth and dimensionality. It’s not messy, either, even on complex compositions, letting textures breathe on their own and granting sufficient space for instruments to shine.”

Stereo speakers: Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2

All very impressive so far, then. And the loudspeakers we have selected to join the dynamic and entertaining electronic pairing continue to push this system even higher. The Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2 are understated but oh-so capable standmounters.

A slight note of warning here, though; perhaps “caution” is a better word. As we say in the speakers’ review: “The Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2’s performance is the very definition of a slow burner. Our initial impression is one of a competent but unremarkable performer. But, over time, we find going back to almost any other speaker that costs similar money a bit of a chore.” So, if you take the plunge on these unobtrusive little boxes, please do give them a bit of time to make their impression. It will be patience well served.

Because the AE300 Mk2 have poise and control. Feed them a demanding recording such as Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall and they don’t sound out of their depth. There is an excellent level of detail, but it is presented in a natural and unforced manner.

Our previous benchmark at this price was the Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3, and they certainly deliver the music with more bombast than the Acoustic Energy, and initially it seems more clarity too. But, as we listen longer, it becomes clear that much of that impression stems from the 606 S3’s brighter and more etched-sounding treble.

The Acoustic Energy pair are smoother, more refined. And, when you listen longer, it is clear that they sound more natural too. Dynamics are strong, and rhythms come through with drive, while bass is rendered with uncommon control and articulation.

Stereo imaging is good and the soundstage is layered with precision. It says much that when we close our eyes, the speakers are hard to locate, which speaks well of their constrained layer cabinet construction as well as their well-judged dispersion.

So there you have it. Sometimes, a system comprising only Award-winning products does exactly what you might hope and expect it would. This set-up is very much Three Musketeers rather than Three Stooges. And we recommend it without hesitation.

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12 of the best products I saw at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026

System balance: what is the ideal amount to spend on each part of your hi-fi?

Home cinema amplifiers are a personal favourite category of mine. Despite being one of the most awkward products to set up and test in our home cinema room, the cinematic sound payoff is, more often than not, a total joy to experience.

It's been far too long since we've had an AVR to test in our home cinema room, which is a shame considering we've had a handful of impressive surround sound speaker packages from the likes of KEF and Fyne Audio.

In fact, 2025 was a pretty disappointing year for new AVRs, as new reveals were slim to none. Sony, Denon, JBL, Arcam and Yamaha were all suspiciously quiet, whereas Marantz did show off a high-end pre-amp and power amp duo, but that's about it.

Thankfully, 2026 immediately seems to be off to a better start, and we have an inkling that it could be the start of a much bigger year for the product category.

This confidence has been inspired by the announcement of Arcam's absolutely stunning-looking Radia AV range, which includes no less than three new AVRs and a processor/power amp combo. If these AVRs sound as good as they look, we're in for a total treat.

Arcam seems to be targeting the upper-mid-range AVR market with its new AVA15 (£2599 / €2999 / $3000), whereas its two more premium models – the AVA25 (£4499 / €4999 / $5000) and AVA35 (£5999 / €6999 / $7000) – look to covering the upper price range and, most importantly, challenge the Award-winning Marantz Cinema 30.

With a plethora of HDMI 2.1 sockets, a 6.5-inch glass-bonded full colour display, and between 12 and 16 channels of amplification depending on the model you choose, this new AVR range already has me on the edge of my seat.

While it's great to see Arcam take the first step in launching new AVRs in 2026, what I'm really hoping for is that this new range of AVRs will be a sign of things to come from other manufacturers for later this year.

I've already mentioned that many AV amplifier brands have been suspiciously quiet for over a year. Denon unveiled its last AVR, the exceptional AVC-X6800H, back in 2023, whereas Yamaha has remained tight-lipped regarding new AVRs since its last launch in 2021.

The less said about Sony, the better; I'm still waiting for another model to accompany the repeat Award-winning TA-AN1000 after it hit the market back in 2023.

While I won't get my hopes up for Sony currently, as it has bigger fish to fry with its new home entertainment partner, TCL, I do hope that Denon, Yamaha and JBL are priming new models as we speak.

We're overdue for new ranges from all of those mentioned above, and I think that my patience will be rewarded later this year. An AVR renaissance is on the cards for 2026; I just hope that it comes to fruition.

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Arcam’s Radia AV line of home cinema amps promises serious movie magic

Read our full Marantz Cinema 30 review

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When Arcam’s Radia range of two-channel electronics launched back in 2024, it ushered in a bold new look for the brand and a level of stereo performance that generally blew us away.

In fact, Radia produced no fewer than four What Hi-Fi? Award-winners in 2025, which shows just how much of an impression it has made on our review team.

And now, hot on the heels of expanding Radia with a brand new line of home cinema amplifiers, Arcam has just announced a matching range of Radia speakers to complement its two-channel and multi-channel lines.

You won’t be surprised to hear that the six-strong line-up has been designed and tuned with Radia electronics, so if you’re looking to build a one-make system, this could be a great place to start.

And Arcam has gone one step further with these speakers: using certain Radia electronics (the SA35 and SA45 all-in-one streamers and its new AVRs), you can even access an ‘anechoic EQ’ (AEQ) which fine-tunes the output of compatible Arcam electronics to match your chosen pair of Radia speakers. It’s based on testing done in Arcam/Harman’s own anechoic chambers.

The line-up consists of two floorstanders (R45, R35) and two bookshelf models (R25, main image, R15), with a centre speaker (R35C) and subwoofer (R25B, above) adding extra flexibility should you want to build a surround-sound speaker package.

Each speaker uses design language from Arcam’s sister brand Revel, and leverages a lot of its acoustic technology. All the speakers feature dome tweeters with acoustic lens waveguides, for example – a trademark design feature.

The bass and mid/bass drivers all use an MCC (Micro Ceramic Composite) material, while the dedicated midrange drivers and tweeters are all coated in a DCC (Deep Ceramic Composite) material. It’s the first time the DCC material has been used on an aluminium dome tweeter, to give it greater rigidity.

The speakers are available only in a dark Black Walnut wood veneer, which includes yellow accents that match those of the Radia electronics.

Arcam says that the Radia speaker range will primarily be a UK/European product and not go on sale outside the territory.

Pricing and specifications are as follows:

R15 (£1699 / €2000 a pair)
Compact bookshelf speaker
5.25in/130mm MCC (Micro Ceramic Composite) mid/bass
1in/25mm DCC (Deep Ceramic Composite) dome aluminium tweeter
Advanced Acoustic Lens waveguide
x2 rear-mounted bass-reflex ports
Magnetic grille
Black Walnut finish

R25 (£2599 / €3000 a pair)
Bookshelf speaker
6.5in/165mm MCC (Micro Ceramic Composite) mid/bass driver
1in/25mm DCC dome aluminium tweeter
Advanced Acoustic Lens waveguide
x2 rear-mounted bass-reflex ports
Magnetic grille
Black Walnut finish

R35 (above, £3998 / €5000 a pair)
Floorstander
x3 5.25in/130mm MCC (Micro Ceramic Composite) woofers
x1 5.25in/130mm DCC midrange driver
1in/25mm DCC dome aluminium tweeter
Advanced Acoustic Lens
x2 rear-mounted bass-reflex ports
Magnetic grille
Black Walnut finish

R45 (£5998 / €7000 a pair)
Floorstander
x3 6.5in/165mm MCC (Micro Ceramic Composite) woofers
x1 6.5in/165mm DCC mid/bass driver
1in/25mm DCC dome aluminium tweeter
Advanced Acoustic Lens
x2 rear-mounted bass-reflex ports
Magnetic grille
Black Walnut finish

R35C (£1699 / €2000 each)
Centre-channel speaker
x2 5.25in/130mm MCC (Micro Ceramic Composite) mid/bass drivers
1in/25mm DCC dome aluminium tweeter
Advanced Acoustic Lens
x2 rear-mounted bass-reflex ports
Magnetic grille
Black Walnut finish

R25B subwoofer (£2599 / €3000)
10in/250mm coated fibre-composite woofer
750W total RMS power
Rear-mounted bass-reflex port
Black Walnut finish

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Read our full Arcam A15+ review

We have seen (and heard) plenty from Arcam’s Radia range of two-channel hi-fi electronics in recent months. At the same time, we have been patiently waiting for any morsel of news about a new home cinema amplifier.

That time has finally arrived. Arcam has just unveiled a trio of new AVRs and a processor/power amp pairing that, on paper at least, look the business.

The Radia AV range kicks off with the Arcam AVA15 (£2599 / € 2999 / $3000 / AU$6,995), which is being billed as a successor to the old AVR11, and is the most affordable option in Arcam’s new line-up.

The step-up AVA25 (£4499 / € 4999 / $5000 / AU$9,995) comes next, and the receiver range tops out with the AVA35 (£5999 / € 6999 / $7000 / AU$13,995). As you should expect, moving up the price points adds more to the mix in terms of features and performance.

All three AVRs boast the trademark design cues of Radia, so expect a deep black finish with yellow highlights, including a backlit halo around the volume dial.

Each model has a 6.5in glass-bonded full colour display, multiple HDMI 2.1a, (and 8K compatible) HDMI inputs and at least two HDMI outputs, one of which supports eARC.

You also get several analogue and digital inputs, streaming support for Spotify, hi-res for Tidal, Amazon, Qobuz, plus UPnP, digitally controlled analogue volume controls, and internal wi-fi and Bluetooth antennas.

There’s two-way Bluetooth, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support and Dirac Live Bass Control and Active Room Treatment (ART)

Stepping up from the AVA15 to the AVA25 adds a third HDMI output (including Zone 2 functionality), Auro-3D support and more channels of processing power (up from 12-ch to 16-ch).

Processing in the AVA15 and AVA25 is handled by an ESS Hyperstream IV DAC chipset.

Power switches from 9x100W of Class D amplification on the entry-level model to 9x100W of Class A amplification on the AVA25.

The AVA25 is deeper and heavier than the AVA15, and Arcam claims its sound quality isn’t a million miles away from the performance you get from its Award-winning A15+ stereo amplifier.

The jump up to AVA35 introduces the more advanced ESS Hyperstream IV DAC Pro, which the company already uses in its five-star SA45 streaming system. Power is once again rated at 9x100W, but this time it’s Class G amplification – this is the first time Arcam has used Class G for nine channels in one box.

You also get what Arcam calls ‘matrix channel assignment’. This new feature allows you to use any of the amplified channels for any channel you like. So, you could go into the menus and swap all the channels for use as height and rear channels if you wanted, so you could run another amplifier for the main channels.

Want a serious two-box home cinema solution? Arcam also has an option for you in the shape of the Radia AVP45 processor (£5299 / €5999 / $6000 / AU$11,995) and a matching Radia PA9 power amp (£3499 / €3999 / $5000).

The AVP45 boasts all the processing power and features of the AVA35 in a slightly shorter box, while the matching Radia PA9 power amplifier features the same Class G amplification as AVA35.

Last but by no means least, Arcam has even introduced a smaller, wall-mountable four-channel power amp called Radia PA4 (£899 / €999 / $1499). This could come in handy if you want to drive more than 9 channels and it boasts 4x50W of Class D amplification.

Arcam is also promising big improvements where the software is concerned, including its Radia app, with changes designed to make the amplifiers more intuitive for users and easier to install.

A new AVR range from Arcam is just what we’ve been waiting for, especially since it has produced some of the most musical AVRs we have tested over the years – even if they perhaps weren’t the most advanced in terms of features.

We are extremely excited to see how these new models perform in our test rooms when they go on sale in Q3 later this year.

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Read our Arcam A15+ review

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And the best surround sound systems

How to build the perfect home cinema system

“No one really makes a bad product anymore.” That’s the comment we’ve been hearing for the past couple of years when meeting with hi-fi manufacturers, and they’re not wrong. The world of hi-fi has shrunk since its glory days, but it means that brands making products on the premium side (let’s say, anything above £1000 / $1500) have little room to make mistakes, in a bid to deliver their very best in today’s challenging economic climate for those discerning souls that still value separates hi-fi.

In fact, we’d go so far as to say that most hi-fi products these days are really rather very good, and nowhere is this more evidenced by the two premium music streamers going head-to-head here. Arcam and Cambridge Audio have been around for 50 years in the hi-fi business, and each brand has pooled their audio expertise into network audio players that meet the modern demands of wireless music streaming.

The Cambridge Audio EXN100 (£1599 / $1799) came first, offering an elevated, more powerful step above the established CX range that we have regarded highly for a decade. Arcam’s impressive Radia range is a more recent rebirth for the brand, with the slightly less costly ST25 streamer (£1499 / $1650) only entering our test rooms last year.

In such a short time, both models have made a strong impression. At this price range, our expectations for a dedicated music streamer are high, especially considering that many emerging brands can offer the same features for a slice of that asking price. But it all comes down to performance, and getting the very best out of your digital music library.

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: build & design

In terms of design, both music streamers are housed in sturdy, rectangular boxes that are built to a high standard. The ST25 and EXN100 look and feel impressive in the flesh, with minimal styling and a large screen dominating both designs.

They both occupy roughly the same footprint on our hi-fi racks. Cambridge’s customary ‘lunar grey’ finish looks smart, if a little safe. We particularly like the knurled volume/control dial on the thick aluminium front panel – it turns smoothly and is a classy detail.

Arcam cuts a fresher, more striking all-black figure whose modern styling and certain details – such as the furrows cut into the top panel and the stripe of yellow along the sides – make it stand out from the crowd. As with its Award-winning amplifier siblings, it has an overhanging lip on the back panel that protects the connections from collecting dust.

In contrast, the front of the ST25 doesn’t have any controls, dials or buttons in sight, whereas the EXN100 does have a smattering of buttons for easy access to menus and playback controls. It’s worth noting that the Arcam streamer includes a slim remote control in the box; you have to buy one separately for the Cambridge.

The large, high-resolution display screen that shows off album artwork and metadata on both units is sharp, colourful and impressive in action. We said the EXN100’s screen “has a pleasing contrast” and all the information is shown “in a crisp, bright manner that’s easy to read.” Similarly on the ST25, we said the screen is also easy to read while album artwork “appears bright, punchy and colourful with good viewing angles.”

Whichever model you choose, you won’t be disappointed when it comes to the design and build of the streamer.

**Winner: Draw**

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: app and control

There’s no remote with the EXN100 because Cambridge, quite reasonably, envisions that the way you’ll be browsing and playing your music and switching between sources on a streamer will be done by the accompanying app on a smartphone or tablet.

Cambridge’s StreamMagic app is a well-organised, user-friendly interface that we’ve encountered many times with the brand’s other five-star streamers, and it’s one of the best examples in the business.

The app displays all the streaming services, local radio stations and sources available; you can set presets to your favourite stations and playlists, and you can access other features of the streamer, such as the display brightness, power-down timer, and preamp mode. It is smooth and intuitive in use.

For the Arcam ST25, users will need both the Radia app and remote control working together to access all of its options. You can access music services, podcasts, radio stations and your sources through the app, although we found that navigating through vast music libraries and playlists can be a little clunky.

It’s also a shame you can’t use the Radia app to access options like dimming or turning the display off, or selecting your favourite DAC filter (there are four options) on the ST25. To do this, you’ll need the included remote. We said in our review that jumping between the app and the remote does feel a little jarring when using the ST25. In comparison, the EXN100 is much slicker and simpler in use via the one control app.

**Winner: Cambridge Audio EXN100**

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: features

In terms of streaming features, the two streamers are neck-and-neck with their offerings. The most popular music streaming services – Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, even Deezer and Amazon Music – are baked in, as is internet radio.

Both units feature AirPlay, Google Cast and are Roon Ready certified. However, while the Cambridge EXN100 offers Bluetooth (aptX HD) for easy streaming from mobile devices, the Arcam ST25 eschews Bluetooth altogether.

The Connect versions of Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz are fully supported, meaning you can use the native music apps directly to stream hi-res tunes to the streamer, without the need to go through a separate app. Both feature wi-fi and wired Ethernet connections, and you can access and play songs stored on UPnP-compatible media libraries and NAS devices on the same home network.

Regardless of how we play our music, from Tidal Connect to our Naim Uniti Core server, both streamers play all tunes without any fuss.

One point of difference is the maximum file resolutions and format they support. Cambridge takes the lead here, with playback of up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM, DSD512 and MQA files possible. Arcam’s support extends to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files.

In our experience, the vast majority of hi-res downloads and libraries are available in 24-bit/192kHz native resolution or lower, so either streamer should be more than capable enough for most users. Only those with the most niche music collections should need to check this specification with a fine-tooth comb to ensure the streamer plays those rarer hi-res files and formats.

When it comes to physical connections, Arcam keeps things simple with optical, coaxial and line-level RCA outputs, and a USB type A port for plugging in hard drives. Cambridge goes further with additional balanced XLR outputs, digital inputs – including a USB type B port – and, most importantly, an HDMI eARC input. For those wanting to incorporate your streamer into your TV/home cinema set up, this inclusion will undoubtedly be attractive.

Both streamers offer the essentials of a modern streamer to suit most users’ needs, and we can’t imagine anyone feeling shortchanged with either. The Cambridge EXN100’s inclusion of the HDMI input and Bluetooth means it takes the win this round.

**Winner: Cambridge Audio EXN100**

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: sound

Cambridge’s EXN100 impresses straight out of the box with a clear, spacious and balanced sound. We play Alt-J’s Breezeblocks and “there’s a controlled sense of rhythm, attack and drive, while also moving with just enough fluidity to sound at ease”. The stereo imaging is stable, while the room-filling sound is composed and controlled.

We said in our review that there is “enough body to the sound that music never sounds thin but also not overly warm; it simply sounds well balanced”. Bass notes are deep, agile and tuneful, while voices – such as on Waxahatchee’s Right Back To It – are clearly defined and in solid focus.

It’s a confident, muscular presentation whose balanced character is heard regardless of what source you play. The EXN100 does perform its best when fed high-resolution tracks, but it doesn’t make a fuss when streaming music using lossy Bluetooth.

Our main complaint here is that we wish for more subtlety in the way it handles dynamic shifts, and for the EXN100 to have a bit more attitude and emotion for songs that require it.

Arcam’s ST25 also impresses us with a “crystal clear” presentation, with an “eerily quiet backdrop for the music” that allows instruments ample space to breathe and greater detail and texture to be revealed. Basslines bound along with speed, agility and power, laying a fantastic foundation for the high-energy tempo of Madonna's Sky Fits Heaven.

Shift gears down to a more contemplative Ludovico Einaudi composition (Einaudi: Experience), and here Arcam’s greater fidelity with detail and dynamic subtlety comes to the fore.

The precision and delicacy of the piano notes are beautifully replayed: “Notes hang in open space, with differences in dynamics explicitly presented. You can hear the intent and intensity behind each key strike change as the track flows gracefully along.”

As the tightly defined strings and snappy percussive elements join the fray, the “drama blossoms into a beautiful crescendo” – it’s a captivating performance that fills the ample soundstage.

Compared with the Cambridge streamer, Arcam’s quieter background allows for a greater level of insight and emotion to be revealed, while its dynamic prowess – both in the contrast between the quiet and loud moments and in the subtler shades between notes – delivers an overall more musically satisfying experience.

**Winner: Arcam ST25**

Arcam ST25 vs Cambridge Audio EXN100: verdict

Cambridge Audio’s EXN100 and Arcam’s ST25 are both five-star Award winners, and truly you can’t go wrong with either. Each streamer has its many strengths, and much of your choice might well come down to personal preference of the finer details in design, use and feature set.

In our comparative tests, we do have a clear preference when it comes to sound quality, as evidenced by the trophy being handed over from one Cambridge-born company to another at the most recent What Hi-Fi? Awards.

The refined and spacious Cambridge streamer will appeal to many, but the Arcam ST25’s more insightful and dynamically subtle sound is the one that captures our attention more, and allows us to make a stronger connection to the music we’re listening to. For its greater sonic talents, we can put up with some of our niggles with the app.

If you’re after a talented, well-made premium streamer that brings your digital music library or streamed playlists to life, the Arcam ST25 is a worthy choice.

**Overall winner: Arcam ST25**

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“I would go so far as to say that the SA45 is the best example yet of how far we have come,” says Arcam’s John Dawson of the company’s flagship streaming amplifier, which arrived earlier this year and is the big brother of the newly crowned What Hi-Fi? Award-winning SA35. That’s some statement considering the rich heritage of the British company that turns 50 next year.

Indeed, it was back in 1976 when A&R (Amplification and Recording), as it was initially called, released its first product, the A60 stereo amplifier – some years after John had begun producing sound effects for college theatrical societies, and building amplifiers in his college room for his fellow Cambridge University students’ discos.

He and fellow co-founder, the late Chris Evans, met at the university’s Tape Recording Society (CUTRS), which gave the duo a platform to interview audio industry professionals. Coincidentally, Ray Dolby, a then-27 doctoral candidate at the uni’s Pembroke College, was a senior member. “CUTRS is what formed me,” says John. “It helped me get into the trade.”

Chris and John were in the middle of completing PhDs when A60 development took over… neither of them finished writing theirs up!

It marked the transition from college hobby and a flirtation with audio electronic design consultancy to ‘let’s see if we can take a product all the way from design to small-scale manufacturing’. And, as is evident from the business’s formalisation just a few years later and the success of its subsequent four decades, they jolly well managed it.

Ahead of Arcam’s 50th birthday next year, John looks back on half a dozen milestones in his career thus far – the first, unsurprisingly, being the one that started it all.

1. Arcam A60: the amplifier that broke out of Cambridge University

“It was designed to be both reliable and to sound as good as possible for a reasonable price – more expensive than the standard Japanese products but much less than the British pre/power amplifier combinations from the likes of Quad and Naim,” says John. He and Chris planned to build 50 of them to sell to their friends around the uni.

So off they went, placing all major components on a single fibreglass PCB with almost no wiring, adding a toroidal power transformer and housing it within a wooden-topped chassis, with a steel base plate and stock aluminium extrusions for the front and rear panels.

The initially priced £99.50 (ex VAT) amplifier soon broke out beyond the Cambridge University walls, and before its creators knew it was driving Rega turntables and small British loudspeakers.

“John Greenbank, who ran the speaker maker Tangent Acoustics, recommended we talk to the UK trade, and a handful of dealers subsequently took on the A60,” he remembers.

“We had submitted an early A60 for a technical review in Practical Hi-Fi magazine (written by Noel Keywood under a pen name), and when the very positive report came out in early 1977, it really put us on the map, convincing a lot more dealers to stock it.”

10 years and 32,000 sales later, it was time for the A60 to hang up its boots. The perfect debut? Pretty much. “From today's viewpoint, I would change almost nothing, except perhaps to substitute the fuse protection in the speaker outputs for a self-resetting mechanism, for both user convenience and performance,” says John.

