Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s latest quiz!

If the electronics are the beating heart of a hi-fi or home cinema system, the cables are the veins, transporting the vital picture and sound between the various components. If you didn’t run the odd cable or two between your kit, you’d be sitting there listening in silence or watching a blank screen.

But how good is your cable knowledge? Can you tell your HDMI from your USB? (There you are, we’ve given you a couple of clues already.)

We have put together images of 13 types of cable which we would like you to identify. Some are pretty straightforward, but we have dropped a couple of tougher ones in there to really put you to the test.

There’s no prize for full marks, we’re afraid, but hopefully you’ll be able to sleep more easily at night knowing that your cable-spotting skills are up to scratch. Good luck – and let us know how you did in the comments!

MORE:

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HDMI 2.2: everything you need to know about the new TV connection

Our pick of the best speaker cables you can buy for every budget

Isn't it frustrating when things don't just work?

I'm used to my fair share of software gremlins in the products I test every day, which makes troubleshooting my system at home a bit easier. The usual answer is to turn something off and turn it back on again, but that solution doesn't solve every issue.

The problem I've been having relates to playing Dolby Vision content to my Sony OLED TV via my Sky Stream box, which results in some odd visual artefacts: little white spots flashing up randomly when streaming content in the dynamic HDR format.

Most people, including my housemates, would gladly ignore these, but not me. Instead, I began trawling through the settings of my TV and Sky Box, and swapping between the HDMI sockets to negate the issue.

Nothing seemed to work, and if I used the passthrough HDMI socket on my soundbar, then the picture would cut out entirely.

This is when it dawned on me: is my HDMI cable not up to the task? Scrolling through the Sky forums, I found many users claiming that the Stream puck comes with a high-speed cable, and one post even claimed that it's a better idea to use the cable that comes in the box.

However, being the rulebreaker that I am, I disregarded this advice. One perk of being surrounded by AV and home cinema gear 24/7 is that I am never short of an HDMI cable, and I quickly found a 4K-rated high-speed cable.

I switched the cables around, played the latest episode of the once excellent, now extremely disappointing Euphoria on HBO Max in 4K Dolby Vision, and like magic, the issues were resolved.

It sounds simple and obvious, but I think many of us, myself included, just presume that the cables supplied with our home cinema products should do the job, but that's not the case.

Now, I know that discussing digital cables is a contentious subject. Many of our readers have expressed disdain towards the pricey "snake oil" HDMI cables that make all sorts of claims and can run you hundreds (sometimes thousands) of pounds, and to be honest, I'd recommend steering clear of those too, unless you are the most die-hard home cinema enthusiast with money to burn.

But your run-of-the-mill certified high-speed HDMI cable is the real deal, and one of those doesn't have to cost all that much. I've spotted plenty on Amazon for anywhere between £5 and £10, and they can be a quick, cheap and effective way to solve issues in your home cinema set-up.

And for troubleshooting needs, it's surprising how often a picture-related issue can be fixed by double-checking that you're using the correct HDMI cable and socket.

While I'm at it, some TVs require you to select the correct setting for your HDMI sockets; for instance, my previous Philips OLED907 and current Sony A80L TVs required me to go into the input settings and select "enhanced format" to unlock some HDMI 2.1 features, including VRR and 120Hz gaming.

These are simple fixes that often get overlooked, so if you're dealing with picture problems of your own, do yourself a favour and check your cables before you start spiralling in the settings menus.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best OLED TVs

As well as the best streaming devices

And read our full Sky Stream review

Few things we write about annoy a section of What Hi-Fi?’s readership as much as a cable review. For many of these readers, the idea of spending any more than the minimum makes no sense as long as the cable meets the necessary impedance and current-carrying requirements. If they are happy with their system’s sound, we see no reason to argue.

However, in our experience, the quality of the conductor and dielectric, along with the construction, makes a notable difference to the way a cable performs. With this in mind, Merlin Cables has taken a hard look at the affordable speaker cable market and come up with the Tarantula: an understated but carefully conceived speaker cable designed to offer class-leading performance for the money.

Build & design

Of course, cables are passive components in a hi-fi system. They can’t improve the music signal as such, only make it worse. With a view to minimising this degradation, Merlin has specified the Tarantula with a pair of 99.99% pure, 3.5mm OFC (Oxygen-Free Copper) conductors and wrapped them in XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) dielectric to reduce signal losses compared to the PVC that many alternatives use.

Speaker cables are also liable to generate structural noise, so it is good to see that Merlin has taken this seriously and specified the use of cotton and other natural fibres to damp any such movement.

A smart and flexible pearl white jacket holds it all in place, and means that the Tarantula is malleable enough to fit around corners or bend behind an equipment rack. It’s a relatively slim cable, just under 9mm in diameter.

While it is possible to use the cable ‘bare-wired’, we would always recommend fitting plugs for convenience and long-term stability reasons. Whether you use Merlin’s Elite Reference 4mm ‘bananas’ or spade terminals, they are cold-welded, which is generally the preferred option over soldered joints for consistency.

The rising cost of raw materials has forced manufacturers to increase their prices in recent years, and so the Tarantula’s £16/m (around $22 / AU$31 per metre) may seem a little hefty for starter cable. But Merlin is adamant that the quality and specification present here would usually cost far more.

We use a 5m pair of the Tarantula cable in two systems. Our main source is Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, and we use the cable with both an Arcam A5+ integrated amplifier and KEF LS50 Meta standmounts and in our reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII pre/power into ATC SCM50 speakers.

Our cable benchmark is the Award-winning Chord Company Rumour X speaker cable, which retails for £20 (around $27/AU$48) per metre.

Sound

Straight from the box, the Merlin cable sounds a little hard and brittle. That calms down after a few days of use to reveal a pleasingly balanced and detailed performance. The Tarantula is a slightly understated performer that doesn’t really flavour the music signal in any obvious way.

As we listen to Prokofiev’s Romeo And Juliet, regardless of the system we get plenty of detail and an impressive sense of composure. While there is a good degree of finesse on offer, the Merlin doesn’t shortchange us when it comes to delivering the music’s wide-dynamic sweeps or conveying the power in certain sections of this piece.

We hear scale and authority when the music demands, but also convincing instrumental textures and a tonal balance that’s as close to neutral as we’ve come across at this price. The good news continues when we listen to Jill Scott’s Beautifully Human, where our systems sound clean and crisp without veering into hardness. There is a likeable solidity to their presentations and a measured handling of complex rhythms.

When we swap in the Chord Company Rumour X speaker cable instead of the Merlin Tarantula, our systems certainly sound more punchy and upbeat. The Chord cable presents Scott’s distinctive voice with greater verve and a touch more dynamic expression, but it also sounds less even and less able to convey the texture of the vocals and backing instrumentation.

Considering that the Merlin is usefully cheaper than the Chord, we would say that’s a job well done.

Verdict

The Tarantula ticks all the boxes as far as we are concerned. While not cheap, it remains sensibly priced and has the kind of sonic characteristics that will slot in effortlessly with a wide range of systems.

Add reassuring build quality into the equation, and it looks like Merlin has a winner on its hands.

Review published: 2nd April 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Chord Company Rumour X

Also consider the Audioquest Rocket 11

Best speaker cables: our 4 expert picks for every budget

Like it or not, AI is being integrated across an increasing number of AV and hi-fi products. And one of the most popular, Amazon’s Alexa chatbot, is getting an upgrade.

This comes in the form of Alexa+, which will be enabled across a range of Amazon devices across the UK.

Alexa+ will be rolled out on Amazon devices, including the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Amazon claims this will add more processing power, memory, and edge-based computing with next-generation sensors” to the user experience.