2. Delta 70: the first UK-designed and manufactured single-box CD player

While amplifiers are still very much Arcam’s speciality today, spanning stereo integrated, streaming-inclusive, dedicated power, and AV surround sound applications, the company’s source electronics haven’t exactly walked in their shadows, having been a major part of the offering from the off.

Following the T21 tuner, which launched just after the A60, came the Delta 70 CD player in early 1987, the UK’s first totally designed and manufactured one-box CD player.

By that point, A&R Cambridge was still the trading name, but ‘Arcam’ had become the brand one. After Chris had left in 1985, John and the company’s financial director, Jacky Cross, refinanced the company with a second mortgage and sold a minority stake to a BES (Business Expansion Scheme). They used some of the funds to buy a $25,000 CD player manufacturing licence from Philips and start a ground-up design for a CD player using Philips parts.

“The standard designs of the day used a 14-bit chipset, but we went with the upcoming 16-bit chipset, which included the TDA1541A DAC and a digital (S/PDIF) output,” recalls John.

“We did all the right things in terms of isolated power supplies and proper analogue stages, etc, and it addressed some of the (partly justified) negativity about the sound quality of early CD in the press and trade, especially from certain turntable manufacturers. I like to say it was the first CD player Linn dealers felt they could sell with a clear conscience!”

3. Delta Black Box: the outboard DAC ahead of its time

Despite the Compact Disc receiving early criticism (some considered their digital sound a little ‘harsh’, which wasn’t helped by the somewhat forward high-frequency nature of some hi-fi speakers at that time), the format wasn’t backing down, and by the mid ‘80s the first mass-market players from Sony and Philips with digital outputs came to fruition.

John and Arcam’s head of engineering, Mike Martinell, had an idea: to create an outboard DAC/processor that would connect to a CD player’s S/PDIF output to improve sound quality. Niche? Yes. Bold? Absolutely.

“Both Sony and Philips offered these separate DACs for their flagship players, but at £800 a piece! So we saw a market opportunity,” says John. “The problem for us was that there was no way to translate the S/PDIF stream into the I2S signals needed by the TD1541A DAC without using lots of glue logic (digital housekeeping circuitry). This would take up a great deal of space and didn't suit our manufacturing methods.”

Good fortune saved the day, when an old university pal of John visited Arcam to have a product serviced. It turned out he was the product manager at Newmarket Microcircuits, a local manufacturer of custom integrated circuits (ICs) for the Ministry of Defence.

“12 weeks and £10,000 later, we had a working S/PDIF receiver chip in our hands that used a customised 1000-gate array IC made in the UK!” says John. “It wasn't cheap, at £10 per chip, but it still enabled us to design the world's first affordable [£250] outboard DAC. It made almost any CD player with a digital output sound better and, gaining favourable publicity for Arcam, really helped put the brand on the global map.”

Arcam developed more versions, including bitstream ones and a premium model that housed a master clock to feed back to a CD transport (eliminating jitter). But, as John proudly notes, “nothing quite surpassed the buzz of developing that initial unit”.

4. Alpha 7/8/9: CD players born from another case of serendipity

By the mid-1990s, Arcam knew itself: it had a series of mass-market and higher-end amplifiers and CD players, had broken into the AV space with a TV tuner and AV amplifier, had grown to more than 100 people, and was accumulating more than £10 million in annual sales. The Alpha CD player design was modular, with the option of upgrading the basic Alpha 7 player with better DAC boards to make Alpha 8 and 8SE models.

Cambridge was a ‘happening’ place in the audio world – just five miles from Arcam was dCS (Data Conversion Systems), which had spun out of Cambridge Consultants, and was redeploying technology originally developed for radar systems in military fighter jets.

The new firm was now making cutting-edge 24-bit/96kHz ADCs and DACs for recording studios, utilising high-tech stuff such as DSPs, FPGAs (field programmable logic arrays) and all-discrete multi-bit DACs. Arcam introduced itself.

“We got talking to them and wondered if some of this wonder technology might be foldable into an IC,” says John. “This might lower dCS's costs for more affordable multi-channel DACs and could also be used by Arcam for a state-of-the-art CD player, with the possibility of using it later in DVD players.

“We reached an agreement whereby Arcam would fully fund DCS to design a two-channel IC, which we could then put into volume production without additional royalties. dCS used a multi-project wafer process to develop the first 24-bit DAC samples and keep the project affordable.”

Arcam still needed an FPGA, but John explains they were able to replace dCS’s expensive DSP filtering with an off-the-shelf filter from Pacific Microsonics. Fitting the whole thing onto one four-layer PCB that could fit into the Alpha 7’s chassis was also a considerable effort, and the added per-unit cost of the PCB alone was £100; but the result was, John believes, well worth it.

“The Alpha 9's sound quality was class-leading, with incredible detail and none of the harshness often found in CD replay,” he says. “The IC only ceased production when the fabricator decided it didn't want to serve small customers anymore and tripled the cost!”

If John knew then what he does now…

Indeed, the technology found its way into the company’s forthcoming, higher-end FMJ products. They packed similar internal electronics as the Alpha, but into a luxury, heavy metal casework that would overcome the Alpha’s shortcoming: disappointing build quality.

And this ties in to what today’s John would tell student John if he could rewind the clock: “Don’t be afraid to put the price up!”

“We have never wanted to overcharge, but we learned that getting that compromise [between performance, design and value] right is very important,” says John, who learned that the hard way with the original Alpha amplifier back in 1984. For this affordable amplifier, the company employed industrial designers, who produced a nicely sculpted, 400mm-wide dark-grey front panel – but one that was ultimately plastic and uncoloured.

“It was an ‘objection to buying’ and never really accepted,” says John. When, after Chris’s departure from the company, he and Jacky Cross (“the backbone of the company who organised us all”), refinanced the company, a priority was to crack the Alpha unit. It needed colour, and it needed to grow from 400mm to proper ‘full-width’ (430mm) dimensions.

“There’s a garage down the road; I’m going to get a can of black spray paint and do it myself,” John said after being met with initial resistance from the staff. In the subsequent, slightly pricier Alpha+ (black) and Alpha 2 (black and 430mm) guises, sales picked up; Arcam sold 50 per cent more Alphas after each update.

DVD players: a proud project… while it lasted

“I am especially proud of the results we obtained with the DVD format”, says John, who at that time, just before the turn of the millennium, was effectively Arcam’s CTO (chief technology officer).

Its first DVD was to be developed alongside a whole product-spanning range of ‘2000 Series’ electronics, and was facilitated by a relationship with Zoran, a Silicon Valley tech company that made DVD processing chips, and whose software and hardware development Arcam contributed to over three chip generations.

“We built all our DVD players in the UK and were early adopters of progressive scan, DVD Audio and HDMI,” says John. “I was able to persuade them [Zoran] to include SACD replay in the final generation, and in my opinion, the Arcam FMJ DV139 universal player is as good as it gets for both audio and video. I still use mine today, not least as a CD player.”

Indeed, CD playback was the fallback for DVD players when they laid down their armour during the Blu-ray/HDVD format battle. “You couldn't give the DVD players away!” says John after DVD had nosedived into the pit of antiquated technology. Fortunately, Arcam was able to recycle the remaining stocks of parts by disabling the DVD functionality and repurposing the design as a CD37 CD/SACD player.

Class G amplification: the class that lasts

In 2008, What Hi-Fi? announced the arrival of the AVR600 as a “new megareceiver” and the company’s “most ambitious” home cinema amplifier yet.

The project had begun a few years earlier, and John’s contribution to the in-house design of this seven-channel amp revolved around the brief to make it sound as good as a comparably priced stereo model, and deliver 100 watts per channel into eight ohms while also driving sub-four-ohm loads properly.

Thus began the company’s long, renowned and celebrated relationship with Class G amplification. The technology is still, in continually developed form, used in the topology of many of Arcam’s AV and stereo amplifiers today, including the integrated A25+, surround sound AVR31 and aforementioned streaming-savvy SA35 and SA45.

“The biggest issue was simply to get the heat out of the box,” John explains. “Class D (switching) amplifiers ran cool, but were simply not good enough in terms of sound quality. We knew we would need to employ the same sort of Class A/B amplification as our stereo products, but with seven channels instead of two. The problem was obvious!”

John recognised that many high-powered professional amplifiers for gigs used more than one set of power-supply rails – a lower voltage one was employed for most signals, while higher voltage ones were engaged only when needed for musical peaks. The result is lots of output with low levels of distortion, without as much wasted heat energy and the matching thirst for electricity that Class A/B has.

Essentially, the design runs cooler and you can get more power out of box. It’s how Arcam’s Class G A25/35 can be rated at 120 watts, whereas John sweated just to get an 80-watt rating out of the Class A/B-running A15 in the same-sized chassis.

This ‘Class G’ amplifier circuit was first used in hi-fi by Hitachi in the 1970s. But, as John explains, it fell out of favour as a) the semiconductors needed weren't particularly good at the time, and b), perhaps more significantly, it was pretty expensive to implement.

“You can stick with transformer size [for Class G], but you have to have a whole extra set of power stages with all the bulk storage capacitors associated with that, plus an extra set of power transistors,” John explains. “If you do that with, typically, one set of these per channel, it gets quite expensive.

“I spent over a year in basic research and trials and was able to come up with my cost-effective, sneaky trick that used ‘lifters’ – Arcam's term for the power circuits that control the voltages fed to the output transistors – shared between several channels. It worked particularly well for AV receivers. The reality is you don’t need all the channels all the time, so it works out alright.

“I was also able to design an output stage with a biasing scheme that effectively eliminated the unpleasant-sounding crossover distortion associated with conventional Class AB amplifiers. This design behaves, measures and sounds like a Class A amp for the first 10 watts of output without the design’s associated power consumption and heat. When combined with Class G, the power amps are also able to deliver much more current into a loudspeaker than a conventional amplifier.”

For someone who failed to complete his PhD and has, in his words, “never had a proper job”, John Dawson has rather a lot to show for his contributions to global, never mind British, hi-fi. It’s little wonder he has been one of the few recipients of our Outstanding Contribution Award.

With John now a consultant to Arcam through his own consultancy company, perhaps his next career challenge will be defined by the brand turning the big five-o next year. Either way, the passionate 75-year-old parkrunner already has his next personal one: to run a half-marathon under two hours.

MORE:

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Arcam co-founder John Dawson wins our Outstanding Contribution 2023 Award

Streaming hi-fi systems from Arcam, NAD, and Ruark make their mark at the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025

We're counting down to the end of the Cyber Monday sales for another year, but there's still time to nab a bargain, especially if you're in the market for an entry-level amplifier at a great price.

You might be looking to build a budget system from scratch, or maybe you want to inject some new life into an older system. If so, we have a trio of amazing options, all of discounted to less than £500, plus a special entry right at the end.

All the models listed below have been tested by our crack team of reviewers, and they're all five-star models too, which means we can vouch for their sonic abilities.

Take a look and see what you think...

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This stylish, compact turntable system is ideal for modern vinyl fans – I would recommend it any day of the year

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 38% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Headphones: save over £100
• Bravia 8 TV: lowest-ever price on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £600
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £268
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £179
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £165
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £200 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• Stereo amplifier: Cambridge Audio now £299
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

We've seen so many incredible stereo amp deals this Black Friday, but this one is right up there with the best of them. The five-star Arcam A5 is one of the best budget amplifiers we've ever tested, winning multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards and wowing us with its outstanding musicality and hugely engaging sonic performance.

We've admired the A5 for a long while, and now that it's plummeted to a new low of £499 at Richer Sounds (down from £749), we can only recommend it more wholeheartedly than ever before.

The only small caveats is that the new Arcam A5+ has replaced the standard model, so it's clear that retailers are clearing out the last stock before the standard A5 rides off to enjoy a well-earned retirement.

That means you need to get your skates on. Black Friday is almost over and the A5's stocks are running low, so the dual threat of a rebounding price or shelves running dry loom large. Buy now or miss out!

The Arcam A5 is a bit of a legend in hi-fi circles. Acting as the most affordable entry-point into Arcam's Radia series of stereo amplifiers, it's long been our go-to recommendation for anyone looking for a very fine piece of hi-fi equipment at a reasonably affordable price.

You can go cheaper, of course, but at its original RRP, the A5 was incredibly tough to beat.

The A5 is an admirably made product, boasting a sturdy aluminium case and a smart, clean finish. The two front panel control dials are nicely weighted and spin smoothly, and while we're less taken with the slightly frosted front panel display's lack of crispness, it can't come close to tempering our affections for Arcam's mighty amplifier.

If digital inputs are your thing then you have a pair of coaxial inputs and a single optical input, all capable of accepting music streams of up to 24-bit/192kHz thanks to an ESS ES9018 DAC chip. There's also a 3.5mm headphone input for private listening if you don't want to disturb the neighbours.

Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX Adaptive is on the menu, and there's a big bonus in the implementation as it not only allows the A5 integrated to accept a signal but also lets it send the sound out to a Bluetooth-enabled speaker or headphones. That's never a guarantee at this level or with a product of this type.

While the A5+ has taken things to another level, it's done so by subtly tweaking and building upon the legacy laid down by the standard A5. The A5+ added a few stained glass windows and some freshly polished pews to the church Arcam had constructed with the A5, but the original was the one which provided the essential bricks and mortar (and a lot else besides).

Sonically, the A5 is a marvel. To steal from our review: "This is a superbly rounded performer that simply gets on with the job of playing music without intruding on the experience. Partner it with suitably capable sources and speakers, and it will invariably deliver musical and enjoyable results".

No matter what you play, it's incredibly tough to catch the Arcam out, and even harder to resist its musical, articulate charms.

This really is an absolutely belting deal, and proof that sometimes it's worth sniffing around for older products if you want the finest value for Black Friday. Check it out at Richer Sounds before it's gone forever.

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Black Friday 2025 hi-fi deals live: our audio experts picks of the top savings on speakers, headphones, vinyl and more

Black Friday quick links

• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

As music streaming dominates the way we listen to our favourite tunes more than ever before, far surpassing vinyl's resurgence, it is perhaps no surprise that the music streamer – or network audio player – category at the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 has seen such an upheaval.

Three out of the five winners are brand-new entrants, showing just how competitive and strong the market is in this ever-growing category. That these new winners are all on the premium side also shows just how serious – and seriously good – brands are getting in terms of delivering great usability, a wide array of features and great hi-res sound quality.

All the winning streamers here tick the boxes when it comes to supporting the popular music streaming services (Qobuz, Tidal, Spotify, internet radio), playing hi-res music over a wi-fi or wired network, along with a varying array of physical connectivity. Each model has its own particulars – and some provide more features than others – but overall, each model's streaming platform is strong, covers the most popular streaming methods, and is easy to use.

Taking it from the top, our most premium winner (over £2000+) is the Cyrus 40 ST. We were impressed with its sleek, modern design – that still stayed true to Cyrus's iconic half-width chassis blueprint – and were further enamoured with its terrific sound quality. We said in our review: "Dynamically, it is impressively expressive, rendering low-level shifts in intensity elegantly, and delivering large-scale orchestral crescendos with real conviction." No matter what genre of music we play through it, the Cyrus sounds composed, organised, insightful and, crucially, heaps of fun.

We concluded that the Cyrus 40 ST has a "blend of detail, dynamics and rhythmic security that’s hard to better at the money" – it's an outstanding performer.

Arcam's new ST25 is our favourite music streamer in the £1000-£2000 price range. It's actually the only traditional full-width streamer in this category, with most other winners favouring compact forms. The ST25 naturally works a treat with its partnering A5+ and A15+ stereo amplifiers (both 2025 Award winners, too), and delivers an effortless, crystal clear sound quality.

"It sets an eerily quiet backdrop for the music, which allows all the instruments space to breathe," we said in our review. "There’s a real sense of pace, agility and power to the bassline as it pounds along, laying a robust foundation for all the electronica poured on top." There is ample subtlety and dynamics as you hear the intent and intensity changing behind each piano strike, while a bountiful soundstage allows every layer of a composition to be delivered in a cohesive, insightful manner.

And the last of our fresh new trio of winners is perhaps the one with the most features packed into a small box: the Bluesound Node Icon. We've seen Bluesound pick up Award trophies in the more affordable price ranges in previous years, but it's the brand's most premium model yet that delivers a brilliantly musical, dynamic and subtle sound that works a treat for all genres of music.

We said in our review: "It’s a lively, engaging and dynamic performer that grabs our interest at the beginning and only continues to impress us the more we listen." There is a spark to the Node Icon's sound, coupled with composure, good balance and agile rhythmic ability, that means we simply have a great time listening to it.

Taking the trophy in the £750-£1000 price bracket, the Bluesound boasts plenty of additional features that the more traditional hi-fi brands/models don't – such as an HDMI eARC input, support for Dirac Live room correction technology, and two 6.3mm headphone sockets.

The two returning winners in this category are brilliant budget gems that we are delighted to give flowers to for another year: the WiiM Pro Plus and the Cambridge Audio MXN10. Both remain superb value products at their more affordable price points, and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to gain a wealth of hi-res streaming features without spending big bucks.

Cambridge's MXN10 is a delightful compact streamer whose dynamic expression and rhythmic coherence are really rather impressive at its more budget price point, is packed with energy and detail, and is a great stepping stone into the world of separates hi-fi.

Of course, if your budget can't stretch even to the MXN10's £350 price tag, the WiiM Pro Plus remains one of the best bargains of the year, costing under £300 and delivering a detailed, organised and likeable sound for very little relative outlay.

We liked its rather natural midrange talents, "where the vocal is brimming with character and attitude", while it sounds best with hi-res tracks but is still forgiving with poor sources. It also has a well-executed app that we find is particularly user-friendly for beginners, which is always a bonus.

The well-deserved 2025 winners in our music streamers category cover a broad price spectrum, sonic tastes and specific connectivity, and no matter your budget, we think there's something for everyone here to enjoy.

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I've already highlighted some excellent Arcam amplifier deals available in the build-up to Black Friday, but there's one five-star model we have tested that hasn't received a big discount — until now.

The Arcam A15 is a former What Hi-Fi? Award winner and can be yours for £799 over at Peter Tyson. That marks a significant £300 off its original retail price.

It’s the first time we have seen this model discounted – its successor, the A15+ launched back in September for £1199, and we think the older model at its newly discounted price represents amazing value.

If your current system warrants it or you’re thinking of upgrading your set-up at some point down the line, consider striking now. It’s very likely that once this stock sells out, that will be it.

Best Arcam A15 amplifier deal

In our Arcam A15 review, we say it is a “wonderfully commanding and controlled performer. It excels in terms of grip and composure...”

We are big fans of its “expansive, stable and nicely layered” stereo imaging and its ability to create an insightful and engaging sound.

The Arcam delivers this character through all of its inputs too, including the moving-magnet phono stage and headphone output, which deserve an extra dose of praise through their informative and engaging character.

Build quality is excellent – the A15 looks chunky and feels sturdy, with its yellow accents popping nicely against the deep black casework. The frosted-glass fascia might not be to everyone’s taste, but the amp does look striking from the front, while around the back, all inputs are clearly labelled.

We haven’t seen much movement before in the price of the A15, even following the arrival of the A15+, so this has to be seen as a fantastic deal.

This is especially the case when you consider the A5+ costs £749. For just £50 more at Peter Tyson, you’re getting an amplifier that sounds bigger, more powerful and boasts greater dynamic clout. Buy with confidence.

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Arcam and Cyrus crash the stereo amplifier category at the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025

How to choose and set up a stereo amplifier

We have to admit, we didn’t see this coming. If at the start of 2025 you had told us that stereo amplifiers was going to be one of the most vibrant categories at this year’s What Hi-Fi? Awards, we wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are, with three new winners and only a solitary survivor from last year’s list.

Arcam’s revised Radia amplifiers dominate the core of this category with both the new A5+ and A15+ setting sky-high standards for their price.

The company’s engineers haven’t tried to reinvent the wheel here. Instead, they’ve mostly done the electronic equivalent of a bit of housekeeping, tweaking the power supply arrangement on both products and tidying up certain parts of the audio circuitry to reduce noise levels and improve transparency.

These aren’t massive changes by any reckoning, but they do notably lift the performance of these units. We can talk about both these ‘+’ amplifiers together because the sonic improvements over previous models are consistent.

Simply put, the new generation sounds cleaner, crisper and more precise. Their dynamic expression is improved too, and it is all done without diluting the balance and unfussy nature that made the originals so easy to recommend.

Both the A5+ and A15+ remain well equipped, with good-sounding digital inputs, a capable phono stage and handy two-way Bluetooth connectivity. If you are looking for truly complete middle-market integrated amplifiers, this pair take some beating.

Move up the price points, and our premium winner is a welcome return to form for the Cyrus Audio brand. It’s been quite some while since we could wholeheartedly recommend a Cyrus product over all comers, so the excellence of the new 40 AMP was something of a surprise when we reviewed it earlier in the year.

This compact integrated design embodies everything we want from a modern Cyrus product. It is beautifully made, lovely to use and sounds great. While it retains the company’s trademark half-width proportions, the 40 Series casework is all new and looks fresh.

Cyrus hasn’t skimped on the features either, including a talented phono stage, impressive digital circuitry and a ready-made upgrade path. When it comes to performance, the 40 AMP has nothing to fear from its rivals thanks to a blend of clarity, agility and resolution few alternatives come close to.

Our budget winner, the Rotel A8, is the only amplifier to survive from last year’s winners list. It remains an excellent product for the money, sacrificing frills for a sensible feature list and solid build.

Obviously, it sounds great too, delivering plenty of insight and drive for the money. If you are looking for a no-nonsense but sonically capable budget integrated amp, this is the one we recommend.

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Best stereo amplifiers 2025: 9 class leaders chosen by our review experts

A new product launch tends to result in a couple of things. First, there’s the excitement generated amongst our review team over the arrival of new and shiny tech to put to the test.

But it can also cause a ripple effect in the market where pricing is concerned. You see, a new generation of one product invariably tends to lead to a price drop in the previous generation.

Sometimes it can take a while for the prices to adjust, but other times you can quickly see the impact the new models have on the market. And this chain reaction can result in quite a bargain, especially now that we are starting to see more and more early Black Friday deals.

Arise new Arcams

Take Arcam as a prime example. You see, its Radia range of hi-fi electronics made serious waves following an October 2023 launch. Out of three stereo amplifiers in its line-up (A5, A15 and A25) two of them (A5 and A15) gained not only five-star reviews, but also received What Hi-Fi Awards in both 2023 and 2024.

Skip forward to September this year, and Arcam announced that it had refreshed said amplifiers with new A5+, A15+ and A25+ versions, claiming updated circuitry, refined components and “enhanced performance”.

The result? We've seen the price of the original A5 plummet to a temptingly low £549 at Peter Tyson and Richer Sounds (down from £749), and it’s still sitting there at the time of writing.