Daniel Rausch, Vice President of Alexa and Echo, claims that the new version of the AI assistant has been "completely rearchitected from the ground up" and offers a "much more personalised and proactive" experience than its previous version.

It has been designed to be even chattier than its predecessor, with more appropriate intonation in an effort to make the responses feel less robotic.

The assistant can also open other apps, including Spotify and Apple Music, with plans to expand to include more platforms.

We got to see Alexa+ in action, and it is certainly impressive how the tech integrates seamlessly with a number of separate devices.

When asking it to play music from the Echo Show 11 (essentially a smart display with Alexa+ built in) in a demo, you can tell Alexa+ to play sound from individual Echo speakers or ask it to play from all available devices in your home. That would come in handy if you are moving between rooms.

However, we notice that when it is bombarded with multiple, complicated commands, the assistant does take a little while to deliver the information.

It’s also worth noting that when we reviewed the Amazon Echo Dot Max, the smart speaker received a disappointing two-star review. While we found the Alexa integration was responsive and versatile, it ultimately was let down by its muddled sound and derivative design.

Amazon’s most recent Fire TV Stick 4K Max, on the other hand, snagged a What Hi-Fi? Award last year and impressed with its fuss-free and effective 4K HDR streaming capabilities.

Early access to Alexa+ starts from today for free, but will move to £20 a month after this window. For Prime members, however, it remains free.

You can purchase a new Echo device for immediate access and, if you already own one of the newer generations, you can sign up for an invite via Amazon’s website.

MORE:

Here's our review of Amazon Echo Dot Max

And check out our review of the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED

These are the best Alexa speakers

If you’re planning on moving house any time soon, make sure to have a thorough clear out before you do.

Clothes that haven’t been worn for years can make their way to a charity shop and unloved children’s toys can go with them. Your unwanted furniture can find a new home that isn't yours. Do you have an old TV in your loft? We did, and there is almost certainly a good reason it was there, but you should really get rid of it before the removal van turns up.

We recently moved house and did not do any of this. A month after our moving day we are still navigating around boxes. A not inconsiderable amount of floor space allocated to items we likely don’t need or want.

There were boxes of cables, too. Most of them for our home cinema and hi-fi systems. Integral parts of the house. Essential items. But there was also a box of, well, random cables.

“Do we need all these cables?” asks my partner.

“Oh yes,” I reply confidently.

“...what for?” comes the predictable follow-up question.

“Well, I don’t know – and that’s exactly why we need them.”

Every house needs a box of random cables. Just like every house needs a drawer full of elastic bands, tiny screwdrivers, those little rubber pads for making doors close quietly, and a massive key of unknown origin.

Of course, you can’t know what you will need and when but the point is you’re prepared.

The accumulation of cables has a clear purpose – to prepare you for that unforeseen eventuality, ensure you avoid an unwanted trip to your local electrical shop and, most importantly, avoid any downtime whatsoever with whatever it is that isn’t working.

I’m happy to report I recently used my box of cables. And it felt good. Really good.

Connecting our Sonos speakers to the new wi-fi network proved less than seamless. After a series of button presses and a diverting light show, the app gave up on me and raced ahead to the foolproof option. “Connect your speaker to your router using an Ethernet cable,” came the order.

An Ethernet cable… Yes. I have one of those. Three in fact. I looked at my box of random cables with a feeling of pride, satisfaction and even achievement. Minutes later, our Sonos speaker was successfully connected.

I had used the box of cables. It had worked. I'd have been lost without it.

So have that spring clean (whether you’re moving or not) and find new homes for those unwanted items, consumer electronics very much included. But that box of cables? That’s going nowhere. You’ll need it.

Google has updated its TV operating system with a nifty new feature that could hint towards a new addition to its streaming portfolio. Google TV, which powers a range of TVs and streaming devices including the Sony Bravia 8, Philips OLED809, and the new Google TV Streamer, added support for backlit remotes in a recent update. However, it's not as straightforward as it sounds.

It appears as though Google isn't quite ready to roll this new feature out yet, as the options to enable and customise the backlight on your remote are buried in the code of this new update, and were discovered by AFTVNews (via FlatpanelsHD).

The code hints towards three customisable settings – never, standard, and scheduled – which will adjust when the remote backlight is in use. Never turns it off completely, standard will illuminate the backlight for five seconds after a button is pressed, and scheduled acts like standard, but will only activate between 6pm and 6am.

So, why has Google implemented this new feature? Its motives are as of yet unknown, however, it could hint towards a new iteration of the Google TV Streamer that features a backlit remote. Considering that the Google TV Streamer is less than a year old, we'd presume that if Google were to introduce a new model, it would be a step-up model; perhaps a Google TV Streamer Pro.

Further speculation lies around an upgraded remote that Google could sell separately, akin to Amazon's Alexa Voice Remote Pro for Fire TV, which also sports backlit buttons alongside a find-my-remote feature and a customisable shortcut button.

Finally, this could just be integrated with Google TV-powered devices that already have backlit remotes. Sony and Philips bundle in backlit remotes with their premium TVs, so we could see new customisation come to these existing products when this feature is fully implemented.

MORE:

Read our full Google Chromecast with Google TV review

Google TV Streamer: everything you need to know

Our picks for the best media streamers

Most people give very little thought to how they connect their TVs. They plug the cable into the relevant socket and forget about it. But these cables and connections are capable of some pretty amazing things, and one in particular is about to be upgraded in a big way.

HDMI 2.2 was announced at CES in January 2025. It will replace HDMI 2.1 and promises better picture quality, among its other abilities.

So when will we see devices that use HDMI 2.2? How is it better than HDMI 2.1? And what else will HDMI 2.2 be used for besides TVs and projectors? Let's dive into the detail...

What is HDMI 2.2?

It's the next standard of HDMI cables and ports – the main way of connecting AV components like Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, soundbars, AV receivers and streaming devices to a TV.

HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. The current standard is HDMI 2.1, which was announced in 2017. Given that it's seven years old, it's pretty staggering that a lot of TVs with four HDMI ports only have two HDMI 2.1s – the other two are usually HDMI 2.0, which dates from 2013. This is a bugbear of ours – we've written about it again and again and again.

What is HDMI 2.1?

So why have we got a bee in our bonnet over the lack of HDMI 2.1 ports on modern TVs? Because of how limited it leaves them.

By increasing the bandwidth from 18Gbps (Gigabits per second) to 48Gbps, HDMI 2.1 can handle video resolutions up to 10K at 120fps (frames per second). Though considering no TV can handle that, it's not much use for us home cinema fans.

What is of use is HDMI 2.1's support for Dynamic HDR at 4K/120fps and 8K/60fps, which means the TV can adjust its picture frame-by-frame – so content in the likes of Dolby Vision and HDR10+ will look its best.

HDMI 2.1 is a boon to gamers too, with VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) making for a smoother gaming experience with greater responsiveness. And HDMI 2.1 supports eARC which lets you send DTS:X and Dolby Atmos soundtracks from your TV to your audio system in the highest possible quality.

Lots to like, then. And HDMI 2.2 builds on this.

• HDMI 2.1: features, specs and news about the HDMI standard

What is HDMI 2.2?

It's like HDMI 2.1 on steroids. It doubles the bandwidth from the 48Gbps of HDMI 2.1 to a whopping 96Gbps. That will mean higher resolutions (up to 16K!) and refresh rates (4K at up to 480Hz!).

Impressive, certainly, but a bit academic at the moment. 8K sources are few and far between, so good luck finding a 16K one. (HDMI 2.1 is technically capable of 10K, but seeing as there's little to no 10K content available, that feature is pretty much redundant.) And even high-end PCs only output in 144Hz (the PS5 and Xbox Series X top out at 120Hz), so 480Hz is the stuff of dreams right now.