Don’t get us wrong, the A5+ eeks out extra gains that all add up to something worth the extra outlay. After all, not only have we given the A5+ a five-star rating, but a What Hi-Fi? Award too, so you know we must think it’s something rather special.

In our Arcam A5+ review, we said it’s “a wonderful addition to Arcam’s family of amplifiers, offering a sound that blends class-leading insight with a tangible sense of musicality.”

But there is fabulous value in the original model right now, and it spells trouble for rival stereo amplifiers at the money. The A5 still offers a huge chunk of what the A5+ is capable of: its unfussy, articulate nature, combined with a strong feature set and solid build quality, means there’s plenty of life left in it yet.

We’d go so far as to say it’s arguably the best circa £500 stereo amplifier around. Could it drop even further? Possibly, although I would be surprised if it dipped much below £499 even with Black Friday just around the corner.

Deal or no deal?

The A15, meanwhile, is sitting at £1099, which is the price we originally tested it at. Honestly, I’m surprised we haven’t seen any real movement in that price since the announcement of the new models.

The A15+ is currently only £100 more at £1199, which makes me think we could see a first major price drop for this amplifier during the Black Friday sales. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it hit the £899 mark or perhaps a bit lower at some point in the near future, which would make it a very good option.

However, if you were currently trying to choose between the two at their respective full prices, I would honestly say spend the £100 extra on the new version because it does sound that much better.

Like the A5+, the A15+ takes small steps ahead of its predecessor. In our Arcam A15+ review, we said the amplifier “has more expressive dynamics and seems to go from quiet to loud with greater fluency”. We also felt it’s clearer and cleaner-sounding.

Interestingly, if you move right up to the top-of-the-range A25, you’ll see that this amp has a substantial £550 saving across multiple retailers, including Richer Sounds and Peter Tyson. Arcam’s former flagship is now just £949, down from £1499 – by comparison, you’re looking at £1699 for the enhanced A25+ version.

Now we haven’t tested the original A25, so we can’t vouch for its sonic abilities; suffice to say, it comes from a particularly strong family of products. We think it could definitely be one to audition, especially at this low price.

Keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks as Black Friday gets into full swing, and be sure to get in touch if you see any other hi-fi deals worth shouting about!

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On the face of it, Arcam has everything in place for its SA35 streaming hi-fi system to be a slam-dunk success.

It already has a What Hi-Fi? approved five-star music streamer in its lineup in the shape of the ST25. And it has not one but four five-star stereo amplifiers (the updated A5+ and A15+, and the original A5 and A15).

You would think, then, that for Arcam and the SA35, it’s going to be a relatively straightforward case of taking the best bits from its streamer and amps, adding a smattering of extra features, and just sitting back and admiring its work.

However, after years of testing products like this, we know that marrying everything together and automatically creating five-star synergy isn’t easy. There’s no doubt that Arcam potentially has a pretty solid foundation from which to build for the SA35, but can it execute?

Price

The SA35 is Arcam’s entry-level streaming amplifier and has an asking price of £2999 / $3300 / AU$6495. There is a step-up model in Arcam’s Radia range, the SA45, which costs £4499 / $5500 / AU$9995.

There aren’t a huge number of rivals for the Arcam around its price point – it’s relatively similar in terms of features and functionality to the Naim Uniti Atom £2299 / $3799 / AU$5750, although the Naim is cheaper and getting a little long in the tooth now.

Build & design

Like its ST25 streamer and A15+ stereo amplifier siblings, the SA35 is quite a chunky unit. It weighs in at 12kg, which you can definitely feel when moving the unit into position.

The black chassis hides its size well, though – we think Arcam has really nailed the styling of this Radia series of hi-fi products.

The clean-but-stealthy look combined with the yellow halo lighting around the input and volume dials, and the yellow highlights around the top vents, make for a striking piece of kit.

There’s nothing stealthy about the large 6.5-inch high-resolution display that sits right in the middle of the fascia, though. It’s bright, punchy and colourful and, from what we can tell, virtually identical to that found on the ST25.

This means album artwork generally looks great on the Arcam, offering you a few different configurations for how it and the accompanying metadata are displayed.

The display's size and clarity also make navigating the on-screen menus very straightforward when you’re carrying out functions like choosing inputs, cycling through filters and setting up Bluetooth.

The display is flanked by those input and volume dials, which give the front of the unit a neat symmetry. Both rotary controls feel good to use – they turn smoothly but, being ultra-critical, we think they could have a tiny bit more resistance to them. Otherwise, you’re treated to a tactile user experience.

The supplied remote does feel cheap and plastic in comparison, though. It’s a little small in hand, and although the volume control gets the job done, it feels on the finicky side when you’re trying to do more extensive navigating.

Depending on the streaming services and features you want to use, you’ll also be using the Arcam Radia control app, which is fine, but isn’t the last word in intuitiveness.

It also feels slightly clunky that you have to use the remote to access some features and settings, and Arcam’s Radia app for others. It would make for a more complete user experience if you could access everything through the app.

The inputs on the rear of the unit are all clearly labelled, although the hood that extends over the rear of the chassis does get in the way when you’re hooking everything up for the very first time. Thankfully, most users will only have to do this once and then forget about it.

Features

Arcam has been as thorough as possible with the spec sheet for the SA35.

The streaming section of the SA35 caters for Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music and Roon. There’s also playback from UPnP servers and the system can handle a multitude of high-res formats up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256.

There’s also two-way Bluetooth connectivity, which not only allows you to stream music to the system from a smartphone or tablet but also allows you to stream music from the Arcam to any pair of Bluetooth headphones you want to pair with the unit.

For those seeking a wired headphones connection, there’s a 3.5mm socket in the bottom left-hand corner of the front of the unit.

Connectivity also includes a pair of optical digital inputs, a pair of coaxial digital inputs (both styles of digital input support datastreams up to 24-bit/192kHz) and HDMI eARC for anyone wanting to use the Arcam to receive audio from a compatible TV.

You even get individual inputs for moving magnet and moving coil phono stages to cater for your turntable.

To help with set-up, there’s Dirac Live Room Correction; you get a mic and remote in the box to help get the system configured best for your particular room conditions.

Our test rooms have been acoustically treated and designed to minimise effects that Dirac compensates for, but in our experience the system encourages your set-up to sound more even as well as clearer, but the trade off is that you lose a bit of rhythmic drive and expression,

If your room isn’t well behaved we definitely feel there’s no harm running it to try and improve how your system sounds.

120W of Class G amplification (per channel) provides the grunt, which is more than you’ll find in any of Arcam’s stand-alone Radia amplifiers, including the 100W A25+. It’s actually Arcam’s fifth generation of Class G amplification and uses new components and materials to raise performance levels.

Similarly to Arcam’s ST25 music streamer, you have a choice of different DAC filters to choose from to help you tailor the sound to suit your own taste.

The four options are minimum phase, linear phase apodizing, linear phase slow roll-off, and minimum phase slow roll-off. We found all four very similar during testing and stick to the default on the unit, which in this case is linear phase apodizing.

To try and give us an idea of compatibility, during testing we try the Arcam SA35 with a range of different speakers from our reference ATC SCM50 to the PMC Prodigy 5 floorstanders and the Award-winning KEF LS50 Meta. The Arcam handles each pair with relative ease, and we don’t think it should have any issues driving most suitably-priced pairs.

Sound

We kick things off with a CD-quality stream of Adele’s Hometown Glory and the Arcam SA35 shows an amazing sense of control and precision with every keystroke.

The quiet background, the reverb from each string, the Arcam reveals detail effortlessly and delivers a level of intimacy that really connects with the listener. As the piano play becomes more dramatic and Adele’s voice enters the fray, you can feel the intensity pick up.

Her vocal sounds expressive and emotional, superbly reinforced by the increased intensity of the piano. When the strings seep in, they just add another layer of detail and simply add to the dynamic reach of the Arcam.

There’s a real sadness, anger and feeling of conflict with Adele’s vocal, which the Arcam captures perfectly. It’s calm, controlled and conveys emotion well.

The stereo imaging you get is clear and precisely layered. Tonally, The Arcam system is well-balanced too – there’s no coarseness at the top end, nor any bloating at the bottom end.

We turn up the sonic temperature with a stream of Mombassa from the Inception OST and the Arcam goes straight on the offensive, showcasing its agility and ability to capture the feeling and tone of a track at will.

It dispatches bass notes with confidence and efficiency – there isn’t an ounce of fat on the meat of the track. There’s ample power behind each low frequency hit and the SA35 goes deep yet still delivers detail and texture to satisfy those who want to hear the fine details in their music.

The dramatic, high-octane nature of the track is captured superbly, and as the track courses along, you’re left in no doubt as to the feeling of impending danger and action that the track is conveying. It’s a confident performance across the board.

During testing, we don’t ignore the Arcam’s phono stage options and headphone output. Arcam really has ticked all the boxes with the SA35, but it’s also ensured both the MM/MC phono stages and headphone output are up to scratch. Play Michael Jackson’s Bad on vinyl and both inputs maintain the very likeable, clean-cut, precise sound of the system. It’s effortless and expressive.

And as you’d probably expect, the Bluetooth connection is sonically more limited than the other connectivity options, but it’s good enough for general listening.

Verdict

In this modern age, where people want the convenience of a one-box solution but don’t want to make huge sacrifices where sound quality is concerned, the Arcam SA35 streaming amplifier is one of those rare do-it-all devices that does it all extremely well. Highly recommended.

Review published: 13th October 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

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Generally speaking, we’ve had nothing but love for Arcam’s recent Radia range of hi-fi separates. It’s delivered multiple five-star products, including a pair of Award-winning stereo amplifiers and CD player. Next up for the eyes and ears of our crack team of reviewers is its premium ST25 music streamer.

Ironically, the only blot on Radia’s copybook so far has been the Arcam ST25’s cheaper sibling, the ST5. It disappointed us with a three-star performance when it passed through our test rooms a couple of years ago.

Now it’s time for the pricier model to go on the test bench, and, to put it rather bluntly, we are hoping for bigger and better things from the step-up streamer…

Price

Priced at £1499 / $1650 / AU$2995, the Arcam ST25 is a clear step above entry-level music streamers and will need to deliver the sound performance befitting a premium model.

The closest rival we have tested is the Cambridge Audio EXN100 at £1599 / $1799, a formidable five-star rival and What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 winner.

Build & design

We’re a fan of the design language Arcam adopted for its Radia range and our opinion isn’t shifted by the ST25.

It’s a modern, clean-looking, solidly made hi-fi separate – the full-width all-black chassis makes quite the impression, especially against lighter-coloured racks and kit.

The top panel shows some nice attention to detail, with furrows running front to back that gradually get deeper as you reach the streamer’s front panel.

And, speaking of the front panel, a large chunk of it is dedicated to a 6.5-inch high-resolution display. It looks great; the album artwork appears bright, punchy and colourful with good viewing angles, while the accompanying metadata is easy enough to read too.

The front of the ST25 is also zero fuss, with not even a power button in sight.

Inside the ST25’s chassis, you’ll find a new six-layer digital audio and streaming platform. Arcam has included a ground plane through the board to keep noise and interference away from the audio components.

These components include the latest Hyperstream iV DAC topology from ESS in a balanced configuration with advanced jitter elimination to minimise digital timing errors.

The ST25 also uses a new linear, low-noise toroidal power supply and a switching power supply, which takes over when in standby for improved efficiency.

Features

While that 6.5-inch display dominates the front of the Arcam ST25, the rear of the unit is a more stripped-back and minimalist affair.

Tucked beneath the hood, which extends over the rear of the streamer (we understand it helps keep dust off the sockets, but it does get in the way a tad if you’re a hi-fi reviewer who constantly needs to keep switching between it and rival products), you’ll find a pair of analogue line-level outputs, an Ethernet connection, and coaxial and optical digital outputs.

There’s also a USB port for connecting an external drive and a control port – the latter comes into play if you want to pair the streamer with one of Arcam’s Radia stereo amplifiers (such as the A5+ or A15+) and use the two together.

Arcam’s menu of streaming support includes Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music and Roon, which should be more than enough to cater for most streaming needs.

Of course, if all your music is stored on a server on your connected home network, the ST25 can stream from there too, and it supports high-res audio up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files.

The ST25 comes with a small remote control, which you’ll need to use to carry out some functions, including selecting your favourite DAC filter and dimming or turning the display off.

When it comes to choosing your preferred DAC filter, you have four options: minimum phase, linear phase apodizing, linear phase slow roll-off, and minimum phase slow roll-off. The effects are extremely subtle, but we settle on linear phase apodizing for the bulk of our testing.

If you’re not using a streaming service like Tidal or Spotify with ‘Connect’ functionality, you’ll be using the Arcam Radia app to control the streamer. Here you can set internet radio presets, access podcasts and other services such as Amazon Music.

In an ideal world, it would be nice to be able to access all settings through the app, including the filter options mentioned above, as jumping between the app on a phone or tablet and the on-unit menu with the remote wand does feel a little jarring.

It’s also a shame Amazon doesn’t have ‘Connect’ functionality like Tidal and Spotify, because its implementation in the Radia app does feel a little clunky when trying to navigate tunes and playlists.

Similarly, accessing music stored on our review network is fine, but it could be slightly easier to navigate than having to scroll through long lists of artists, for example.

Having the ability to jump to different letters in the alphabet and navigate that way could make the experience slightly slicker.

Rival apps from the likes of Cambridge Audio and Bluesound do feel a little more intuitive, clearer and more rewarding to use.

There’s no Bluetooth functionality on the Arcam, which some users might find a strange omission, but for us, it isn’t a deal-breaker.

Sound

We carry out our testing using a variety of streaming options, including Tidal Connect, Amazon Music, internet radio and high-res tracks stored on our Naim Uniti Core server.

We start testing with a CD-quality stream of Madonna's Sky Fits Heaven from our Uniti Core server.

The first thing we notice about the Arcam is its crystal clear and clean delivery. It sets an eerily quiet backdrop for the music, which allows all the instruments space to breathe.

The track starts with rapid pulsing synths, which exhibit great texture and fine detail.

There’s a real sense of pace, agility and power to the bassline as it pounds along, laying a robust foundation for all the electronica poured on top.

The ST25 is really easy to listen to and doesn’t leave any unpleasant aftertaste. Madonna’s vocal sounds effortless and comes at you covered in texture and oozing emotion.

All the different elements mix like a perfectly crafted cocktail; drum machine, vocal and synths all move around in unison, with the Arcam really capturing the high-energy tempo of the track.

We switch over to something a little calmer, and play Einaudi: Experience by Ludovico Einaudi, as a 24-bit/48kHz stream from Tidal Connect.

The Arcam’s quietness plus attention to detail means the precision and delicacy of the piano play leaves a sonic mark on the listener.

Notes hang in open space, with differences in dynamics explicitly presented. You can hear the intent and intensity behind each key strike change as the track flows gracefully along.

While the piano remains pacesetter for the track, strings slide into view with precision – they’re tightly defined, natural-sounding strokes, and you can feel the intent behind each one.

The Arcam layers the track beautifully as more elements come together in a bountiful soundstage. The drama blossoms into a beautiful crescendo before all those extra layers fall away, leaving just the piano exposed.

We compared the Arcam to its closest rival, the Cambridge Audio EXN100, and while the Cambridge streamer sounds big, bold and confident in its own right, we think the Arcam opens up an even bigger window into the music being streamed.

The ST25 and its quieter background allow for an even greater level of insight and subtlety, which allows it to form an even stronger connection with the listener.

Verdict

If you’re looking to add a great all-round streamer to your hi-fi system, and it warrants a standalone unit at this price, the Arcam is a fantastic option.

Whether it’s internet radio or high-res audio streams, the ST25 presents them in a hugely enjoyable and musical way.

Okay, so the control app isn’t the slickest we’ve used, but the class with which it presents music, and in such a detailed and dynamic manner, needs to be heard.

Review published: 13th October 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 4
• Build 5

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It was tricky to know what to expect from Arcam’s new spin on its Radia range. We’ve heartily recommended many members of the outstanding Radia series of stereo products since it launched in 2023, but when we discovered that the lineup would be refreshed with subtle tweaks and no new numbers – just the addition of a plus sign to mark out the new models – we had concerns that the differences wouldn’t extend far beyond the cosmetic.

Our review of the step-up Arcam A15+ amp quelled some of those doubts, as while the company didn’t go for a wholesale reinvention of an Award-winning recipe, the new model earned plaudits for taking a great integrated amplifier and elevating it to greater heights.

Once again, with this revised, entry-level A5+ integrated, this is a case of evolution rather than full-scale reinvention. The original A5 is already a class leader in its price range, but if it can eke out the same gains as its bigger brother, we’re interested to see just how much more performance Arcam can squeeze out of an already excellent performer.

Build & design

The Arcam A5+ remains a smart looking and well made piece of kit, showcasing a striking black finish accented by subtle yellow highlights around the dials, vents and side panels. It works for bumblebees, it works for Wiz Khalifa, and it works for Arcam.

During testing, we find the A5+ to be a nice amplifier to use and simple to navigate. The aluminium case is sturdy, while the overall quality of construction makes it feel durable and solid.

We’d like the two main control knobs – one for selecting the input and the other for tweaking volume – to offer a little more resistance and feel a touch more solid, but that says more about how high we set the standards for Arcam than anything else. The provided plastic remote isn’t the last word in luxury, either, but it gets the job done just fine.

We criticised the outgoing A5’s frosted front display for lacking a little crispness, and despite Arcam claiming to have rectified this issue on the latest model with a smoother faceplate, we’d still like a touch more sharpness when viewing the input sources and volume levels.

Features

This is essentially the same amplifier as before, but with some subtle internal changes. It’s still a 50-watt per channel Class A/B amplifier, which is a typical output for this class of product. If you want a bit more muscle, the A15+ is the step-up model at 80 watts per channel.

The main work on this new generation has been done in the power supply. The mains transformer has been improved, as have other key components, with the result that unwanted interference has been reduced, as well as the supply’s impedance.

The integrated amplifier will now automatically power down the DAC board when the analogue inputs are selected to deliver further sonic gains. To go with the improvements to the power supply and other circuit tweaks, Arcam has also enhanced the op-amps in the DAC output stages.

On the back panel, you’ll discover that there is a healthy variety of connections. On the analogue side you’ll find three line-level inputs, plus a moving magnet phono stage for connecting a turntable directly. If you want an HDMI input, however, you’ll have to spend a good deal more (around £1199 / $1099 / AU$2295) and get the step-up A15+.

On the digital side, the A5+ still boasts a twin set of coaxial inputs and a single optical, again capable of handling datastreams of up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM files thanks to its ESS ES9018 DAC chip. There’s still no USB-C option (a shame), but you do get a 3.5mm headphone port at the front if you fancy a bit of private listening.

One of the major changes between the two generations of the A5 is an upgraded Bluetooth module. Bluetooth 5.2 is replaced by the more efficient Bluetooth 5.4 protocol, with an updated Bluetooth chip bringing the higher-quality aptX Lossless codec alongside the latest LE Audio and Auracast audio sharing tech.

The A5+’s Bluetooth capabilities are two way, meaning you can beam music to the amplifier from a compatible source (your phone, say) or send it from the Arcam to a wireless speaker or a pair of Bluetooth headphones. It’s a simple and intuitive process – we pair our test sample with the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 headphones, and enjoy a stable, secure connection. It’s a performance that, without giving the game away, is consistent with the amp’s considerable talents.

Compatibility

An amplifier at this level has a wide remit, and it should be able to get the most out of decent budget sources and speakers while having enough stretch to give a good account of itself with more premium components.

We integrate the A5+ into our test room’s reference system comprising the Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition music streamer (£2299 / $3799) alongside a pair of Epos ES-7N standmounts (£1890 / $2850), and find that the Arcam has enough about it to accommodate what is a revealing system.

We naturally want to discover how the A5+ handles more price-compatible products, so we let it loose with the five-star Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2 speakers (£649 / $1099 / AU$1580) and switch up our source by swapping in the Cyrus CDi CD player (£999), and find the A5+ to be comfortable and composed at this level.

Sound

The original A5 remains a great amplifier. Listening to it again feels like putting on our comfiest slippers, and we’re reminded of just how detailed, expressive and exciting it is. The bar has been set high as we switch to the new A5+, but after a time we come to a definite conclusion – the new boy is a clear, if subtle, improvement on its outstanding predecessor.

The overall sonic picture is cleaner without sounding sanitised, allowing those keenly sketched out instrumental textures to shine more brightly. We play Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die from our Naim streamer, marvelling at how the A5+ evokes the track’s overall grandeur while picking out quieter instrumental textures with a deft, careful hand.

The new amp seems to have a better understanding of how instruments should sound, bringing out more of the essence of what, say, a drum, guitar or human voice should be. Our attention has been grabbed, and we’re keen to see what other treats we can feed this brilliant belter.

What we discover is talent across the board. Ghost’s Satanized isn’t the easiest recording for an amp to handle thanks to its intertwining rhythmic sections and complex drum patterns, but the Arcam takes it all in its stride. The drums are expressive rather than mechanical as the A5+ teases out each dynamic shift with accuracy and intent, while its innate rhythmic capabilities keep the whole thing racing along at a fair old clip.

Our testing time only gets more enjoyable when we switch to Nine Inch Nails’ As Alive As You Need Me To Be. Here, the amp lets loose, revealing itself to be a punchier, snappier successor to the A5 and, though it may be dealing with a hard-edged recording, it does a marvellous job of revealing its core nature without over-emphasising it. It may strain at the leash, but never does said leash actually snap.

The amp is clearly having a lot of fun, but it’s not the sort of performer to get so carried away that it forgets to take care of the fundamentals. The Arcam showcases impressive stereo imaging, serving up a reasonably wide but nicely focused soundstage that gives a tangible feeling of depth and dimensionality. It’s not messy, either, even on complex compositions, letting textures breathe on their own and granting sufficient space for instruments to shine.

Those qualities and that character remain consistent no matter how we listen. There are numerous ways to enjoy the Arcam, yet we struggle to catch it out or find a blind spot in its arsenal of abilities.

The built-in phono stage tackles Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours and tracks such as Lukas Graham’s Happy Home adeptly, once again evidencing its same core talents for detail, dynamics and a toe-tapping feeling of rhythmic drive when connected to a Rega Planar 6/Nd7 turntable.

We want to see how capable the Arcam’s on-board DAC module is, so we connect the Cyrus CDi CD player to the optical input. As we suspected, it doesn’t let the side down, and we sense little drop-off in performance as Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack to The Dark Knight bubbles away with an intense, brooding energy. The sonic balance remains the same as before, with pleasing helpings of detail and dynamics underpinned by a metronomic feeling of rhythmic propulsion.

Bluetooth headphones aside, you can also get up close and personal with your new Arcam integrated via its front-mounted 3.5mm headphone port. We select the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X to be our guinea pigs – and wouldn’t you know it, the A5+ has no problems here, either.

Portishead’s Sour Times comes across as enticing and mysterious, while Nas’ Memory Lane has us feeling appropriately chilled out as the Arcam and Beyerdynamic open-backs work happily in tandem. Again, the character we hear through the speakers is retained through the headphone output, leading to a performance that we find entertaining and engaging.

Verdict

The Arcam A5+ is a delight. It may be the most affordable amplifier in Arcam’s refreshed Radia range, yet nothing about the A5+ sounds compromised or lacking in any of the key areas required to bring your music to life.

Those tweaks may have been subtle, but they’ve added up to something excellent. Versatile, easy to use and a delight to listen to, it’s one of the best amplifiers you’re likely to find at this price.

Review published: 9th October 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 4

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Arcam’s Radia range of stereo products was only introduced back in 2023. In these few short years, it has become something of a cornerstone of our affordable hi-fi recommendations. We have a particularly soft spot for the A5 and A15 integrated amplifiers, which both combine a comprehensive feature set with class-leading sound quality.

So, when we hear that the company is introducing upgraded versions of these amplifiers, we can’t wait to have a listen. We are focusing on the new Arcam A15+ here; the A5+ review will follow soon.

We shouldn’t get too carried away here as regards the scale of the upgrades. There have been no massive revisions or significant specification changes. Think of it as a gentle bit of fettling of an already accomplished product. How gentle? Without the badging, it would be hard to notice anything had changed, unless you listened, of course.

Build & features

General build quality remains the same as for the previous generation; that is, solid and well finished. We still like the clean, modern look, though we now think that the two large control dials could feel a little more substantial and positive in use.

While the step-up A25+ model has been given a crisper display, that fitted to the A15+ remains frosted as before, and so could be sharper. The partnering remote is a simple, plastic affair that does the job well enough.

This '+' version remains a well-equipped amplifier that should slot into pretty much any price-compatible stereo system with ease. It thoughtfully adds an HDMI eARC digital input alongside the previous generation's optical and a pair of coaxial inputs.

Fans of analogue aren’t ignored, with the original’s moving magnet phono input and trio of line-level analogue connections continuing. As before, there is a preamp output for those who want to upgrade and a 3.5mm headphone socket on the front.

Two-way Bluetooth is still on the menu, but in one of the more significant upgrades, it is now Version 5.4 with Auracast (allows one-to-many transmission without the need for pairing) and adds support for Snapdragon Sound, which is essentially a suite of technologies designed to get the best from the wireless transmission method.

As far as the basics of the digital module go, nothing of significance has changed. A 24-bit/192kHz compatible ESS ES9018 DAC chip sits at the heart, and there still isn’t a USB input on this model.

While adding the new Bluetooth module, Arcam’s engineers took the opportunity to do some housekeeping on the A15’s power supply circuitry, improving the mains transformer and various components, to cut interference and reduce power supply impedance. Small touches like automatically powering down the DAC board when the analogue inputs are selected are claimed to deliver sonic improvements too.

Straight from the box, the A15+ will autoswitch to the HDMI or the Bluetooth inputs if it detects a signal. Most people will be happy with such a convenient arrangement, but the engineers found that the sound becomes just a touch cleaner and clearer if that autoswitching functionality is turned off, and now allow users to do so.

If you are trying to optimise the A15+’s performance, this is something well worth doing. The improvement in clarity is subtle but worthwhile. The (small) downside is that now those inputs have to be selected manually.

Compatibility

An amplifier at this price level has quite a wide remit. It has to be able to be forgiving enough to perform with good-quality budget sources and speakers while still being transparent enough to shine when partnered with more capable components.

The A15+ ticks both boxes. Our ideal starting point would include sources such as the Rega Planar 3/Nd3 record player, the Arcam CD5 CD player or Cambridge Audio CXN100 streamer, and partnering speakers like Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2 or KEF Q3 Meta.

But, as we find out during our test sessions, this is an amplifier that is perfectly capable of making the most of more ambitious partners, right up to the likes of the Cyrus 40 ST music streamer and the Fyne Audio F502S floorstanders.

Sound

The original A15 was a superb all-rounder, delivering a combination of detail, dynamics and overall balance that we felt was class-leading. This new + version retains that character but takes small steps forward across the board.

We have the original on hand and listen to both amplifiers in a wide range of systems from the price-comparable sources and speakers we’ve already mentioned, right up to our high-end reference system of Naim ND555/555 PS DR and ATC SCM50. It doesn’t take long to decide that we prefer the new one.

We play Gorecki’s emotionally-charged Symphony No.3 and find that the A15+ sounds that bit cleaner and clearer. We can hear more in the way of instrumental textures and the kind of low-level acoustic detail that defines the size of the recording venue.

The + version has more expressive dynamics and seems to go from quiet to loud with greater fluency. We don’t note any significant difference in scale or absolute authority, but do find that the newer amplifier is more emphatic in the way it renders crescendos and shifts in musical intensity.

There aren’t any notable changes in terms of tonality, which remains a well-judged balance of evenness with just enough smoothness for the amplifier to remain enjoyable with rough or coarse recordings. The A15+ has the transparency to reveal flaws in a recording or partnering source, but it won’t go out of its way to emphasise those shortcomings. This is arguably the ideal balance for something at this level, we think.

Stereo imaging remains good. The soundstage is relatively wide, well-focused and displays a pleasing amount of depth (provided it’s in the recording, of course). We have no complaints about the image stability or the sense of space around each instrument.

This Arcam knows how to dance, too. It proves to have a surefooted sense of rhythm when we play Michael Jackson’s hard-charging Jam, and delivers the song’s full-throttle momentum with considerable verve. We are impressed with the way this amplifier organises detail and its composure when things get demanding.

This amplifier may kick hard in the bass, but it also retains a degree of tunefulness and agility that is rare to find at this level. Basslines are meaty yet retain a lovely flow. Importantly, the lows never feel overbearing or musclebound.

We are pleased to report that the on-board DAC module is a good one. The ESS 9018 chip may not be the most fashionable around, but it serves well here, helping the A15+ to retain a good sense of energy and expression regardless of the digital input we use. There are no issues when we switch between files of different resolutions up to the 24-bit/192kHz limit. As before, DSD replay is not on the menu, but that’s not a deal breaker for us.

The A15+’s performance with Bluetooth is solid. While this would never be our connection of choice if performance were a priority, it remains a useful addition that works well in this amplifier. The Arcam’s sound via Bluetooth has enough in the way of energy and organisation to remain enjoyable.

Interested in playing vinyl? We connect our reference Technics SL-1000R/Nagaoka MP-200 record player and the A15+’s phono section proves to be suitably detailed and enjoyable. Hum and hiss levels are decently low for a product such as this, while dynamics and rhythmic drive mirror the standards we hear through the line inputs.

We would only consider upgrading to an outboard phono stage if using something more ambitious than a Rega Planar 3. For most users, the phono module in the Arcam will do just fine.

Verdict

We’ve always admired the A15’s wide-ranging talents. It is sensibly specified and highly accommodating as far as system matching is concerned. Most of all, it is a musical treat that works well across every musical genre we’ve tried.

If you are looking for an amplifier that ticks all the boxes at this price, we haven’t come across a better one than the Arcam A15+.

Review published: 3rd October 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Features 5

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Harman's acquisition of some of the biggest names in hi-fi is now complete.

It has taken over Masimo's Sound United stable of brands, which encompasses Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, HEOS and Boston Acoustics.

Harman – which has been owned by Samsung Electronics since 2016 – already owns Arcam, AKG, JBL, Mark Levinson and Revel.

This gives Harman a broad spread of devices across all sorts of audio categories, including home audio, electronics, headphones and in-car audio.

The deal was announced in May.

“Harman’s vision is to create experiences that enrich people’s lives through exceptional audio experiences,” said Dave Rogers, president of Harman's Lifestyle Division. “Sound United’s impressive roster of brands is rooted in a deep passion for sound, innovation, and commitment to quality that aligns with Harman's own values.”

Customers shouldn’t notice any immediate changes, as Sound United will operate as a standalone Strategic Business Unit (SBU) within Harman’s Lifestyle Division. Which will mean that each brand’s “heritage, expertise and loyal customer base remain central to their identity.”

But with Harman’s extra resources, its new brands “will gain greater reach with enhanced capabilities, while continuing to realise their distinct goals and better succeed in the marketplace.”

US medical company Masimo acquired Bowers & Wilkins in 2020, and added the eight audio brands from Sound United only three years ago.

Hopefully Harman will provide some much needed stability and help the brands prosper.

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Another week, another selection of tempting savings for your enjoyment. Even when we're not wrestling with Black Friday deals or the Amazon Prime Day sale, our expert deal hunters and editors are always on the trail of the best savings out there on the finest gear that we wholeheartedly recommend.

This week, we've seen major deals on everything from fantastic AV receivers to wonderful wireless headphones to all-in-one hi-fi systems.

We've even spotted an unbeatable saving on an Award-winning stereo amplifier which shouldn't be missed!

If you're after the finest prices on a range of stunning gear, read on for the best TV, home cinema and hi-fi deals we've found over this past week.

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Any money off a recent What Hi-Fi? Award winner always feels like a bit of a bargain, but this five-star stereo amp from Arcam was also our Product of the Year in 2023 – so it's really worth a look.

Previously priced at £749, this stellar Arcam A5 deal cuts an astonishing £200 off its price tag, taking it down to a pretty remarkable £549 at Peter Tyson – for a stereo amp of this calibre, that is quite something.

Best Arcam A5 amplifier deal

Arcam is planning to refresh its Radio range of amplifiers with a 'Plus' update to its core models, meaning the A5 is set to be revamped as the new A5+. That's good news on two fronts, as not only does it mean we get brand new Arcam goodies to enjoy, it also means prices on the current-gen models are about to take a tumble.

As the entry-level amp in Arcam's Radia range, the A5 has a careful balancing act to perform. As it will inevitably be paired with more affordable components, it has to be forgiving enough to gloss over any limitations in the setup, while also serving up a level of transparency that will make the most of more capable kit.

This is where the A5 takes the lead on its still very capable competition, offering a full-bodied and smooth character that doesn't rob your music of any life or detail.

Arcam has really thought through the feature set here too, and made it arguably one of the most comprehensively equipped stereo amplifiers at its price point. There are three line-level inputs, plus a moving magnet phono stage, with digital sources covered off by a pair of coaxial inputs and a single optical in – all supporting music up to 24-bit/192kHz. Bluetooth 5.2 and aptX Adaptive are both on board too.

Its 50 watts per-channel output should be just fine for the majority of entry-level set ups, but if you need a little more, you can add an outboard power amplifier thanks to the A5's preamplifier outputs.

The best news is that no matter which input you play from, the A5 offers refinement and control in spades, and whatever you listen to through it simply never disappoints. It should be high on your shortlist at this level, but at this stunning price, it should already be in your shopping basket.

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Arcam has unveiled a refreshed trio of integrated amplifiers, with the A5+, A15+ and A25+ building upon the success of the original models, which launched in 2023.

The new trio of stereo amplifiers aim to "raise the bar even higher", with updated circuitry, refined components, better power management and new features offering an "enhanced performance."

We are big fans of the original Arcam A5 and A15 in particular, whose modern design, great set of features and hugely enjoyable and capable sound resulted in back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Award wins at their respective price brackets. They remain our current favourites, so it will be interesting to hear how the updated models compare.

For the new "plus" range, Arcam has retained the minimal black design with yellow accents, and the fundamental power ratings and main specifications of each amplifier remain the same.

So what's new? The A15+ and A25+ now feature an HDMI eARC input, which is welcome news for those who want to add them to a TV/home cinema set-up.

Additionally, the Bluetooth chip has been updated to Bluetooth 5.4 across all three amps, bringing with it the higher-quality aptX Lossless codec, LE Audio and the Auracast sharing protocol.

The A5+ features refinements to the internal components and a lower power supply impedance, while the A15+ and A25+ have a transformer upgrade that reduces unwanted current within the chassis.

The A25+ has further upgrades to the new transformer, better linear regulation to the analogue power supplies, and further refinements to the power and mains filtering to "enhance overall clarity", claims Arcam.

The A25+ Class G amplifier (100W per channel) also has an additional, dedicated ESS9018 DAC for the SPDIF inputs and has a precision-cut glass front panel, which offers a sharper, brighter display. This should bring it in line, visually, with the partnering ST25 streamer.

The A5+ remains a 50W per channel amplifier, while the A15+ offers more grunt with 80W per channel – both are Class A/B designs, and feature a 24-bit/192kHz ESS ES9018 DAC, a built-in moving magnet phono stage and 3.5mm headphone port.

The five-star A5 and A15 amps have fought off newcomers in the last couple of years, so we have high hopes for these updated models. We have the A5+ and A15+ in for testing right now, so expect full reviews in due course.

Another bit of good news? The prices are largely unchanged from the original RRP, at least in the UK. The new Arcam A5+ is yours for £749, while the Arcam A15+ is set to cost £1199; the flagship A25+ has risen slightly to £1699 from £1499. All three Arcam amplifiers will be available to buy at the end of the month.

For US customers, however, prices have increased considerably: the Arcam A5+ costs $1199.95 (up from $699), the A15+ is $1499.95 (from $1099) and the A25 is yours for $1999.95 (up from $1499).

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We have reviewed hundreds of stereo amplifiers – for most hi-fi systems, these are the only three you need to consider

The stereo amplifier is the beating heart of your hi-fi separates system. At What Hi-Fi?, we have been testing them ever since 1976, and our experienced review team has collectively tested hundreds of integrated amplifiers, priced anywhere from £200 all the way up to £30,000.

You don't have to spend thousands to get a good stereo amplifier, though. In fact, you don't need to spend very much at all to get a truly great integrated amplifier these days.

Right now, there are three superb amps that I can recommend to you at three different price points. These three five-star amps are tried and tested products we constantly recommend. They deliver outstanding sound-per-pound value, and work with a variety of partnering speakers and sources at their respective price levels.

So if you are building a hi-fi separates system and are looking for a budget, mid-priced or premium amplifier, then look no further than this trio of top choices.

Budget: Rotel A8

Our budget amplifier pick at the moment is unequivocally the Rotel A8.

Yes, its styling is quite functional, but at this entry-level price point, Rotel has focused its efforts entirely on the performance of the A8. Still, the amplifier itself is well-built and all controls are nicely engineered and feel satisfying in use.

Unlike the long-running Marantz PM6007 that used to hold the fort as our budget favourite for many years, this Rotel doesn't have any digital inputs. We don't find this to be an issue, as we usually find that the DAC in your music streamer, CD player or even laptop will be on par (or even better) with any digital module fitted in a budget amp. The A8's three line-level RCA and a pair of phono inputs are enough to connect your turntable, streamer and CD player.

The Rotel A8 really shows its mettle with its sound quality, and outshines all of its rivals, which include five-star options from Marantz, Rega and Cambridge Audio. This 30W per channel amp has a fine sense of drive, control and sure-footed agility with rhythms, along with punchy bass.

We find its dynamic ability to be “unusually expressive” at this level, handling large, orchestral dynamic shifts and the subtler shadings in vocal nuance with a great deal of composure and skill. It sounds organised and controlled at moments where its rivals struggle to stay coherent.

The rival Marantz PM6007 offers a larger and more spacious soundstage, but Rotel counters with better detail resolution and digs into subtleties with greater insight. We find it is considerably more articulate and textured when it comes to the lower frequencies than any alternative we have tested.

It simply sounds more authentic and handles music with a calmness that we tend to hear with much pricier amplifiers. We say in our review: “This is an amplifier that just fades into the background, letting the recording and the other components in the system step into the limelight.”

The Rotel A8 works well with similarly budget-friendly partnering equipment, and such is its talent that it will quite likely be the last component in your budget system that will need updating. While a natural set-up would be include the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 speakers, a Rega Planar 1 turntable, Cambridge MXN10 streamer and/or Marantz CD6007, we tried the A8 in a more premium system involving the KEF LS50 Meta speakers, Rega Planar 3 and Arcam CD5 (these being double the A8's price) and found that the composed Rotel amp more than held its own.

Unassuming, but hugely capable with whatever you pair it with, this pleasingly capable Rotel A8 will reward you greatly at this budget price.

Mid-price: Arcam A15

For a serious step above the budget A8, we have to go with the Award-winning Arcam A15. This burly, sturdy unit boasts 80W per channel (into 8 ohms), an ESS ES9018 DAC chip and offers a generous specification sheet that includes multiple digital and analogue connections.

Optical and coaxial inputs sit alongside RCA line-level and moving-magnet phono inputs. It even has two-way Bluetooth aptX Adaptive codec support, so you can stream songs from your smartphone to the unit as well as play songs back wirelessly on connected Bluetooth headphones. Neat.

Sound-wise, the Arcam 15 is a powerful, precise and poised performer. It's a terrifically open and authoritative sound, and offers excellent grip and composure when confronted with complex musical arrangements. There is punch and drama, but the A15 is also nimble and delicate when it needs to be.

We say in our review: “This Arcam is insightful, tracking the music’s multitude of instrumental strands with skill. Dynamic nuances are conveyed with finesse and we love the way it renders instrumental textures with such delicacy.”

Its stereo imaging is expansive and stable, while its tonal neutrality, combined with clarity and precision, delivers a commanding and involving listening experience that wows us every time we listen to it.

The A15's phono and headphones stages are of good quality too, delivering a dynamically expressive sound that is clear, dynamic and, most of all, enjoyably musical.

The Arcam A15 has fought off many rivals at this price point (and even higher) that we've heard so far, and we would expect anyone buying at this level to take some care with partnering to get the best out of this integrated amplifier. The superb Cyrus CDi, PMC Prodigy 5 floorstanding speakers and Cambridge Audio CXN100 streamer are great options to suit the Arcam A15's commanding presentation.

The A15 is a terrific all-rounder and has a useful array of features to suit everyone – we would highly recommend it as a mid-price option.

Premium: Naim Nait XS3

Now, if you have both the inclination and bank balance to set your sights higher for your hi-fi separates, we can't recommend the Naim Nait XS3 amplifier enough.

Originally released in 2019 and a mainstay of our best stereo amplifiers guide, this Naim integrated has the distinction of winning five What Hi-Fi? Awards in a row and earning a Hall of Fame 2024 entry for its talents – it's even one of our trusty reference amplifiers in our test rooms.

So what's the fuss all about? Naim's amplifier pedigree is legendary, and its engineers have taken obsessive care with the components, circuitry and power stages for this XS3 integrated, including a completely new (and very good, indeed) phono stage.

Once again, the focus is on absolute sound quality so digital inputs have been forsaken for analogue line level and phono inputs. Naim recommends an outboard DAC at this level (or an appropriately talented CD player or streamer with a great DAC integrated).

This Nait XS3 is quite simply a supremely natural, musical performer. There are bigger, more impressive-sounding alternatives – such as the muscular Roksan Blak or the spacious Cambridge Audio EXA100 – but the more dynamically expressive and rhythmically capable Naim gets the intent behind every song across.

Its ability to knit together musical strands in a cohesive manner is unmatched at this level. It's an insightful, agile and enthusiastic performer, balancing bombastic punch and finesse and emotion in equal measure. Voices are beautifully nuanced and emotive – you can hear the personalities behind every word and every note.

The phono stage in the Nait XS3 deserves special mention. Built-in phono stages don't always sound the best, but this one delivers a detailed, punchy and lively performance.

We said in our original review that this Naim amp delivers “a musical and emotionally absorbing performance” – and its greatest strength is the ability to get you fully involved with the songs being played. Its “fit and forget” nature convinces you to pay less attention to any critical analysis when listening and simply enjoy the music instead.

It is, of course, part of our reference system. We have used so many different components with this Naim amp, and it has never faltered. Pair it with equally highly talented components, such as the Rega Planar 8 turntable, Epos ES14N speakers and Naim's own Uniti Atom HE streamer at the bare minimum, and you're in for a treat.

This is an amplifier that gets straight to the heart of the music – and that's the mark of a truly great piece of hi-fi. If your budget stretches this high, this Naim is the one to get.

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The Arcam A5 has been our favourite stereo amplifier in its price bracket for some time now, taking home a What Hi-Fi? Award in 2023 and 2024, and reminding us that the company hadn’t completely turned its attention to AV receivers.

As you can probably tell by the Mk7 designation at the end of its name, Rega’s Brio has been around in various guises before, with the sixth-gen model winning back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Awards in 2016 and 2017, so this latest version was keenly anticipated before its arrival back in April of this year.

So can the Rega relive the glory days with the Brio Mk7? Or will Arcam’s A5 fend off yet another challenger?

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: price

When we first tested the Arcam A5 back in 2023 it would set you back £749 / $699 / AU$1495 and that remains the case today. The same is true of the Rega Brio Mk7, which we reviewed at £799 / $1095 / AU$1699 earlier this year and perhaps unsurprisingly hasn’t dropped a penny since.

In the UK there’s only a £50 price difference between these two amplifiers, which makes them close competitors, but Rega often charges more for its products in the US, so it’s a tougher sell across the pond where the Brio is significantly more expensive than the A5.

Either way, the Arcam is the more affordable of the two products, and we’ve even seen it drop to £699 on occasion, so it’s a win for the A5 here.

**Winner: Arcam A5**

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: design and build

Hi-fi separates tend to follow a certain formula when it comes to design. After all, they’re expected to blend in with other products, potentially from other manufacturers, so there’s a certain look they tend to go for in order to maximise their appeal.

That said, the Arcam (above) is a pretty eye-catching bit of kit, especially when compared to the Rega. The A5 has got a much fresher, more modern look than the Brio. We love the classy yellow accents on the sleek aluminium chassis, and the controls feel suitably premium, even if we're not so keen on the frosted finish on the screen as the text is slightly fuzzy to read.

The design of the Brio feels more functional than anything, and while there can be beauty in that approach it’s hard to look at these two side-by-side and not be more drawn to the Arcam.

Both work perfectly fine in daily use, though.

Both also come with remote controls that are simple to use, if not the most luxurious we’ve come across, but then that should probably be expected at this price.

Your own personal judgement on this one might actually come down to dimensions more than aesthetics anyway. The Rega’s half-width design means it might fit better in smaller spaces, but not match your existing set-up so well, while the opposite is also true of the full-size A5.

That physical discrepancy also means the Brio Mk7 weighs significantly less (4.9kg compared to 8kg) but once it’s on your rack that’s unlikely to affect you.

Taking them purely at face value, though, we have to give this one to the Arcam.

**Winner: Arcam A5**

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: features & connectivity

These two amps go pretty much toe-to-toe when it comes to features.

They’re both capable of outputting 50W per channel, have exactly the same type of physical connections – three line level inputs, plus single optical and 3.5mm headphone sockets, and both have moving magnet phono stages onboard, so you can plug a turntable directly into the amps.

This 7th-generation Brio is the first to include a DAC, and Rega offers a single optical and single coaxial input. Arcam counters with two digital coax inputs, however.