Instead of pure resolution, the extra bandwidth will be used for virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality (the type that Apple refers to as spatial computing for its Vision Pro headset). And expect plenty of commercial applications like digital signage, medical imaging and machine vision.

It also supports next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology. Using a device that is HDMI 2.2 certified (with a compatible HDMI cable, of course) will guarantee that your screen supports a native video format in the best way possible.

One of the most eye-catching features is Latency Indication Protocol (LIP), which promises to improve audio and video synchronisation, especially when using an AVR or soundbar. That should mean an end to lip-sync issues – hence the name LIP.

Does HDMI 2.2 need new cables?

It does, as the current 2.1 cables can't handle the extra bandwidth. Confusingly, these cables aren't called HDMI 2.2 cables, but Ultra96 HDMI cables (because they can handle 96Gbps, see). The connection is the same shape as HDMI 2.0 and 2.1, so if you buy an HDMI 2.2-compatible TV, you can still use your old cables (though you will miss out on the new features that come with HDMI 2.2).

When will HDMI 2.2 arrive?

Soon, but don't expect it to be mainstream for a long time. The first devices featuring HDMI 2.2 ports should start arriving in the first half of this year, but we should see more products with it in 2026. But HDMI 2.1 launched in 2017, and didn't really start to take off until the PS5 and Xbox Series X shipped with it in 2020. And HDMI 2.1 still doesn't feature on all TVs – as with most technologies, it was exclusively for pricier models to begin with before filtering down to cheaper sets.

The Ultra96 cables should arrive sooner. But unless you have an HDMI 2.2-compatible TV and you're desperate to reduce delays with lip syncing, you almost certainly won't need one anytime soon.

MORE:

Read our full Samsung QN900D review

Check out our picks for the best OLED TVs

HDMI 2.1: everything you need to know including features and specification

High-end Japanese brand TEAC has launched the HA-507 – a fully analogue headphone amplifier that can also be used as a preamplifier.

The HA-507 joins the UD-507 DAC/preamp in the brand's reference 500 series of compact but premium products, aiming to offer a solution for those "who demand world-class sound but might have limited space to work with." Featuring many of TEAC's premium audio technologies, the new headphone amp/preamp promises to "achieve the highest level of sound quality".

The HA-507 is an analogue design with a fully balanced and dual-mono configuration, and two independent power supplies – one for the audio circuit, one for the control circuit. TEAC claims the HA-507 has "exceptional headphone driving power", along with a very wide frequency response and low distortion.

It is versatile enough to drive a wide range of headphones, and there are four types of headphone connectors available. There are two balanced headphone ports in the form of 4-pin XLR and 4.4 mm Pentaconn connectors, alongside the standard unbalanced 6.3mm and 3.5mm headphone jacks. You can also adjust the headphone output gain (high/medium/low) to suit your favourite wired headphones.

When using the HA-507 as a preamp, the brand promises precise volume control with 0.25dB increments and offers two XLR and RCA line-level inputs apiece, and one XLR and RCA line-level output.

If you want to include digital connectivity, you can pair the headphone amp with the UD-507 DAC/preamp, while those wanting to use the HA-507's preamp abilities to drive a full speakers hi-fi system can connect it to an external power amplifier such as TEAC's own AP-505 stereo power amp. There is also a preamp pass-through option for using the unit in AV surround systems.

The HA-507's own discrete regulated power supply uses high-quality components and aims for "excellent dynamics and imaging", and the unit uses a fanless but "highly efficient" design for heat dissipation. The aluminium chassis features a semi-floating thick aluminium top plate, it has three metal feet for support and is an A4-sized design that can fit on hi-fi racks and desktops, depending on your system needs. A nice complement of tactile control dials and switches adorn the fascia, too.