Both amps support hi-res files up to 24-bit/192kHz but neither has a USB input, which would’ve been handy for connecting your laptop, but it isn’t a deal-breaker in this price bracket.

The main thing that sets them apart, features-wise, is that the Arcam A5 has two-way aptX Adaptive Bluetooth. For traditionalists, that won’t be a big deal, but with many people keen to be able to play music wirelessly from their phones, tablets or laptops as well as the ‘old-fashioned’ way, it’s a point of difference that makes the A5 that little bit more useful than the Rega.

Of course, it’s perfectly possible to attach a third-party streamer to either of these amps, but having Bluetooth built in, even if only for occasional use, is always handy.

**Winner: Arcam A5**

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: sound

In their respective five-star reviews, both the Rega Brio Mk7 and Arcam A5 scored full marks for their audio performance, but are there appreciable sonic differences between the two that might make you choose one over the other?

No matter the source or the genre of music we chose during our testing, the Arcam proved to be a superbly rounded performer. It delivers a sound that’s articulate, insightful and entertaining, with authoritative but agile bass, and an expansive, nicely layered soundstage.

We said in our review: "There is a fine sense of control too, with the amplifier showing impressive composure when the music gets demanding. It doesn’t sound stressed or cluttered, even when pushed to higher volume levels... Larger scale dynamic swings are rendered with conviction and there is a good dose of scale on show too."

The A5’s DAC offers three filter options, and while we prefer to use the second one, they all sound crisp and punchy. The phono stage and headphone socket also perform well, as does the Bluetooth connection, although bear in mind that it’ll never sound as good as going wired.

The Rega is not just an improvement on its predecessor, it’s also a worthy rival to the A5. Our review highlighted its solid, punchy and exciting presentation, which brims with confidence and substance.

Tonally even and not fussy about the equipment that you pair it with, the Brio Mk7 doesn’t sound the most spacious, but it keeps instruments in check when things get complicated.

We said in our review: "There is never any doubt as to the emotion any given artist wants the listener to feel. This has long been a strength of Rega’s Brio line-up, and this Mk7 version just reinforces that tradition."

The phono stage is also impressive (perhaps not surprising given Rega’s experience with turntables), the DAC is one of the best we’ve heard in a stereo amp of this price, and the headphone socket doesn’t let the side down either.

So how do we choose a winner here? When you directly compare the two it’s really a matter of personal preference.

While detail levels are around the same, the Arcam sounds smoother and more open, with a greater sense of scale, plus it’s more refined and can handle dynamic shifts more seamlessly.

The Brio Mk7, however, has more punch and drive, with a more muscular sound that’s particularly noticeable at the lower end of the frequency range. It’s an amp that’s great at conveying rhythms and the energy in the music you choose to play through it.

Which of those you prefer the idea of should be how you choose your winner here, but we’re going to call it a draw.

**Winner: Draw**

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: verdict

The Rega Brio Mk7 might not have come out on top in any of the categories above, but this is a much closer battle than that would make it seem.

These are both highly capable stereo amplifiers that are very difficult to separate on paper, with both offering stellar sound performances.

The A5’s Bluetooth connection is the only real way to tell them apart if you just compare the spec sheets side by side, and that’s hardly going to be a deal-breaker for most people shopping for an integrated amp at this price.

Some of our review team prefer the design of the Arcam while others prefer Rega's half-width size, but that, like the sonic performance of these two products, comes down to personal taste more than anything else.

Whichever one you buy, you’ll be getting a five-star product that we highly recommend. But it’s the Award-winning Arcam A5 that just clinches this one on points rather than a full knockout.

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“Oh hello, old friend,” we thought as we dusted off our long-held sample of Cambridge Audio’s original CXA81, smiling as we lifted it out of the box as a whisky connoisseur might a 40-year-old bottle of single malt Scotch.

This 2019-released integrated amplifier is fondly remembered at What Hi-Fi?, having won back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Awards for four years. In fact, we named it our Product of the Year in the stereo amplifier category each time, too.

Its re-emergence in our test room isn’t, however, to satisfy some nostalgic longing, but owing to the long-anticipated arrival of a second-generation version, which lands at What Hi-Fi? towers with clown-sized shoes to fill.

That the Cambridge Audio CXA81 MKII not only replaces the CXA81 but also the step-down CXA61 – also a four-time Award-winning star – in the company’s CX series, only adds to the pressure.

Needless to say, we are itching to see how far this much-loved model has come in six years (spoiler: it’s quite a way) and whether it can claim back the crown from the Arcam A15 that dethroned its predecessor back in 2023.

Build & design

If you judged innovation on looks, you would think Cambridge Audio has stood still in its transition from the original, now-discontinued CXA81 to this MKII model.

Its casework is identical to its predecessor, to the point that a game of spot the difference between our samples would throw up only two minor disparities – the somewhat odd move from ‘CXA81’ to simply ‘CXA’ for the front-chassis printing on the CXA81 MKII, and the (removable!) front-panel stickers on the original – neither of which screams ‘evolution’.

Did Cambridge Audio still possess surplus casing stock of its CXA81, or did the design team simply see no room for improvement? Despite the five years that have passed between the models’ release, perhaps the British company considered the smart Lunar Grey chassis and its connections still befitting a modern-day amplifier. And we wouldn't argue.

After all, the amplifier market is hardly one of the most aesthetically progressive categories in consumer electronics and this model remains sleek, substantial and well-equipped by today’s standards.

And if this is one reason that Cambridge Audio has been able to keep the RRP consistent between the generations – it remains £999 in the UK and, at $1199, is actually $100 cheaper in the US – then all the better.

We love the large volume dial and how the inset bottom makes the facade look as though it is floating centimetres above whatever support it sits on.

A text display, as found on its Arcam rival, would, in our minds, be both aesthetically and practically preferable, but woe betide us to begrudge the simplicity of the Cambridge’s input LED display and accompanying physical buttons.

Features

Speaking of inputs, you won’t feel shortchanged. Alongside the typical line-level (three), optical (two) and coaxial (one) inputs are single USB Type-B and balanced XLR, giving you a range of options to connect a music streamer, CD player, TV or computer/laptop if you so wish.

Predictably, Cambridge Audio suggests its own CXN100 – a five-star product – as a natural streaming partner for the CXA81 MKII, which sensibly also has balanced XLR connectivity (outputs).

You can get wireless playback without going down the separate streamer route courtesy of the amplifier’s built-in aptX HD Bluetooth, though the performance potential of Bluetooth technology is comparatively limited.

Elsewhere of note on the busy rear panel are subwoofer and pre-out outputs, accommodating the expansion of your system to an external sub and power amplifier respectively, plus a Control Bus socket, which allows any compatible Cambridge product to power up with the CXA81 MKII in synchrony.

So what, we hear you ask, is new here?

Like the most recent generations of iPhones, the CXA81 MKII doesn’t wear its progression on its sleeve, but hides it.

Beneath the hood, Cambridge Audio has swapped in more “premium” components in the Class A/B amplification circuitry, and chosen a more advanced DAC chip for its digital circuitry; the ESS ES9018K2M SABRE32 supports PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256.

So while you may not get enhanced features or aesthetics, you should, Cambridge Audio says, get enhanced sound quality.

Sound

We reacquaint ourselves with the older Cambridge amplifier before firing up its successor, and are met with the confident delivery we remember: clear, full-bodied (particularly in the midrange) and with a slightly forward inclination that leans into music. Its balance of strengths remains enjoyable even today.

Switch over to the CXA81 MKII, however, and the years between them are revealed as obviously as those between Harrison Ford’s portrayal of Han Solo in the first Stars Wars film and The Force Awakens. You’re immediately drawn into the music even more thanks to significant gains in clarity, detail and openness.

It’s a bigger, bolder and more authoritative performer that, as is evident with the fat walking bassline in Mac Miller’s What’s The Use?, also has a weightier, grippier low-end – even if you don’t quite get the same sense of musical drive as you do with the veteran model. Like a floor-to-floor living room window, it invites you into whatever is before you.

Once again, we find ourselves falling for the mid-range model’s lush, clean midrange. Playing Adrienne Lenker’s zombie girl, it captures the rawness of her sweet, melodious vocal and ably tracks the subtle dynamic lurches of her accompanying acoustic fingerpicking, the deep bass guitar notes anchoring the piece prominently.

So far, so good. And we are pleased to report that the CXA81 MKII feels just as at home with appropriate, price-comparable partnering kit, such as the KEF LS50 speakers, as it does with our reference system.

Its delivery remains as consistent as we would expect through the digital connections, too, the move to a new DAC chip clearly paying off. Sure, that mighty big presence and scale is somewhat less mighty, as though the soundstage has been minimised via the standard pinch-to-zoom action on a phone screen, and the higher frequencies are noticeably thinner. But in terms of tonality and, to a large extent, quality, it is more or less in line.

Bluetooth performance is still an area of weakness for most amplifiers that integrate it – cruder, notably less clear and detailed and missing the polish of the wired connection – although fine for occasional use.

It’s when we bring another music genre and amplifier into our testing that the CXA81 MKII’s foibles come to the fore.

Play Yellow Mellow by Australian psych-rock band Ocean Alley, and the amplifier’s somewhat muted rhythmic drive compared to its predecessor reveals itself.

The funky jazz fusion of cymbals, keyboard and guitar fills the soundstage with purpose, but while its pace should be laboured at the beginning before launching into its prevailing buoyant tempo, it all feels a little one-speed.

It’s time to hook up the class leader at the Cambridge amp’s price point – the Award-winning Arcam A15 – to our reference system instead, and indeed its clearly more musically cohesive and organised delivery is more convincingly able to carry the momentum and pace-changes of the piece.

While the Arcam is a little lighter in the bass than the Cambridge, it is more agile down there, too.

Over to Black Country, New Road’s Besties, and, again, the current Award-winner better communicates the playfulness of the harpsichord intro, as well as the rhythm of the tune-carrying guitar beneath Georgia Ellery’s vocal.

In its own right, the CXA81 MKII doesn’t exactly feel dynamically limited in its rendition of the Out Of Africa Theme, riding the ebbs and flows of the strings and woodwinds, and rising to the occasion of the climax. Yet the A15 is that bit more expressive and organised in delivering the intricate instrumentation, and is ultimately more interesting to listen to.

Verdict

The Arcam A15 is a special amplifier, hence its back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Award wins – an achievement Cambridge Audio has itself enjoyed many times in the past, and not only for its CXA81. Arcam has raised the bar considerably at this competitive price level, and while Cambridge Audio has moved its CXA81 on in nearly every aspect, it hasn’t closed the gap on its closest rival with the latest iteration.

We love how the CXA81 MKII grabs us from the off with its impressively big, clear and full sound, we just wish it had the musical tenacity and drive to keep us hooked.

Review published: 11th July 2025

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Features 5

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Ruark Audio has, in the past two decades, become well known for its stylish, great-sounding internet radios, powered speakers and one-box wireless music systems. The brand’s history, however, harks back to the mid 1980s, with the launch of its very first stereo speaker, the Sabre.

40 years after that first passive speaker – and 20 years since the Essex-based brand last made a pair of passive speakers – it has gone back to its origins with the new Ruark Sabre-R, a two-way, compact standmounter.

Is Ruark’s re-entry to the passive speaker market a success? Let’s find out.

Price

The Ruark Sabre-R costs £699 / $899 / AU$1499 per pair, and we’re not short of strong rivals in this midrange price bracket. Our favourite at this price is the multiple Award-winning Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3, which can be yours for a very similar £699 / $1100 / AU$1499.

The 606 S3 are our main price comparison here, then, but we also have a new pair of Acoustic Energy AE300 MkII standmounters at hand that we are currently testing, also at a similar price of £649 / $1099 / AU$1580 per pair.

Build & design

Ruark’s Sabre-R speakers are smart-looking speakers, and nicely made. From the cabinet to the fabric grilles, the overall fit and finish is neat, of good quality and well designed.

We like the detail of the wooden slats on the front of the speaker – a design element borrowed from Ruark’s excellent five-star R1S smart radio and R410 all-in-one system. It’s an understated but elegant effect in our review sample’s charcoal (black) lacquer finish; there is a walnut veneer finish if you prefer to lean into the all-wood effect.

The speakers are on the compact side – measuring 29 x 17.5 x 21.5cm – and are ideally suited to smaller and medium-sized rooms.

The Sabre-R are designed to be used with Ruark’s R610 streaming amplifier as a complete system, but they can stand on their own as well.

The Sabre-R standmounters are a two-way design, with a 26mm silk-dome tweeter and 15cm mid/bass long-throw driver that has a treated paper cone.

You’ll find a reflex port at the rear of the speakers, along with bi-wire speaker terminals.

The cabinet is braced and damped, and Ruark says it has spent hours carefully tuning the cabinet to the drivers, as well as the crossovers inside to ensure the best performance.

We rather like how the magnetic grilles are inlaid into the cabinet when placed on the speakers; it’s a nice touch. Ruark recommends keeping the grilles off if you want greater openness, and we agree – the sound is clearer and more open with the grilles off. However, it doesn’t spoil the speakers’ overall performance if you prefer to keep them on.

Compatibility

The speakers, especially when paired with their matching R610 streaming amplifier, are compact and flexible enough to be placed in various spaces, including on desks, cabinets, and other furniture.

As the Sabre-R are fairly small speakers, you might be tempted to place them inside a bookshelf or in a corner. However, we would give them a little breathing space for the best results.

Take care not to shove them into a corner, as you’ll lose some of the Sabre-R’s openness and liveliness. We recommend placing them on dedicated speaker stands, if possible, and positioning them at least 20cm into the room to get the most even balance.

During testing, we power the Ruark Sabre-R with our reference Naim Nait XS 3 integrated amplifier. We also use the Arcam A5 and Rega Brio Mk7 amps as more price-compatible options, with our Naim Uniti Atom HE music streamer as the source. Naturally, we also use the R610 streaming amplifier as part of our tests.

Sound

The Ruark Sabre-R speakers have a wonderfully sweet quality with voices. That midrange is the highlight here and, along with a fairly nimble and lively presentation, is what makes these speakers very appealing to listen to.

No matter what song or genre we play, from Doechii to Chaka Khan to Nick Cave to Fontaines D.C., it’s the voices that draw us in. There’s nuance and detail, but the Sabre-R do a particularly great job of communicating the tone, attitude and emotion of each artist as the words are sung.

The speakers are also detailed enough to convey the differences in recording quality and eras, but don’t make a fuss about them.

There is decent body to the sound, especially across that talented midrange, but without things ever sounding overly warm or rich. The drivers are very well integrated, too, with the treble sounding smooth and never sticking out unduly from the rest of the frequencies.

Rhythmically, the Sabre-R are agile and zippy, and flow along with a momentum that holds our attention and keeps us entertained. Each song’s personality shines through: the Ruarks have a knack for getting across the mood and message of a song, whether it’s the achingly heartfelt and heavy tone of Sparklehorse’s Eyepennies, Doechii’s slick and playful character in Denial Is A River, or the pop-tastic upbeat energy of Charli XCX’s 1999.

There’s ample punch and a fluid quality to the overall presentation. We find ourselves listening to song after song, enjoying the Ruark’s presentation. The Sabre-Rs can be pushed to higher volumes without losing control, too, with its agile, spritely nature remaining intact and only increasing in energy and immediacy.

We’re not expecting lashings of deep bass from a speaker of this size, but we do wish the bass that is on offer here were tauter and better defined. The low-end performance is rather soft and hazy at the edges, meaning that the powerful, grippy basslines in Dr Dre’s Forgot About Dre and Massive Attack’s Paradise Circus don’t quite have the driving, snappy impact we expect to hear.

Switch to John Williams’ Theme From Jurassic Park, and we find that while the Sabre-R are subtle and dynamic with the midrange, they aren’t quite as adept with large-scale dynamics. As the string and wind instruments join in after the initial flute solo, we want to hear more of that tangible drama and weight as the orchestra swells.

We’d like to hear a bit more separation between voices and instruments in the soundstage, too. A switch to the rival B&W 606 S3 delivers a larger sense of scale and more sweeping, contrasting dynamics. The 606 S3 admittedly have considerably larger cabinets than the Ruark, but both the B&Ws and the more medium-sized Acoustic Energy speakers deliver a greater degree of clarity and detail compared with the Ruarks, too.

Despite all this, however, we still find the Sabre-R to be a pleasing, charming listen. They perhaps aren’t the best at everything – not the most precise, not the clearest, not the most detailed – but the way they knit all elements together and deliver such a musical, emotive performance is impressive, and something that even more established brands struggle to match. The way these speakers convey voices with such delicacy is something quite special.

The Ruark’s presentation won’t win everyone over, but if their specific skills appeal to what you prioritise when listening to music, especially if you have a small space to work with, they are worth an audition.

If you are considering buying the R610 streaming amplifier, then you shouldn’t look anywhere beyond the Sabre-R speakers – they are, literally, made for each other, sonically and visually.

If you do plan on using the Sabre-R on their own, however, do take some care with partnering to get the best out of them. We found them to be a little fussy when trying different amplifiers, as they need an amplifier that complements the speakers’ character well and plays to their strengths.

Arcam’s A5 integrated subdues some of the Sabre-R’s delicacy and openness; the Rega Brio Mk7’s rhythmic precision, on the other hand, is a much better match and allows the Ruarks to flaunt their talents.

Don’t be afraid to try amplifiers at higher prices, either – the Ruark speakers don’t sound outclassed by the much pricier and detailed Naim Nait XS 3 amp.

Verdict

There is a terrific speaker inside the Sabre-R. They are enjoyable, very likeable speakers that have been tuned to deliver a specific presentation – one that we find charming and entertaining.

They’re not all-rounders, but if you can live with some of their drawbacks in favour of what they do really well – that beautifully talented midrange and voices, and a fluid, cohesive rhythm – you will be rewarded.

Review published: 26th June 2025

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Compatibility 4

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Arcam has announced that a trio of its current streaming-capable hi-fi products now offer support for Qobuz Connect.

The SA35 and SA45 integrated streaming amplifiers and flagship ST25 music streamer are all set to benefit from the addition of Qobuz Connect.

If you're not familiar, the recently announced Qobuz Connect feature allows users to stream music directly from Qobuz's servers over the network to compatible hi-fi equipment, with the native app being used purely for control.

This grants you full playback of hi-res quality music from Qobuz's 100-million library in up to 24-bit/192kHz, as well as a more intuitive and seamless playback experience.

With Qobuz Connect, you get the full experience of the native app without having to rely on third-party apps or the limited experience when using another brand's app, and you don't have to stream via lossy streaming methods.

Tidal and Spotify have had their own 'Connect' platforms for a while now, with Qobuz only recently joining the party earlier this year.

According to James Todd, Arcam's Senior Global Product Line Manager, “Our goal is to combine exceptional sound with effortless usability. Supporting Qobuz Connect gives our customers a simpler, more flexible way to enjoy the music they love, without sacrificing sound quality.”

Qobuz Connect has already been available in a wide number of products from Audiolab, Naim, WiiM, Denon, Marantz and many more. We've been listening via Qobuz Connect on a number of products we regularly use and have recently reviewed, including the WiiM Ultra, Amp Pro and Pro Plus, Naim's Uniti Atom HE and Ruark's R610 streaming amp, and it has proved stable and seamless in use.

Arcam's SA35, SA45 and ST25 will receive access to Qobuz Connect via an automatic over-the-air update. You will need to be a Qobuz subscriber already or sign up for a monthly or annual account to get Qobuz Connect.

It's currently unclear whether Arcam's other music streamers, such as the Arcam ST5 and the older ST60, will also get the Qobuz Connect update, but we will let you know as soon as we have further information.

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This month’s visit to What Hi-Fi? archive saw me, as usual, pick up an issue – if not quite at random, certainly with little pre-planning – and finding plenty of content to raise an eyebrow. Similarities, contrasts, the familiar and the strange; there’s always something of note to highlight, whichever issue I stumble upon.

The June 1995 issue it is, then. Thirty years ago, What Hi-Fi? was able to undertake a ten-way Supertest of two-channel stereo amplifiers with laser-like focus on a tiny price-break. The team was also investigating the burgeoning world of multi-channel home cinema sound, looking at AV amplifiers and speakers specifically designed for surround-sound duties.

It’s an interesting comparison with the June 2025 issue of the magazine – out now and available in all good newsagents! – which also concerns itself with improving your TV’s sound, and also recommends some stereo amplifiers. (Those amps, mind you, are at a considerably more lofty price-point than we were investigating 30 years ago.)

So much power…

The amplifiers we are highlighting in the latest issue of What Hi-Fi? are serious hi-fi – high-ticket items that we love across a broad band of pricing (from £1000-£5000). Back in ’95, though, it was possible to put as many as 10 amplifiers in direct comparison with one another – and each of them costing between £200 and £300.

From Arcam to Technics, via the likes of Creek, JVC, Kenwood and Nakamichi, we put the two handfuls of power providers through their paces. And it was the Kenwood KA-3020SE, a What Hi-Fi? Award winner for a reason, that shone the brightest. And it came in at just £200, so there was some serious value there.

One that got away

The amplifier, of course, has been the heart of the hi-fi system since the beginning of recorded music reproduction. There was evidence in the June 1995 issue, though, of a hi-fi format that flew, perhaps, a little close to the sun, only to crash and burn.

Inside the front cover of the magazine is an offer from arch-innovator Philips for readers to try one of its new (and well-reviewed) Digital Compact Cassette machines in a 28-day money-back offer. It is a rather sobering reminder that brilliance in a product is not necessarily enough to make it a success.

Format wars have been a recurring theme in the world of home entertainment, and this format was to fall by the wayside rather quickly: Philips discontinued the sale of its DCC technology just a year or so later after the public failed to take it to its heart (even after this generous offer to our loyal readers…)

When CD was king

The lead First Test back in June 1995 was the Marantz CD72MkII, a five-star £600 CD player that put in a striking performance for our review team.

The mid-90s was, of course, the very height of CD’s power in the world of music reproduction, and the Marantz was just one of a number of supremely talented performers at the time; it had to contend with excellent rivals from the likes of Arcam and Micromega, among others.

And the format, while it has waned considerably over the intervening three decades, still endures with some strength – as the launch of a brand new Cyrus 40 CD shows only too clearly.

One-star rarity

Another test to leap off the pages of the June 1995 issue of the magazine at me did so for very different reasons. What Hi-Fi? star ratings have been with us for most of the brand’s history and it is fair to say that the vast majority of products we test are at the very least competent.

Solid three and four-star reviews abound – and we should all be happy to see that there are plenty of excellent five-star performers out there to buy as well. Two and even, heaven forbid, one-star products are far, far more unusual (although certainly not unheard of – cough Amazon, cough).