The TEAC HA-507 costs £1899 / £1999 and will be available to buy in January 2025, in black or silver finishes.

MORE:

What is a headphone amplifier and why should you buy one?

Here are the best headphone amplifiers we've tested and rated

And the best wired headphones we recommend across all budgets

• Our experts' rate the best hi-fi and AV racks we've tested
• Our picks of the best cartridges

In our experience, sonically talented, sensibly priced speaker cables aren’t common. There are budget options available from all the major manufacturers but having heard a fair few of them we’re disappointed to report that little has impressed below the £10/m mark. We think the real value in the market starts at the next price point above, which is where Ecosse’s CS2.15 Mk2 speaker cable sits.

The CS2.15 Mk2’s main feature is the use of 1.5mm sq solid core OFC (Oxygen-Free Copper) conductors rather than the multi-strand designs used by most competitors. The company claims the use of circular solid core conductors improves high-frequency performance thanks to something called the ‘skin effect’. This refers to the tendency of high-frequency AC current to travel through the outer edges of a conductor. In this case, the ‘perfectly circular’ conductors that Ecosse employs are claimed to be responsible for improved treble detail and reach over multi-strand alternatives, while avoiding unwanted harshness.

Construction

The conductors are used as a twisted pair to improve the rejection of external electrical interference and are covered in a polypropylene dielectric. Cotton fibres are wound with the twisted conductors and then the whole lot is tightly wrapped in cotton paper before an outer sheath of soft PVC is added. The idea is to produce a speaker cable that resists electrical and mechanical interference well.

The CS2.15 Mk2 is a stiff cable, and its solid core nature means that it won’t take too kindly to repeated bending in the same place. But, under normal circumstances and use this shouldn’t become an issue.

Performance

We tested the Ecosse cables in a couple of systems: our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers combination serves for the bulk of our testing, but we also use a Rega Planar 3/Nd3 record player, Arcam A15 amplifier and KEF LS50 Meta set-up to see how the CS2.15 Mk2 performs in a more price-compatible environment. We have the Audioquest Rocket 11, Chord Company RumourX (2022) and QED’s Reference XT40i speaker cables on hand to serve as benchmarks.

It is important to note that cables are passive components that can only degrade the signal rather than make it better. Looked at in those terms, the CS2.15 Mk2 does a good job for the money. Regardless of the system it is used in, it passes a decent amount of detail without skewing the tonal balance greatly. It allows our systems to sound articulate and has the clarity to make demanding music such as Mahler’s  Symphony No.5 work.

Dynamic shifts are communicated well, though without the muscle or authority of the class leaders, and there is a decent sense of scale. The cable’s low-end is taut and relatively grippy but could do with a touch more richness and weight. The system's presentation stays insightful and refined at the other end of the frequency spectrum where highs are relatively smooth but retain a good degree of bite.

As we work our way through our test recordings it becomes clear that the CS2.15 Mk2 is a capable all-rounder. Our systems deliver Michael Kiwanuka’s dreamy ’70s-tinged Floating Parade with skill. His voice comes through with texture and passion; it has a convincing degree of natural warmth too. The cable conveys the instrumental backdrop’s easy-going momentum well while delivering a pleasing degree of separation. The recording isn’t the cleanest and the Ecosse’s innate transparency makes that clear without over-emphasising the fact.

Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us is a different kind of test, requiring more in the way of attack, punch and rhythmic drive. Here, the CS2.15 Mk2 continues to do a good job in our systems, without proving quite as entertaining as its rivals from Chord Company and Audioquest. Both of these Award-winning alternatives offer more in the way of verve and preservation of the music’s attitude. Even the slightly cheaper QED manages to reveal a little more when it comes to low-level details and dynamic expression, though at the expense of just a hint of edge in the lower treble region.