I present, then, to you, dear reader, a one-star pro-logic home cinema receiver from Sherwood. The final paragraph sums things up, really: “Packing too many ideas into a single box is bound to lead to compromise, and this receiver doesn’t impress in any of its roles.”

Bringing up the rear

To bring things back to the start of this column, the little test of rear channel speakers from 30 years ago was interesting. The concept of home cinema was clearly relatively new – other than incredibly expensive custom installs, it hadn’t been something most people could have reasonably considered.

Interesting, then, to see a panel explaining just what we meant by “home cinema” and going into a bit of detail about just what these small surround speakers were for and how they differed from the main speakers in a system. The panel also goes into the different forms of Dolby sound and explains how to get the most out of your system.

All very different from today, of course, when it is perfectly possible to get a form of surround sound (in Dolby Atmos, for example) that was beyond even cinema complexes 30 years ago – and that from a relatively small bar sitting in front of your TV.

And, in the case of some of the soundbars gracing the front cover of the June 2025 edition of What Hi-Fi?, for not any more money than you would have had to shell out for some of those surrounds of 1995.

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Rega’s Brio has been one of our go-to affordable stereo amplifier recommendations for longer than we care to remember.

The original was launched in 1991, and every generation since has been a frill-free analogue design, with priority given to good sound and a feature set that covered the basics.

The new Rega Brio Mk7 version doesn’t deviate much from this well-established path, but acknowledges the changing times by adding digital inputs.

Less welcome is a price increase that pushes this amplifier into the next class up from its traditional, more affordable home, and puts it against some tough competition.

Build & features

With the Brio Mk7, Rega has persisted with the convenient half-width casing of the previous generation but changed the front and rear panel designs to match the styling of its current product range. The result is neat enough.

However, placing the old next to the new, we find ourselves preferring the metal controls of the last-gen model over the Brio Mk7’s plasticky alternatives.

We’re not big fans of the new Brio’s cheap-feeling plastic rear panel either, especially given the amplifier’s increased price.

Elsewhere, there is no issue with the swap from a front panel-mounted 6.3mm headphone output to a 3.5mm; most price-appropriate headphones come with this as standard, anyway.

The new system remote is fine too, being well-designed and simple to use, if not particularly stylish.

Much the same description applies to the amplifier as a whole. Generally, it feels like a functional tool designed to do a job rather than something to impress friends with – until you listen to it, that is. More on that later.

The big news here is the addition of digital inputs.

The Brio Mk7 offers the choice of single coaxial and optical connections, and is compatible with PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz.

DSD is not on the menu, nor is there a USB input. While the lack of these things is a little disappointing, neither is a deal breaker for us at this level.

It is important to remember that the Rega’s main rival, the Arcam A5, is no better equipped in these respects, though it does include a Bluetooth input, which the Brio doesn’t have.

On the analogue side, the Rega has three single-ended line-level inputs, which, while not generous, should be fine for most systems.

Take a look inside the Brio Mk7 and you will find a re-laid circuit board to improve performance and reduce distortion.

The engineers have worked hard to improve the isolation between the sensitive moving magnet phono stage and the higher current sections of the amplifier.

The Brio’s power output remains the same as the previous model at 50 watts per channel into an 8-ohm load, rising to 72 watts as impedance halves.

While the Brio Mk7 is no powerhouse, these are perfectly decent figures that mean it will be able to drive most price-compatible speakers without issue.

Rega has built a switchable auto-standby function into this amplifier, where it goes to sleep after around an hour without an input signal. It’s a neat touch, but can be turned off if you want to keep it fully warmed and ready to go.

During our time with the Brio Mk7, we use it with a range of sources from our high-end reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and Technics SL-1000R/Vertere Dark Sabre record player to more price-appropriate alternatives such as the Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable package and the Cyrus CDi CD player.

Partnering speakers include the KEF LS50 Meta and PMC Prodigy 1 alongside our trusty ATC SCM50.

Sound

Our doubts about the Brio Mk7’s ability to compete at this higher price category prove unfounded.

Judged by price standards, it is a hugely accomplished performer that puts clear air between itself and its predecessor. As we compare the two, it doesn’t take long to appreciate the new amplifier’s greater insight, organisation and improved dynamic expression.

The Brio Mk7 has a bold presentation, one that brims with confidence and substance.

As we play Quincy Jones’s Back On The Block, it is hard not to be impressed by the Brio’s taut, grounded, low-frequency performance and its ability to deliver dynamic contests with conviction.

It has a firm grip of rhythms too, giving the music a solid foundation and a great sense of momentum.

Detail levels are high, comparable with class leaders like Arcam’s A5, and all that information is organised in a neat and musically cohesive way.

There is never any doubt as to the emotion any given artist wants the listener to feel. This has long been a strength of Rega’s Brio line-up, and this Mk7 version just reinforces that tradition.

Move your attention up the frequency band and you will notice that voices come through with clarity and natural warmth intact.

This little amplifier may have a relatively modest power output, but you would never know from the way it thumps out transients when the music demands.

It can play at relatively high volume levels with composure too, and doesn’t leave us feeling short-changed, even with low sensitivity speakers such as the 85dB/W/m ATC SCM 50 speakers in our 3 x 7 x 5m test room.

The Brio Mk7 stays firmly on track when asked to play a large-scale classical piece such as Holst’s Mars.

It has the muscle to deliver the music’s savage swings with conviction, yet retains enough finesse to render instrumental textures or the low-level acoustic clues that define the size of the recording venue well.

Tonally, it sounds fairly even and full-bodied.

While this is a direct and front-footed performer, there is still enough in the way of refinement and top-end sweetness to prevent it from becoming overly fussy about poor recordings or less than perfectly matched partnering equipment.

The Rega amp’s stereo imaging is good. It exhibits a pleasing sense of layering and the ability to keep instruments locked in place even when the music becomes complicated.

This amplifier doesn’t generate the most expansive or spacious of soundstages, but it still does enough to convince.

We are pleased to report that the new DAC module is a good one.

It retains the enjoyable character we hear through the analogue stages, sounding lively and forthright across a wide range of material from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’s The Road OST to Joe Jackson’s Body And Soul set.

There is a pleasing balance of analysis and entertainment on offer here. This digital module is certainly among the best we have heard integrated into an amplifier at this level.

It is less of a surprise to find that the phono stage is talented too, given that Rega has been built on a foundation of producing great record players.

The moving magnet-only circuit is reasonably quiet in terms of hiss and hum and surprisingly capable.

It communicates the energy of the music well, which is pretty much all we can ask for from such a design. The brand’s expertise in terms of phono stages and record replay shines brightly here.

The Brio’s headphone output maintains the high standards. We try the Mk7 with the Grado SR325x and Austrian Audio’s high-end The Composer, and it works well regardless.

Our only complaint is that there isn’t much in the way of usable travel on the motorised volume control; the level can easily go from ‘quiet’ to ‘way too loud’ with the turn of just a few degrees.

How does the Brio Mk7 compare to its main rival, the Arcam A5? That’s a tough one as their presentations are so different.

The Rega is the more energetic and dramatic performer, capturing the excitement in music brilliantly.

The Arcam takes a measured approach, prioritising articulation, space and refinement, while still delivering highly entertaining results.

The two are so close in ability that the choice between them comes down to your system and taste.

Verdict

Regardless, Rega has taken a real step forward with this amplifier.

We worried that the jump in price was going to be a problem, but that hasn’t turned out to be the case.

This integrated amplifier is a strong all-rounder that is made all the more appealing by its great-sounding digital section.

If you are looking for a top-class stereo amplifier anywhere near this price level, the Brio Mk7 has to be on your shortlist.

Review published: 28th April 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Arcam A5

Also consider the Arcam A15

Read our Rega io review

Best stereo amplifiers: 9 class leaders chosen by our review experts

If you happen to own an older vintage of Arcam music streamer or AV receiver, then we might have some good news…

The company has just released a software update (v1.62 or v2057, depending on the product) for select models, which introduces up to 24-bit/192kHz hi-res streaming through Tidal Connect.

The two-channel products in question are the SA30 streaming amplifier and the standalone ST60 music streamer. Both Arcams are discontinued now, but when we tested them, we were big fans and rated them five stars.

Tidal was only accessed through Arcam's Musiclife app on these models previously and only supported MQA streams, so adding 24-bit/192kHz support should give a welcome boost to performance and usability for Tidal subscribers.

Some of Arcam’s AV receivers are getting a similar update, which applies to the HDA AVR11, AVR21, AVR31, AV41, and HDMI 2.1 versions of AVR5, AVR10, AVR20, AVR30, and AV40.

For these amps, this update “improves eARC operation via HDMI 2.1” and Arcam goes on to say that this update will roll out “to all HDMI 2.0 AVRs following final testing” at some point during the first half of 2025.

So, how do you go about getting the software onto your Arcam streamer or AVR? The updates can be downloaded to a USB device from the Arcam website, where you’ll also find full instructions on how to install them. In the press release, Arcam also hints that it’s working on a way to enable future updates over-the-air (OTA) for extra convenience.

MORE:

Our pick of the best music streamers we've tested

And the best AV receivers for every budget

Hi-res music streaming services compared: is Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon or Apple Music better?

6 mistakes to avoid with your AV receiver

Audiolab has unveiled the sequel to its five-star 6000A stereo amplifier. The new unit – logically dubbed the Audiolab 6000A MkII – promises to take the original's performance to new heights, and while it may look similar to the outgoing model, internal upgrades tease a more potent performance over the original we reviewed seven years ago.

As before, the Audiolab 6000A MkII delivers 50 watts per channel into 8 ohms, but improvements to the new integrated amp's digital circuitry claim to deliver enhanced sonic talents. Dropping out the ES9018K2M DAC used in the 6000A, Audiolab has switched to a new-generation 32-bit ES9038Q2M ESS Sabre chip for its new model, the same one as found in the more premium Audiolab 7000A amplifier. The 6000A's post-DAC filter uses a class A circuit that is optimised for the new DAC chip, a technology that has trickled down from the more premium Audiolab 9000A and 7000A models.

The analogue circuitry has also enjoyed multiple updates. The 6000A MkII utilises the same Class AB amplification as its predecessor, but this time with an upgraded toroidal transformer and power supply that promises improved sonic capabilities. The circuitry's layout has been optimised to protect the preamplifier section from interference, which, when combined with low-noise power supplies across each stage, seeks to deliver a purer, less distorted signature.

What about inputs and outputs? The new Audiolab amp offers two coaxial and two optical inputs, as well as a new HDMI ARC if you want to slot the 6000A MkII into your TV/AV setup. Analogue sources are also catered for thanks to the amp's trio of line-level RCA stereo connections alongside a moving magnet phono input. The 6000A MkII even offers Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity with support for the hi-res aptX HD codec.

Further, there's a dedicated headphone amplifier (accessible via a 6.3mm headphone output) which teases a "dynamic and detailed performance" with all types of cans. Audiolab has also improved the MM phono stage, teasing a "high-definition, low-noise performance" for your records.

Visually, the new amp doesn't stray much from the aesthetics or layout of its predecessor, exhibiting broadly the same metal chassis, control panel and OLED display as before. That's no huge issue, as we found the build of the original 6000A, while not exactly revolutionary, to be "of a high standard" when we reviewed it in 2018.

Audiolab is clearly aiming to focus on the original 6000A's sonic performance, with improved clarity, focus and authority promised. We await with anticipation to see if it can deliver on those claims, especially in light of new rivals in this price category – although the new Audiolab is priced more competitively than the five-star Arcam A5 and the newly launched Rega Brio Mk7.

The Audiolab 6000A MkII will be available from April in a choice of silver or black finishes and will cost £699 / $1299 / AU$1799 / €899.

MORE:

These are our picks for the best stereo amplifiers

This Quincy Jones-produced disco tune has become my go-to test track – and taught me a valuable lesson about hi-fi, too

Read our high-end Gryphon Audio Diablo 33 review

If streaming is your preferred way of listening to music, then you'll want to consider a music streamer in your hi-fi system.

These days, it's easier than ever to access and enjoy your favourite tunes in great audio quality, with most popular music streaming services offering millions of tracks in CD-quality and 24-bit hi-res.

Whether you use Qobuz or Tidal or have a NAS drive full of ripped CDs and downloaded hi-res files (or a combination of both), a music streamer – also called a network audio player – will deliver all your favourite and newly discovered songs in the best possible quality.

A music streamer delivers your digital music – whether that's via a streaming service or locally stored files – to your hi-fi over your home network, in the best sound quality possible. Network players these days also support the most popular music apps, internet radio and streaming methods (including AirPlay, Bluetooth, Google Cast), and even have multiple physical connections needed to create a versatile music hub.

The good news is, there is a wide range of models available for everyone's needs and budget. Compact, affordable streamers from WiiM, Cambridge Audio and Bluesound are rising in popularity, while more high-end models from Audiolab, Cyrus, Naim and Linn are available for audiophiles who crave every drop of authenticity and insight from their digital music library.

Every music streamer on this list has been tried and tested by What Hi-Fi?'s team of in-house expert reviewers in our dedicated listening rooms, so our top picks in this guide are a result of real-world use. You can read more about our music streamers testing process, or scroll down to see the best streamers we currently recommend.

Best music streamer overall

Until we reviewed the WiiM Pro Plus (below), the Cambridge Audio MXN10 was the most affordable music streamer to pass our test rooms. It still remains great value, however, and delivers so much performance out of its dinky stature, for what we think is still an affordable, entry-level price tag to the world of music streaming.

The minimalist streamer doesn’t come with a remote, nor are many physical connections on the back – an RCA line level analogue output, one coaxial and one optical are all you get – yet this tiny titan still offers everything you need by delivering truly five-star levels of performance.

Controlled via Cambridge Audio’s tidy StreamMagic app, the MXN10 hosts a plethora of streaming methods and services, including Google Chromecast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz and internet radio, as well as support for Bluetooth 5.0 and playback of files stored elsewhere on your local network. It's a breeze to use.

Effectively encompassing its older brother CXN (V2)'s performance on a smaller scale (in size and price), the MXN10 impressed us by delivering much of that musical cohesion and rhythmic and dynamic prowess we like so much in the CXN.

Compared with its former rival Bluesound Node (2021), the MXN10 adds a new layer of dynamic expression and rhythmic agility that sounds more authentic to the original song. Scale and authority are impressive from such a dinky device, while the tone and texture of instruments come to the fore with a great amount of detail. It's balanced and energetic, and turns its hand to every music genre we play through it.

The MXN remains our favourite music streamer at this level for offering greater insight and dynamic transparency. New competition arises in the form of the formidable WiiM Ultra (see below), which brings greater connectivity and a very modern, touchscreen-enabled design that is highly appealing for similar money.

The Ultra is a terrific all-rounder, but the MXN10 still pips it when it comes to absolute sound quality. Its musical performance is utterly charming and remains a favourite at this affordable price.

Read the full Cambridge Audio MXN10 review

Best budget music streamer

The WiiM Pro Plus is less than half the price of the budget music streamers we'd previously reviewed (see Cambridge Audio MXN10, above), and this tiny, extremely affordable unit impressed us so much that we knew it was worthy of aWhat Hi-Fi? Award win when we first reviewed it.

It's as feature-packed as any of its pricier alternatives, with AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, Qobuz Connect, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and both wi-fi and ethernet connections available. The WiiM control app is its crowning glory – set up is swift and fuss-free, everything is logically laid out, and its user-friendliness will win many over.

Through the app, you get access to all other streaming apps and music stored on the same network. It also has line-level RCA, coaxial and optical connections, and can handle digital audio files up to 24-bit/192kHz. That's more versatile than we'd expect at this budget end.

It's ideal for adding streaming powers cheaply and easily to an older hi-fi system, but can also be used as a way of creating a multi-room system with existing kit.

On the audio quality front, the Pro Plus delivers a sound that's clear, detailed and even quite dynamically adept. Feed it high-quality source files, and you'll be rewarded with a big soundstage with instruments all relayed in an assured and confident manner.

Voices in particular get the benefit of this quality, as the midrange is full of character, attitude and emotion. It's not quite as muscular or as richly textured as its pricier alternatives, but there's plenty of attack that keeps a song's natural rhythm flowing. We certainly found ourselves enjoying every minute of it.

Despite increasing competition from the likes of the Bluesound Node Nano (yours for £299 / $299 / €349) and with the advent of its even more fully-featured WiiM Ultra flagship sibling (see below), the entry-level Pro Plus is a well-executed streamer that's easy to use, sounds accomplished and is packed with features. At its affordable price, we couldn't ask for more.

Read the full WiiM Pro Plus review

Best music streamer for versitility

If the Pro Plus impressed us with its capabilities for such an affordable price, then its bigger brother, the WiiM Ultra, has blown us away with its elevated design, step up in sound quality and even more features for the price.

The WiiM Ultra is pricier than the Pro Plus, but it offers even more connectivity, including an all-important HDMI ARC for your TV, a moving magnet phono stage for plugging in turntables, and a 3.5mm headphone port. Add in the same slick operation, easy to use app and extensive streaming features (from Tidal/Qobuz Connect to DLNA and hi-res file compatibility), and the Ultra more than lives up to its name.

It has one glaring omission: AirPlay 2. This casting method is available in its price rivals but is disappointingly missing from the Ultra – so it could give Apple Music users pause before buying. In every other way, however, the sheer scope of the Ultra's versatility is astonishing for the price point. The Ultra's well-made design and the touchscreen display make it even more appealing, too. The screen is winningly responsive, letting you access playback options, settings and even favourite presets more readily than the neat app.

Sound-wise, the Ultra is a clear step above the Pro Plus with a newer advanced DAC and higher quality components resulting in a crisper, clearer and more organised sound. It's a more muscular, solid and expansive sound than the Pro Plus. We like its agility and lively sound, which manages to be impressively composed and detailed with all kinds of music. It sounds balanced across the frequencies too, making for an effortless and engaging listen.

The Cambridge MXN10 is its main rival at this same price point, and the MXN10 does deliver an even greater degree of detail and textural depth, bringing out greater nuances in voices and instruments. It is even more dynamically capable and rhythmically precise, too. But it doesn't stop us from enjoying the Ultra's sound quality, and its lethal combination of features, connectivity and terrific user experience for the price is unparalleled.

We find the Ultra charming in use and we imagine many will be attracted to its modern, touchscreen-enabled design and wealth of features at this affordable price. If you're able to stretch a bit further than the Pro Plus, this Ultra is an easy recommendation.

Read the full WiiM Ultra review

Best mid-price music streamer

"That the Bluesound Node Icon sounds so deft, composed and fun at this sub-£1000 level is pretty remarkable, and it does so with such ease that it puts rivals to shame."

That's what we concluded in our review, hailing Bluesound's most premium streamer as its best-sounding model yet. While Bluesound streamers have always been capable and feature-rich, it's the Node Icon that delivers the a truly musical and engaging performance that captives us no matter what we play through it.

At a fairly compact size compared with its traditional full-width rivals, the Node Icon cuts a classy figure thanks to its metal and glass construction. It's the first Bluesound streamer to feature a screen (which is very nice) and it features touch controls on the sloped glass panel, which does show up fingerprints.

At its heart is the very stable and comprehensive BluOs streaming platform, which runs smoothly, supports all the popular music streaming services, is compatible with hi-res files up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD256, and, like all BluOS-powered streamers, doesn't support Chromecast.

It has ample physical connections, and most unusually, it sports two 3.5mm headphone jacks. The unit is also compatible with Dirac Live Ready (you'll need to pay separately for a licence and the calibration kit) and it features MQA Lab's Qronos digital-to-analogue technology that promises to refine the DAC’s timing response.

With music, regardless of genre, we find the Node Icon to be a lively, dynamic performer that grabs our interest right from the start. It has a sense of spark that's been missing from previous Bluesound streamers; there is detail, agility, solidity and clarity, all underpinned by stellar composure and well-judged handling across the frequency range.

We said in our review that the Node Icon "doesn’t try to embellish any frequency, nor does it try to hide any warts – this is a quietly but terrifically capable performer that simply gets out of the way and lets the music shine through."

Rivals at this price such as the Cambridge CXN100 offer a bigger soundstage, but the Node Icon captures the essence of a song better. At this rather reasonable price, we couldn't ask for more from this feature-laden, fuss-free, talented Node Icon. We can't recommend it highly enough and it rightly deserves its Product of the Year win.

Read the full Bluesound Node Icon review

Best premium music streamer

As part of Arcam's Radia range, the premium ST25 leans into the Award-winning range's all-black modern aesthetic with a nicely built and minimal design. There are no buttons in sight on the front panel, which is dominated by a bright, punchy, colourful 6.5-inch high-resolution display with good viewing angles.

The physical connections are likewise pared back to the essentials, but it has a full suite of the most popular streaming features, including AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, and Amazon Music, and supports hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256. The only omission is Bluetooth here.

Inside the ST25’s chassis you’ll find a new six-layer digital audio and streaming platform. It works well, and the accompanying Radia app is neat and basic, but not quite as slick and intuitive as its Bluesound and Cambridge rivals. You'll also need the included remote to access some of the streamer's features, such as the digital filters.

But start playing, whether from Tidal or from your connected server full of hi-res files, and you'll be swept up by the Arcam's crystal clear delivery and rhythmic prowess. We said in our review that the ST25 has "an eerily quiet backdrop for the music, which allows all the instruments space to breathe."

There is fine detail and great texture to instruments, while vocals have nuance and emotional impact. Basslines sound agile and powerful, while the way every note is fleshed out and complex arrangements are organised with such ease and rhythmic precision is lovely to hear. Whether it's a high-tempo track or a contemplative piano composition, the Arcam takes it all in stride, delivering songs with a natural tone and superb levels of insight.

We found that the ST25's detailed and dynamic performance remained consistent throughout, and it played nice with various partnering speakers and amplifiers too – provided they were of a similarly talented calibre.

"Whether it’s internet radio or high-res audio streams, the ST25 presents them in a hugely enjoyable and musical way." Its performance is a huge step up from the enjoyable Bluesound Node Icon, and the ST25 is a feature-rich, stellar standalone music streamer at this level.

Read the full Arcam ST25 review

Best high-end music streamer

Cyrus Audio's new 40 ST surprised and impressed us, delivering a terrific performance that surpassed firm favourites at this premium end and also offering a fresh look from this 40-year-old brand. The new aluminium casework is classy and looks modern with its crisp, clear large display on the glass front panel, while still retaining Cyrus's iconic half-width chassis design.

The 40 ST uses the BluOS streaming engine, which comes with ample streaming features. There are some caveats, however: the BluOS platform doesn't support Bluetooth or Chromecast, but it does support AirPlay, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect and internet radio, amongst many other services. Hi-res file support is restricted to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and MQA, but this should be fine for most people with hi-res tracks.

While initially not supporting DSD files, a software update now makes DSD compatibility possible on the 40 ST.

What the Cyrus 40 ST does better than its rivals, however, is all to do with sound quality. Its breadth of talent and even-handed nature come to the fore as we work our way through our music collection during testing. It impresses us with a level of clarity and precision that we haven’t heard bettered anywhere near this price, while also sounding natural and engaging across all types of music.

Comparisons with the former Award-winning Audiolab 9000N and Naim ND5 XS 2 (both £2499) are interesting. The Audiolab majors on finesse, tonal neutrality and spaciousness, while the Naim is still king when it comes to rhythmic drive and outright punch. The Cyrus 40 ST, however, is more precise and insightful than both.

We said in our review that the 40 ST "sounds cleaner, crisper and more direct, finding another layer of textural detail in instruments and voices. Dynamically, it is impressively expressive, rendering low-level shifts in intensity elegantly, and delivering large-scale orchestral crescendos with real conviction..."

It's also a strong enough all-rounder to shine in a wide range of systems. Want even greater scale, power and authority? You can add on the outboard 40 PSU (power supply unit) for an even more fluid and muscular presentation for an extra (and admittedly hefty) £2495 / $3495 / AU$4499.

The gaps in specifications are of course an issue in such a premium streamer, but only you can decide whether they are enough of a negative to become an issue. All in all, though, this is a confident look towards the future from a brand that was lagging somewhat compared with the competition, and the 40 ST's high performance quality deserves to be applauded.

Read the full Cyrus 40 ST review

Best music streamer with a CD player

Combining physical media playback with wireless music streaming? This CD/SACD player with network audio streaming smarts is a product for the 21st century. The Technics SL-G700M2 is an excellent and versatile digital source that builds on its five-star predecessor, boasting a wealth of digital connectivity alongside a multitude of streaming options. Qobuz Connect is also on its way this year.

The SL-G700M2 remains a beautifully made box, with precision controls and a silky smooth disc drawer – the quality of fit and finish is among the best we have seen at this level. Some niggles from the previous first-generation remains, namely the app software for the streaming control isn't the best we've seen, but it still gets the job done.

The M2 version adds a new USB Type B input and a new DAC, swapping the older AKM AK4497 to an ESS ES9026PRO chip. This change is due to supply issues with the original chip, but incorporating the new DAC resulted in a digital board redesign and an excuse to improve performance even further, as well as update the power supply arrangement.

And we're glad they did. This Technics streamer sounds superb. Its presentation is clear, detailed and insightful, managing to organise the musical information in a cohesive and entertaining way. Its main talent lies in delivering music in a balanced manner, regardless of genre or source.

Bold and authoritative when the occasion calls for it; delicate where needed. This same character is present across all digital inputs and when used as a standalone DAC; it can be used with a wide range of partnering kit, too.

Musically engaging and versatile, this Technics SL-G700 is a capable streamer and CD player that covers all bases while being entertaining. Yes, it's possible to get better sound from a separates set up, but this well-conceived combination is hard to beat at this price.

Read the full Technics SL-G700M2 review

Best music streamer for headphones

The Uniti Atom Headphone Edition is a headphones-based version of the Uniti Atom – the entry-level machine in Naim’s What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Uniti just-add-speakers streaming system range – and like its forebear, this Edition features built-in streaming smarts and connections aplenty.

While the new Atom has been designed with headphones users in mind, it can, of course, also be used as a streaming preamplifier, either connected to a power amp or a pair of active speakers.

At its core is Naim’s streaming platform, a gateway to streaming services (such as Qobuz, Tidal and Spotify Connect), internet radio and DLNA playback, while support for AirPlay 2, built-in Chromecast and Roon builds on that streaming savviness. Analogue and digital connections, including USB, coaxial, optical, RCA and phono, are also onboard for connecting additional sources.

Sonically the Headphone Edition has all the traits we'd expect from the Atom, characterised by impressive insight, dynamism and musicality, but its presentation is even more sophisticated and open, with greater separation of instruments and superb levels of detail.

It's a bit more niche than most of the streamers on this list, but for anyone looking to unleash the potential of a premium pair of headphones with a multifaceted streaming system, either to use purely as a desktop centrepiece or to also slip into an existing hi-fi system, then this could be ideal.

Read the full Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition review

Also consider

Cambridge Audio EXN100: With an exhaustive feature set (including HDMI) and a slick app, the former Award-winning EXN100 delivers very clear, open, and refined sound, with a huge expansive soundstage that rivals struggle to match. If you want a similar sonic character for less money, try the Cambridge CXN100.

Audiolab 9000N: It may not have all the streaming features as its rivals, but this former Award-winning Audiolab's clean, large-scale and spacious presentation makes it a remarkable listen, along with an impressive tonal neutrality.

Naim ND5 XS 2: It may have finally been ousted from its Award-winning perch by the neutral Audiolab 9000N, but this long-standing Naim remains a hugely musical and likeable streamer for the same premium price. It may look a tad old-fashioned with no display, but it is terrifically capable and tremendously fun to listen to.

Bluesound Node Nano: An entry-level alternative to the WiiM Pro Plus, the Node Nano offers a smooth, solid sound in a neat, compact package with ample streaming features. The WiiM is cheaper and offers even more streaming and connection features. Sound-wise, the WiiM is leaner and more agile, while the Bluesound is weighty and robust, but less rhythmically adept.

Lindemann Limetree Bridge II: If you already have a great DAC in your system, then you might prefer a streaming transport or network bridge, which handles all the streaming features but leaves the DAC duties to your existing DAC. This little Lindemann is easy to set up, has the essentials for hi-res streaming thanks to UPnP/DLNA and Tidal/Qobuz Connect (but lacks AirPlay and Google Cast). Paired with a great DAC, it sounds great: crisp and clear detail, a high level of transparency, excellent agility and expressive, enjoyable sound.

Naim NSS 333: If you are looking for something seriously high-end, this Naim streamer is one of the most musically satisfying listens we've heard for this category. It sounds intrinsically right, and its organised, articulate and dynamic way with all kinds of music is to be applauded.

How to choose the best music streamer for you

Music streamers are a standalone component of a dedicated hi-fi set-up. But while other hi-fi separates such as a turntable or CD player just have a simple job to do, a music streamer (or network audio streamer) has to manage many different wireless sources as well as be able to play music files from local storage on your network.

Compatible hi-res files and formats
Most of the selections on this list support the vast majority of hi-res music formats, though the upper limit can vary between 24-bit/96kHz PCM files for more basic products and up to 32-bit/768kHz for those that aim to push the boundary. We wouldn’t get too hung up on the numbers, though, as the vast majority of music isn’t available in those more extreme file types. CD quality is 16-bit/44.1kHz, and a capability of 24-bit/192kHz should be more than enough to meet the needs of most audiophiles.

Key streaming features and physical connections
Connectivity-wise, streamers can boast AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, UPnP/DLNA compatibility, and physical connections. Regardless of the model, you should also be able to play local music files from a connected NAS drive and play thousands of internet radio stations. You'll also be able to play from your favourite music streaming services – at least Spotify and quite probably higher-quality alternatives such as Tidal or Qobuz (and their Connect versions) are supported – as well as internet radio. Always double check it has the feature(s) that you enjoy using the most.

Bluetooth is almost always included, and if it’s the more capable and better-quality aptX HD form, then all the better. Most audio streamers will also have digital inputs, so alongside playing music files from a USB stick or flash drive, you’ll usually be able to feed in optical and coaxial digital feeds too, making the streamer something of a digital hub for your system. We're also increasingly seeing streamers include an HDMI ARC input and even a phono stage in some cases, to increase versatility.

App control and ease of use
To get the best user experience, you’ll really need a smartphone or tablet to control your streamer. Using your streamer's app is the best way to navigate large music libraries, swap between sources and the quickest way of making playlists. If that doesn't appeal, you may want to look for models with a large display and traditional remote control. What's key is making sure that the unit is easy to use and navigate, and doesn't stutter or fail when juggling so many different streaming options.

Stable, uninterrupted internet connection
Since we’re talking about practicalities, it’s worth mentioning that the first thing any music streamer needs is a stable home internet network, and you need to decide whether to connect the steamer directly with an Ethernet cable or go wireless. Going wire-free is appealing, as it makes things easier and tidier, and provided your network is stable, should work fine for many people. If you can, though, stick with wired because it gives a more stable connection and deliver the best sound quality, making everything go more smoothly over long-term use.

Price-wise, as with all things hi-fi, streamers can vary hugely, and how much you can expect to pay depends on the rest of your set-up. We would suggest that spending broadly the same as your amplifier would be a decent place to start, though it always pays to be flexible to get the right one.

Budget
Whatever your budget, music streamers are a great way to upgrade your sonic experience from a simple wireless speaker, especially if you want to give your digital music collection its proper due. If you love the convenience but want better sound and have the room and budget to accommodate a stereo system, a hi-fi streamer is the way to go.

Almost regardless of which music streamer you buy, you will gain access to an astonishing range of music – but pick with care, and it will make listening to that music all the more enjoyable.

How we test music streamers

Every music streamer that we review and rate at What Hi-Fi? is tested in our dedicated, acoustically treated testing facilities in Reading and London, where our in-house team of experts put every new product through our rigorous testing process.

What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, so every music streamer we review is listened to and tested against the current leader in its field and price point to gauge how it compares to the best-in-class competition. We keep our five-star and Award-winning streamers in our on-site stockroom so they're always at hand for comparisons with new products.

For all music streamer reviews, we compare streaming smarts, specs and connectivity, and also use them over a number of days or even weeks to test how seamless they are to use in everyday listening.

We always ensure we spend plenty of time with a new music streamer, making sure they are fully run in before we begin testing and trying them with different partnering equipment, using various file formats, streaming services and music genres as part of our testing process.

We also test every connection, both wired and wi-fi streaming – from AirPlay and Bluetooth to playing hi-res tracks stored on our NAS storage, and trying out the USB, digital and analogue connections. We also test how easy the streamer is to use with the accompanying app, remote and on-screen display (if it has one), and keep an eye (and ear) out for any connection dropouts.

All our review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than a single reviewer, to avoid individual subjectivity and bias. There is never any input from the brand, the PR or our commercial teams on any of our reviews or the final verdict. We are proud to have delivered unbiased, independent reviews for nearly five decades, and that won't change any time soon.

You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.

FAQ

Recent updates

• March 2026: Added Bluesound Node Icon and Arcam ST25 as new entries following their What Hi-Fi? Award wins. The Also Consider list has also been updated.
• September 2025: Updated entries to reflect Qobuz Connect inclusion, and added Eversolo DMP-A10 mention to the Also Consider section.
• July 2025: Added the Lindemann Limetree Bridge II streaming transport to the Also Consider section.
• June 2025: Added Qobuz Connect to the tech specs of products that support the new streaming feature.
• May 2025: No new entries, but we have double-checked the price and availability of all products on this list, which remain our top picks.

• March 2025: We've added fresh streaming stats from UK and US, added comparisons to the WiiM Ultra in the MXN10 entry, and checked all products and prices are correct and available.
• February 2025: Added the freshly reviewed five-star WiiM Ultra to the main list.
• January 2025: Added the five-star Cyrus 40 ST to the main list, added Bluesound Node Nano to the Also Consider section, and updated entries to reflect new reviews.
• December 2024: Updated references to recently tested Bluesound Node (2024).
• October 2024: Added new Cambridge Audio EXN100 and Audiolab 9000N entries following five-star reviews; labelled new What Hi-Fi? 2024 Award winners; added Naim ND5 XS 2 to the Also Consider section.
• September 2024: Included mentions of new Bluesound Node models that will rival the Cambridge Audio and WiiM entries.
• July 2024: Added newly reviewed Audiolab 9000N entry in the Also Consider section.
• May 2024: Added a new FAQ section.
• March 2024: Added Also Consider section to offer more buying options.
• October 2023: Added WiiM Pro Plus following five-star review and Award win. Highlighted products that won 2023 What Hi-Fi? Best Buy awards.

Today's best deals

As we enter a new year, the demand for CD player has suddenly spiked, with brands such as Quad, Pro-Ject and FiiO all unveiling brand new disc spinners at various prices.

If you're a CD fan, that's good news – and even more so if you're looking to buy a new player for yourself. Our guide to the best CD players and transports will help you choose a new spinner to match your budget and needs.

What Hi-Fi? has been testing and reviewing CD players ever since the format's inception in 1983, and many of us still prefer owning a physical music format like compact discs, even alongside convenient streaming. CD has clear advantages over other formats: more reliable and permanent than streaming; more compact and cheaper than vinyl; and once you buy an album, it's yours to keep forever.

Our curated list below includes fully integrated CD players, which have a built-in digital-to-analogue converter (DAC), and CD transports, which can only read the data on the disc and require an external DAC to work. Some models even combine CD and streaming, so you don't have to choose between formats.

Our recommendations are always based on real-life use and tests by our expert in-house team of reviewers in our dedicated listening rooms, and we've chosen the best products across the price range to ensure there's something for everyone.

You can read more about our CD players test process at the bottom of the page, along with tips on how to choose the best spinner for you. Read on to discover the best CD spinners we recommend that combine rock-solid build quality, seamless usability and excellent sound for the money.

Best CD players: compared

Here's how the best CD players stack up against each other.

The best budget CD player

This Marantz model has been around in various guises for a long time, and remains the best budget option at this price. You'll need to go back a decade and four model cycles to find a CD6000 that looks notably different, so it's the insides where Marantz has made the improvements to their CD players count.

It has a quieter power supply and improved HDAM amplifier modules, helped along by a sprinkling of higher-quality internal components, not least of which is the change of DAC. This allows the CD6007 to process high-resolution files through USB-A on front socket, supporting PCM music up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD128.

It's worth noting that the original CD6007 production used an AKM4490 DAC chip, but after a fire at the AKM factory in 2021 that affected supply, this was changed to an ESS Sabre ES9010K2M DAC chip and all CD6007 units produced after May 2021 use this ESS DAC.

What does all that mean? The original AKM DAC-equipped unit sounds more fluid and expresses low-level dynamics in a more rhythmic manner, but the new ESS Sabre-equipped unit sounds cleaner and has more punch. Overall, the CD6007 retains its tonality and detail resolution, and makes your music sound great.

It's full of rhythm and drive. It's precise, clean and delivers dynamics at every inch of the spectrum. Stereo imaging is focused and expansive, and there are even a few digital filters to tweak the sound to your tastes. At this budget price, the sophisticated quality of its build and performance really can't be bettered.

Owners of the previous CD6006 UK Edition needn't rush to change their player, but the multi-Award-winning CD6007 is most definitely the right choice for first-time buyers at this end of the market.

Read the full Marantz CD6007 review

The best mid-range CD player

There hasn’t been a seriously good, seriously capable, and seriously fun CD player of this level in a very long time. The Arcam CD5 changes things. Now a multiple Award-winner, it's a tremendously talented player that deserves an audition if you’re still holding on to your beloved CDs and want to give them a new lease of life.

It's a great mid-range entry and does one thing well – playing CDs with finesse. There's composure and fluidity to the music that has us hooked from the start, with a nimble and snappy sense of rhythm that keeps our toes tapping without ever over-analysing the wealth of detail it retrieves.

Deep basslines are delivered with a satisfying mix of solidity and muscle, while the CD5 deals with shifting dynamics with ease and subtlety – it takes us through the emotional rollercoaster with songs while keeping an even balance across the frequencies.

The CD5 looks smart and is built to a pleasingly high level, and while the player's menus could be more intuitive to access, the display is large enough to read and the player itself is easy to use.

If you're looking for a greater level of clarity and refinement than what this excellent CD player offers, then you’ll have to spend more than double the money on the likes of the top-notch Cyrus CDi – a multiple Award-winner that now costs around £1500-£1600. The Arcam CD5 only rises in our estimation and remains a solid buy (and great value) for any CD fan.

Read the full Arcam CD5 review

The best premium CD player

Cyrus hasn’t put a foot wrong with its CD players for as long as we can remember; it would be fair to say that its track record has been phenomenal. So it’s no surprise that the Cyrus CDi is another gleaming example of the company treading the right path.

This model has now won a What Hi-Fi? Award in its category for 12 years in a row – that alone is a testament to just how talented and reliable this player is. To add to its plaudits, the CDi is one of our reference source players in our dedicated listening rooms, and it was our 2025 Hall of Fame winner.

The long, narrow aluminium chassis isn’t exactly a bolt from the blue, but underneath lies one of the best-sounding CD players we've heard at the money. We like the fuss-free design, easy-to-read display and high-quality remote (earlier SE models came with a rather plasticky affair). The slot-loader is noisy when feeding it a disc, though as silent as you’d hope it would be during playback.

As for the calibre of sound, it's truly impressive for the money, offering buckets of detail and rhythmic precision. Pace and momentum are exercised with articulation and vibrancy. There is authority and solidity to the sound that is fantastic to hear and, even over a decade later, it's a performance we haven't stopped enjoying and marvelling at.

What we said in our original review stands: "We found ourselves entertained by the Cyrus’ dynamic agility and neutral balance in a way that’s rare at this price. Though fast and fluid, the sound is much weightier than any of the company’s previous models."

It's a wonderfully revealing player, and you'd have to spend significantly more (to the newer Cyrus 40 CD, in fact) to hear anything better.

Read the full Cyrus CDi review

The best high-end CD player

With its plain black chassis, simple text display, and basic controls, the Cyrus 40CD might look understated, but this high-end CD player lets the music do the talking.

What the design lacks in flair it makes up for in build quality. While we found the controls could be a touch temperamental, the aluminium body and glass front panel feel suitably premium, and while you can certainly trace an aesthetic lineage back to older Cyrus products – see the CDi above – the 40CD looks much more modern.

Connectivity is kept simple, too, with just two RCA outputs, one digital optical output and a coaxial output. There are USB and ethernet sockets on the back but you can’t use them for audio playback, and there’s no Bluetooth either.

That’s not unusual for a Cyrus CD player, though, and once you insert a disc and press play you’ll soon forget about any missing features. The 40 CD is a noticeable improvement on the CDi, which you’d expect given that it costs around twice as much.

You get fantastic levels of detail, clarity, stability and rhythmic precision, it’s terrifically dynamic, plus it handles everything with a poise and subtlety that’s truly admirable. It’s the kind of performance that’s impossible not to enjoy – and is a deserved recipient of a What Hi-Fi? Award win.

Read the full Cyrus 40 CD review

The best CD streaming system

The Technics SA-C600 is an elegant all-in-one system with extensive streaming and connectivity (even an MM phono stage) that you just have to add speakers to – and it also has a talented CD player.

We like the tactility of the swivelling transparent CD cover on the top; it’s made of toughened acrylic and feels good to use. The SA-C600 proves an admirably consistent performer across the board, producing musically compelling results with CDs as well as high-res files across our network.

This Technics is expressive and punchy. It has a surefooted sense of rhythm and drive, as well as expressive dynamics that make the performance engaging to listen to. Detail levels are good, but it is the confident way this unit organises that information into a cohesive and musical whole that really impresses.

If all you're after is a CD player, then you might want to choose something more dedicated in this list that puts all its eggs in that audio basket. But if versatility is required and you want to stream your music services over wi-fi as well as spin discs - and why not - then this Technics is worth your attention.

Those who already own an amplifier and have more to spend should consider the Technics SL-G700M2 as well.

Read the full Technics SA-C600 review

The best budget CD transport

The Cambridge Audio CXC is a transport, meaning you'll have to supply your own DAC, but with many amplifiers and active speakers now having a DAC built in, this could be an efficient way of adding a disc-spinner into your system.

This Cambridge CD transport simply reads the data using its single-speed transport and S3 Servo, and using this separate bit of kit to do one specific job makes for better sound quality. There’s a real musicality here that can get lost on lesser players, with an organic, fluid interplay between instruments.

It's punchy and agile, with ample detail retrieved in the wide, spacious soundstage. There's a good rhythm to songs, although we wouldn't mind a tad more subtlety to the detail and dynamic contrast. Paired with the CXA61 amplifier, the CXC delivers an enjoyable, friendly presentation.

It's a nicely made bit of kit too, with a machined metal chassis that feels solid and a design that matches the rest of Cambridge's impressive CX range.

If you already own an external DAC (or there is a good-quality DAC integrated in your system) we wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Cambridge CXC over a standalone CD player at this price. You’d have to spend a good deal more than £500 – leap up towards the Arcam CD5, for instance – to better the sound quality it offers.

Read the full Cambridge Audio CXC review

Also consider

Cambridge Audio AXC35: Like the Cambridge CXC aesthetic, but want a DAC built-in and a more budget price tag? The AXC35 is a no-frills CD player that's cheaper than the Marantz. It sounds clear, detailed and dynamic, with a pleasing musical cohesion. It's not quite as gripping, subtle or dynamically fluid as the CD6007, but it's always worth keeping an eye on during the sales.

Technics SL-G700M2: If you have a higher budget and want the combination of streaming and CD playing, this premium SL-G700M2 delivers the best of both worlds. Hi-res streaming and SACD playback are on the menu, it looks classy, and sounds great through all connections.

TEAC VRDS-701: Brilliantly engineered, with an obsessively designed VRDS transport mechanism that results in a stunningly capable and authoritative sound. This premium TEAC player needs an appropriately capable and premium partnering system, and it delivers a beautifully detailed, composed and controlled presentation that's as musical as it is informative.

Marantz SA-10: The Marantz SA-10 was our pick as the best high-end CD player for a good while, and it took something special in the shape of the Cyrus CD 40 to knock it off its perch. That said, it's still a marvellous product to get your discs sounding their best, and well worth considering if you're serious about sound – and can find it at a discount.

Denon D-M41DAB: Technically a classic microsystem with included speakers, but you can also buy the main unit (RCD-M41) on its own, which consists of a CD player as well as Bluetooth and radio tuners. It's an enjoyable, capable player for its affordable price, and remains a go-to recommendation if you're short on funds and space.

How to choose the best CD player for you

What should you consider before purchasing a CD player? It's worth taking into account factors like DAC functionality, ease of use, controls and of course audio performance when making your choice.

Disc formats and extra features
More premium players will have better DAC chips and internal components and fewer errors, resulting in better sound quality overall. Most CD players will support different optical disc formats (CD, CD-R, CD-RW and SACD), but it's not always a given that it will play all the various formats. If you have a strong SACD library, always double-check that the CD player can play it, as it's not always the case that a more premium spinner will play all formats.

Some CD players even pack in wireless and streaming tech to turn your CD player into an all-in-one media system, and include a USB port so you can play 24-bit high-resolution files. It's up to you whether you want the extra features (which can be more expensive) or stick with a solid disc spinner that will do the job well. At minimum, make sure it can play the essential CD formats that you have and will be using.

CD player or transport?
The other thing to consider is if you need an integrated CD player (one with a DAC built-in) or a CD transport (no DAC inside). Transports such as the Cambridge Audio CXC will need to use either a standalone DAC or the one in your stereo amplifier to handle the digital-to-analogue conversion before the sound reaches your speakers.

The upshot of a CD transport? It puts all its concentration and skills on reading the CD disc. The downside is you'll need to make sure you buy or already have an appropriately skilled DAC – either a standalone one or one integrated in your amplifier – to connect it to.

Read more about the differences between a CD player and CD transport.

Budget and design
Alternatively, you can simply pick the player that's most closely aligned with your budget, system and preferred functionality. Do you prefer slot-loading or a disc tray? Does it have a display that can be read easily at a distance? Do you need Bluetooth, or do you have a large collection of SACDs that needs some love?

Remember to set your budget according to the demands of the rest of your system, and to read reviews to ensure that the sonic characteristics of your next CD player matches that of your existing system.

How we test CD players

We have acoustically-treated testing facilities in London and Reading, where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers test the majority of hi-fi and AV kit that passes through our door – including CD players.

We have over 100 years of combined experience in reviewing, and we are always impartial in our testing and ensure we listen to every CD player at its optimum. We place the player on a sturdy and level surface, connect it to the price-appropriate amplifier and speakers, and ensure we give it ample running in time.

We also try each player with different partnering amplifiers and speakers, and play plenty of CDs (and SACDs, where compatible) in various genres during our testing period. Here is a guide to all the various test tracks we use when reviewing.

What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, so we listen to every CD player we review against the current leader in its category and price band, to gauge how it compares to the best-in-class competition. We keep long-standing What Hi-Fi? Award winners in our stockroom (such as the Cyrus and Marantz CD players) so we can always compare new products against ones we know and love at their relative price point.

All tests and review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer. This eliminates any personal preference and makes sure we're being as thorough and consistent as possible. There's no input from PR companies, brands or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, and What Hi-Fi? is proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for 50 years.

You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.

FAQ

Recent updates

MORE:

Here are 6 CD player buying tips for when you want to revive your disc collection

Everyone is buying vinyl, but it isn't (and shouldn't be) the end for CDs

Compact Disc’s star has faded, but I like it anyway

We look back at the very first CD players tested by What Hi-Fi? and the advent of this innovative digital format

Check out the best CD players of What Hi-Fi?'s lifetime

January 2026: Highlighted the current What Hi-Fi? Award winners, updated the Also Consider list and removed the Cyrus CDt transport as it is end of life.

July 2025: No new entries, but we have checked prices, removed an older product from our 'also consider' list and mentioned the Fell Audio Disc CD player and Eversolo Play CD Edition products we have in for review.

May 2025: After earning a five-star review recently the Cyrus 40 CD has been added as a best high-end option.

March 2025: Checked that all products are current, and updated 'how to choose' advice.

January 2025: More products added to the Also Consider section, and updated intro.

October 2024: The new What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 winners are labelled following this year's announcement; updated Marantz CD6007 copy to reflect use of new DAC; Audiolab Omnia is included in Also Consider.

August 2024: No new entries, but have checked all products are still ongoing.

April 2024: Updates to our advice and testing processes, and added FAQ section.

November 2023: Award-winning products labelled following the announcement of the 2023 What Hi-Fi? Awards Best Buys.

October 2023: Added Arcam CD5 entry following five-star review.

There are two ways to procure a hi-fi system: build one out of hi-fi 'separates', where every component (amplifier, speakers and at least one source) is housed in a separate box, or buy an integrated system whereby every element can be covered with simply one or two products.

This buying guide covers the latter – integrated multi-tasking music machines that typically pack every job of a system into fewer boxes, making your journey to audio nirvana much simpler. To a large extent, it takes the space, expense and the time to research product synergy and set up out of the equation.

Such hi-fi systems come in many forms. You have all-in-one microsystems complete with speakers; stereo speaker pairs housing everything you need, including amplification and streaming; or single amplifier boxes of streaming, CD- or vinyl-playing electronics to which stereo speakers must be added. And naturally, they vary wildly in performance capabilities and asking prices.

The best of each kind is covered in our definitive list below, but they all share one thing in common: class-leading performance at their price level. They combine flexible features and intuitive usability, too, ensuring they are as pleasing to operate as they are to listen to.

Our expert in-house reviews team tests hi-fi systems throughout the year and across the market, with each one benchmarked against its closest competitors. Naturally, only those that come out of our comprehensive testing criteria with flying colours make it into this definitive hi-fi system buying guide.

Best overall

To look at, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) was just another product cashing in on the whole retro revival, with its walnut-covered casework and old-school VU meters harking back to the classic hi-fi of old.

In no way, however, is this some sort of anachronistic dinosaur. The NAD exists as a decent integrated amplifier, but once fitted with the MDC2 BluOS-D module that gives it streaming powers, it becomes an extremely talented just-add-speakers streaming amplifier.

The NAD is equipped with a moving magnet phono stage, two-way Bluetooth (of the aptX HD variety), coaxial and optical digital inputs and a decent power output of 100 watts per channel. There's also a front panel-mounted 6.3mm headphone output and an HDMI eARC input to help the NAD integrate into an AV set-up.

With that BluOS module included, you can stream music files from your home network, play internet radio or access any of the usual streaming services through wired or wireless means, with support for PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz. The BluOS platform and controller are stable and easy to use with multiple sources and large libraries.

There's no DSD file support on offer here, and while Spotify and Tidal in Connect form are available, Qobuz Connect isn’t just yet. Similarly, Apple AirPlay 2 is on the menu, but Google Cast isn't supported on a BluOS system.

Take a look inside and you will find NAD’s trusted HybridDigital UcD output stage delivering a solid 100 watts per channel into both 4-ohm and 8-ohm speaker loads. The output rises to a claimed 135 watts per channel on short-term dynamic peaks.

A Texas Instruments PCM5242 differential 24-bit/192kHz DAC chip is at the heart of the C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module)'s digital circuit, with NAD’s engineers choosing it for its dynamic performance and resistance to clock jitter.

As a result, the streaming amp really packs a punch. The NAD has a huge array of talents on which it can draw, exhibiting outstanding midrange clarity and fluidity to make vocals shine, and while it can be subtle and refined, the BluOS-boosted C 3050 has the bite and brawn to give orchestral pieces the cinematic treatment.

As we said in our review, the NAD "sounds muscular, delivering lows with a richness and punch that’s enjoyable. The presentation is airy but still manages to retain the music’s exuberance" no matter what we feed it.

With its retro appeal, outstanding sonic abilities and enviable streaming smarts, the C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) is highly recommended as a beautifully rounded streaming package.

Read our full NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) review

Best microsystem

The default budget all-in-one system choice for years, this Denon multi-Award winner is still at the top of its game, so much so we're yet to really find anything of its type that can outdo it at a similar price.

You can buy the D-M41DAB with or without Denon's own speakers. Without, the system is called RCD-M41DAB and can be found online for under £250 / $350 / AU$500. The speakers are dubbed SC-M41; put the two together and you have the D-M41DAB. Indeed, we'd happily recommend Denon's speakers if you don't have your own already.

The inclusion of Bluetooth (which can be turned on or off to avoid affecting the D-M41DAB’s overall performance) is cause for celebration, as is the superb sound quality. In terms of performance, this system could hold its own against groups of separates at a greater cost, with a graceful, insightful and expressive sound.

"The combination of low-end stability and dynamic sensibilities leaves us with a remarkably human performance for a hi-fi system at this price," our in-house experts penned in our D-M41DAB review.

Microsystems may seem like a dated concept nowadays, but this Denon proves that they can still be a perfect route to convenience and great-value sound; a way to get true stereo room-filling sound that a one-box system can't always deliver. A truly remarkable system for the money.

Read our full Denon D-M41DAB review

Best budget speaker system

If you're seeking a great, affordable active wireless speaker system, the Award-winning Triangle AIO Twin is your best bet. These active speakers have fully-fledged streaming support, making them a perfect little system in their own regard without needing an external source or amplification.

The handsome AIO Twin can play just about anything, from Bluetooth streams with apX HD support to music files stored on your home network (via wired Ethernet or wi-fi), with the likes of Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and Deezer all supported. You can even get your vinyl spinning thanks to the Triangle's handy built-in phono stage.

Physical connections, meanwhile, include an RCA analogue pair, 3.5mm aux input, an optical input, USB-A for charging your phone, and a subwoofer output if you're keen on boosting your bass via a three channel setup.

It won't let you down sonically, either. As we said in our original review, the AIO Twin is "incredibly fun to listen to. It’s an enthusiastic performer, happy to tackle any music genre and recording quality, and simply wants you to enjoy the music being played".

That sense of fun is tempered by an underlying mature and composure, offering excellent handling of timing and dynamics and a its balance across the frequencies, anchored by a taut, controlled bass reproduction.

The phono stage isn't quite up to the standard the rest of the Triangle exhibits, and while its peppy character remains the same, it doesn’t sound as clear, precise or expressive compared with the other inputs. If you're serious about your records, maybe invest in an external phono stage.

That aside, if you’re looking for a fun music system that also sounds hugely capable in hi-fi terms, and that you don’t have to pay big money for, the Triangle AIO Twin is well worth your attention.

Read our full Triangle AIO Twin review

Best desktop speaker system

The KEF LSX II LT represents outstanding value for money. Taking the original recipe of the Award-winning LSX II, dropping a few minor features (no aux input here, sadly) and replacing the wireless inter-speaker link with a purely wired connection, the desktop and lifestyle-friendly LT represents as much pound-per-sound performance as you're likely to get from an all-in-one wireless speaker system of this type.

Acting as a network streamer, Bluetooth receiver and amplifier built into a compact pair of stereo speakers (the speakers are smaller than the Triangle AIO Twin boxes above), the KEF LSX II LT is a great way of getting the look and feel of proper hi-fi speakers without the need for a host of separates and external modules.

KEF's slimline system offers streaming over DLNA or from Tidal, Spotify Connect, Roon compatibility and AirPlay 2, as well as the very useful addition of HMDI ARC and USB-C for TV and laptop/phone connectivity respectively. All of that functionality in units that only stand 24cm tall? Very nice.

Just because the LSX II LT slimmed down the original LSX II's suite of connections, that doesn't mean the sound has suffered as a result. In fact, the sound is unchanged between the two five-star models, which is excellent news. The LSX II LT house a Class D power amplifier dedicated to each drive unit, with 30 watts driving the 19mm aluminium tweeter and 70 watts powering the 11.5cm aluminium mid/bass for each channel making for 200 watts in total.

That power, when feeding KEF's patented Uni-Q driver array, makes for sonic magic. As our in-house experts noted in our review: "There’s very little fatness to the KEFs, and while that might have you summoning adjectives such as “thin” or “lean” in your mind, the LSX II LT instead feel immediate, taut and controlled, like a ballerina’s calves as they perform a perfect plié.

The ballet dancer analogy is an apt one, in fact, with the LSX II LT also conjuring the sort of subtle mix of emotional expression and insight combined with the deft aptitude for control, poise and perfect balance so often exhibited by the likes of Fonteyn or Nijinsky."

This entry-level KEF system is a superb step up from the more budget Triangle AIO Twin above. If you can push your budget just a little further (and are happy to wait until discounts and sales periods arrive), the LSX II LT makes for a fantastic investment, especially for smaller spaces.

Read our full KEF LSX II LT review

Best premium speaker system

Premium versions of the LSX II LT above, KEF's sequel to its outstanding LS50 Wireless speakers improves on greatness – no easy feat, even for an audio brand as surefooted as KEF.

They sit below the very premium JBL 4329P as well as KEF's pricier LS60 Wireless offerings in the burgeoning market, in terms of both price and performance, but if the LS50 Wireless II suit your budget more, you won't be disappointed with this premium system.

Like their illustrious predecessors, the LS50 Wireless II serves as a superb all-in-one system (streaming and amplification are built-in) by dint of their advanced connectivity. Improvements include upgraded components and a new KEF Connect app where you can access the likes of Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music and Deezer. Not that you'll need to reach for any of the aforementioned apps; these speakers are capable of streaming via AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and Bluetooth, and are also Roon Ready.

KEF's striking design is matched by stunning sonics, enhanced by refreshed Uni-Q drivers and KEF's all-new MAT absorption technology. The presentation is more refined and the addition of MAT can be heard in the treble and midrange, which our in-house experts described as "cleaner-cut".

Our LS50 Wireless II review reads: "The whole presentation has been opened out, that extra room not only filled with subtler, more precise detail, but also allowing for greater instrument separation."

Quite simply, if you're in the market for a high-fidelity all-in-one system packed with streaming smarts, this sophisticated sequel should top your list.

Read our full KEF LS50 Wireless II review

Best budget streaming amp

If you're looking to build a neat, versatile and streaming-savvy hi-fi system for around £500 / $500 / AU$1000, the WiiM Amp Pro isn't a bad foundation from which to start. (Nor are the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 speakers terrible partners for it!)

This new streaming amplifier is the most affordable we can recommend of its kind, costing just £399 / $379 / AU$699, and it ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to connectivity, usability and performance.

You get a wealth of connectivity, both in terms of streaming and physical sockets, including Spotify Connect, Chromecast, Bluetooth and HDMI (albeit not AirPlay 2). And the app-controlled streaming platform is both smart and user-friendly.

Sound-wise, you get a clean, open and smooth presentation (not unlike the sonic character of the five-star WiiM Ultra streamer) that is easy to listen to. "Streamed songs [have] ample space to flourish, with voices projected clearly and in focus, and instruments working together to deliver an engaging, lively sound," we said in our review.

Compared to the WiiM Amp, there is more punch, snap and sparkle to the sound, as well as more in the way of detail and dynamic expression. Overall, it's a very pleasing streaming amplifier to listen to music through.

It isn't perfect, as the greyed-out fifth star suggests. Despite its modest price, we would still like a bit more rhythmic precision and texture. As our experts note in our review, "there are instances – in Dave Brubeck’s Take Five and Radiohead’s The National Anthem – where the Amp Pro gets a little confused with the complex rhythmic patterns and isn’t as musically cohesive as we’d like."

Still, for the money it gets more things right than most, and is therefore a compelling option at this sparse end of the market.

Got a bigger budget? If you want a step up in all-round sonic ability, then the more powerful WiiM Amp Ultra is worth considering for £499 / $529 / AU$899.

Read our full WiiM Amp Pro review

Best premium streaming amp

If you're seeking a remarkably adept hi-fi solution that offers a wide range of streaming smarts, and impressive amplification in a modern package, it's very hard to look past the newly Award-winning Arcam SA35.

The SA35 is actually Arcam's 'entry-level' streaming amplifier, costing a hefty £2999 / $3300 / AU$6495. That's still a reasonable chunk of cash to spend, so what are you getting for what is a not-inconsiderable financial outlay?

Well, aside from a beautifully made and handsomely finished product (we do like Arcam's signature blend of blacks and yellows), this is a seriously thorough spec sheet. Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music and Roon are all here, and there’s also playback from UPnP servers and the system can handle a multitude of high-res formats up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256.

There’s also two-way Bluetooth connectivity, which not only allows you to stream music to the system from a smartphone or tablet but also allows you to stream music from the Arcam to any pair of Bluetooth headphones you want to pair with the unit. If you want a standard headphone connection, a 3.5mm socket has you covered.

Connectivity also includes a pair of optical digital inputs, a pair of coaxial digital inputs (both styles of digital input support datastreams up to 24-bit/192kHz) and HDMI eARC for anyone wanting to use the Arcam to receive audio from a compatible TV.

The SA35 isn't all tricks and no trousers, either. 120W of Class G amplification per channel provides the muscle behind the music, and the result is a beautifully composed, controlled performance from Arcam's streaming amp that finally usurped the spot long held by Naim's Uniti Atom.

The Arcam is a deeply musical streaming amplifier, revealing both textural details while delivering all of the weight and emotional impact that only comes from a top-level performer. When the time comes to turn up the heat, the SA35 is more than capable of stretching to trickier fare, showcasing immense agility and confidence across a range of frequencies, from a well-controlled treble to its taut, nimble yet powerful lower end.

Our review summed it up nicely: "Where people want the convenience of a one-box solution but don’t want to make huge sacrifices where sound quality is concerned, the Arcam SA35 streaming amplifier is one of those rare do-it-all devices that does it all extremely well. Highly recommended".

Read our full Arcam SA35 review

Best all-in-one system

The single-box Ruark Audio R410 is a success, to a lesser or greater extent, in every respect. As an object, a piece of furniture, it’s gorgeous and, quite simply, brilliantly realised. As a flexible, function-rich piece of audio equipment, it is hard to find fault with (except for the absence of a dedicated control app).

In terms of the sound it makes, there’s an awful lot to like, not least its eloquent, direct and balanced presentation – and next-to-nothing to take issue with. While it may only be one box, "‘Room-filling’ is not too mild a description of its talents where out-and-out volume is concerned," notes our R410 review.

The R410 has more features than you'll probably need onboard – Bluetooth 5.1, wi-fi and UPnP, the ‘Connect’ versions of Spotify and Tidal, Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast. Ruark has a rich history with radios and so we can expect FM, DAB/DAB+ and internet radio to come as standard.

There’s an aerial to facilitate radio reception on the rear of the R410, and that’s also where you find all the physical connections, including an HDMI eARC input that makes the R410 TV-friendly too.

Overall it’s a fearsomely competitive product, and represents money well spent. Looking for this kind of style and substance in a more affordable package? The next-model-down Ruark Audio R2 Mk4 is another great-value, five-star radio streaming system.

Read our full Ruark Audio R410 review

Also consider

• Technics SA-C600: An Award-winning streaming amp with a CD player, this five-star Technics is a unique proposition today, but a hugely compelling one. Often available at a discount, it's great for those who value both streaming and physical disc playback in one sleek housing.
• WiiM Amp Ultra: A step up in price and performance from the WiiM Amp in the main list, the Amp Ultra is a solid option for a small ‘just add speaker’ solution. Easy to use, easy to accommodate and solid in its performance, it's a great way to start off a fledgling hi-fi setup.
• Naim Uniti Atom: Stylish? Yep. Sounds great? Yep. Versatile? Yep. The long-running premium Uniti Atom is a five-star operator, combining streaming smarts and amplification to stunning sonic effect, all while looking the business.
• Ruark Audio R610: The streaming amplifier category has exploded in recent years, and Ruark's one combines gorgeous retro looks with tactile control and a rich, dynamic sound. Make sure you partner the R610 with its matching Ruark Sabre-R speakers if you want to get the most out of what is an outstandingly musical performer.
• Focal Diva Utopia: If you have the cash and desire to go all-in on performance and convenience, this £29,999 / $39,999 / AU$59,999 luxury stereo streaming speaker system is well worth considering. It combines high-end performance with every feature you would need, and delivers a large-scaled, powerful sound.
• Roksan Attessa Streaming Amplifier: The Robocop-looking Roksan blends a friendly, easy-going presentation with an ample feature set and a stylish, simple to navigate design.

How to choose

Choose your style
So do you buy a microsystem? A just-add-speakers streaming amplifier? A vinyl system? Or a fully fledged stereo speaker system? It probably won't surprise you to read that your decision will likely come down to two things: what sources you use, and what budget you have.

If your budget is limited to hundreds as opposed to thousands, your best bet is to consider either a complete stereo speaker system like the KEFs and Triangle above, or an entry-level streaming amplifier like the Technics with a separate pair of stereo speakers. That'll ensure you have a complete music system in two or three boxes without breaking the four-figure barrier.

A bigger budget will open doors to better sound quality, and unless you are set on having everything within two cabinets, as the JBL system on this page offers, we'd recommend going down the streaming amplifier plus speakers route.

Consider what features you need
Spending more doesn't necessarily get you more features these days, mind you – a budget system is just as likely to tick as many boxes as one five times the price. What you should do, however, is ensure you buy one that covers the sources you need. For example, if you want to connect a turntable, ensure it has a phono stage (unless you're happy to buy an external one to connect via its RCA input).

Only want to play vinyl, easily and affordably? Just buy a turntable system like the Rega. And what if integrated CD playback is a priority? Make sure your system has a built-in disc drive, as the Technics above does. Make a list of your desirable features, and see which recommended systems with them fit your budget.

Equally, be wary of buying a system with more features than you need, as you could be paying for them! If you don't need network connectivity because you'll primarily be connecting a turntable or using Bluetooth, look into a pair of active speakers or an integrated amplifier with Bluetooth instead.

Budget for extras
Lastly, don't forget to budget for extras, such as speaker stands and, if you need them, speaker cables.

Recent updates

• February 2026: New entries on the main list include the NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) and the Arcam SA35, while older models have been removed, and we've marked the current What Hi-Fi? Award winners. The also consider list has also been updated with fresh models.
• April 2025: No product recommendation changes this time, although the new Cambridge Audio Evo One joins our Also Consider list as a recommendable all-in-one system.
• February 2025: We had high hopes that the new Technics SC-CX700 would give the KEF LS50 Wireless II below a run for its money, but it has proven disappointing, receiving only three stars. Meanwhile, the stupendously high-end Focal Diva Utopia makes our Also Consider list.
• December 2024: The newly crowned What Hi-Fi? Award winners have been labelled as such. Since our last update, we've reviewed and can recommend the Yamaha R-N800A but it doesn't make this definitive list.
• October 2024: No newcomers make the list this time, although we look forward to putting the newly announced Technics SC-CX700 speaker system against the class-leading KEF LS50 Wireless II shortly.
• July 2024: No new entries, with the recently reviewed Roksan Attessa Streaming Amplifier impressing but ultimately not enough to muscle in between the Technics and Naim network amps on this list.
• May 2024: No new entries, although the newly tested Audio Pro C20 all-in-one system has been added as an Also Consider for those looking for a mature one-box wireless speaker.
• March 2024: Swapped the KEF LSX II for the company's new, more affordable LSX II LT. We added an 'also consider' section to give readers more options, too.

How we test hi-fi systems

Here at What Hi-Fi? we review hundreds of products every year, including plenty of hi-fi systems, in our dedicated, state-of-the-art testing facilities, where our in-house experts carry out all of our testing.

Collectively, the What Hi-Fi? team has more than 150 years experience of in reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics. Our strict criteria and unique listening room environment give us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency and scrutiny within an industry-leading context of every core field in hi-fi.

All hi-fi systems are compared to best-in-class rivals in the same price category, so when a new one comes along it will be listened against the most similar What Hi-Fi? Award winner and/or five-star competitor in the field. As the hi-fi system is an eclectic category, if a product isn't an 'all-in-one' solution and instead requires partnering with other kit (as streaming amplifiers do, requiring speakers), we will test them with optimum price-comparable partnering equipment to ensure we are hearing them at their best and in a suitable, real-world setup.

All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than a single reviewer, too, helping to avoid individual subjectivity. That's why our reviews are trusted by retailers, manufacturers and shoppers alike.

Every category of product we test has a Best Buy buying guide like this one, and only the top products feature in them. So if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended above, or on any other Best Buy page, you can rest assured you're getting a What Hi-Fi?-approved product.

You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.

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