Verdict

The CS2.15 Mk2 speaker cable remains a fine choice, though. It is a good all-rounder that is likely to fit seamlessly into a wide range of systems. While it isn’t as expressive or quite as entertaining as the class leaders, there is enough ability here to warrant serious consideration.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Compatibility 4

MORE:

Read our review of the QED Reference XT40i

Also consider the Chord Company Rumour X (2022)

Read our Audioquest Rocket 11 review

Best speaker cables: our editors' choice for every budget

When placing and presenting hi-fi separates in your home, it’s natural to want them to look smart. Hi-fi racks from dedicated manufacturers are designed to deliver stable support and keep vibrations at a minimum so they don’t affect your system’s overall performance, but it also helps when these bits of furniture look good in your home. 

Blok Stax 2G is a modern, modular hi-fi rack that aims to offer contemporary and stylish support furniture for your separates system. Designed and engineered in Essex, UK, the Stax 2G rack features isolation properties built into the structure, clever and user-friendly assembly, and even specially built tools just for this task.

Price

Each rack order comes with a base shelf (£275 / $375 / AU$569), which includes all the tools and accessories needed for assembling. You can get shelves in three different heights, but the width and depth remain the same. The modules include a Shelf 120 (£225 / $325 / AU$469), a Shelf 170 (£250 / $350 / AU$529), and a Shelf 220 (£275 / $375 / AU$569). There is also an “LP” vinyl storage module for £300 / $425 / AU$629.

You can buy individual shelves as you see fit for your hi-fi system, but Blok also offers two 'collections' to help you get started. The three-shelf collection packs in one shelf base and two Shelf 170 modules for £775 / $1075 / AU$1599. The four-shelf collection consists of a shelf base, two Shelf 170 and one Shelf 220 for £1050 / $1450 / AU$2149. In the photos in our review, you'll see the base, Shelf 170 and Shelf 220 assembled.

Build

The Blok Stax 2G is a smart-looking set of shelves. You can get the shelf material in veneered plywood or tempered glass – we’ve opted for plywood for this review – while the side supports are made out of MDF. There are three colour combinations: our review sample’s black ash plywood shelf with natural (dark) wood supports; natural ash plywood shelf with white satin supports; and black glass shelf with high gloss black supports. 

It’s a minimal design that we imagine will blend into many living or listening rooms. The shelves and supports are well built, and each shelf can support up to 40kg of weight. That’s ample enough for most conventional stereo amplifiers, CD players and turntables, although it’s worth noting that rival racks from Atacama offer thicker shelves and higher maximum loads. We like the clean, modern lines of the Blok, but the finish isn’t quite as seamless as we’d like at the edges of the supports. We run our fingers across the surface and find a couple of very small rough patches. 

One of the most appealing aspects of the Stax 2G is how easy it is to put together. It takes less than 30 minutes and IKEA could take a few tips from Blok about assembly; there is also a helpful video on Blok’s website to aid you. Each shelf comes with its required fixing bolts, and there are silicon isolation pads under each support’s legs with grooves that fit snugly over each bolt/screw head when stacking the shelves. For the top shelf, there are four sleek magnetic caps that cover the screws. It’s a fuss-free set-up and we like not having to watch out for multiple sharp spikes as we've found in rival designs.

Even more useful is the specially made tool that helps attach and screw on each fixing bolt – it’s like an Allen key on steroids. There is also a cleverly-made floor spike adjustment tool that allows you to easily adjust and level the spikes once set up. Rubber feet are cleverly integrated into these feet, too. 

The sturdy silicon pads between the shelves have been carefully engineered to optimise isolation; they are designed to reduce the unwanted resonances and vibrations carried through the shelf from affecting the products placed on them. There are also hidden rubber bungs in each shelf that further help to support the weight of the shelves and your system.

If you need more damping, there is scope to fill the shelves with inert acoustic materials (such as Atabites) or dried sand. Blok says any appropriate inert filler material available on the market is acceptable to use, and can be funnelled in through the removed bungs in the supports. They should have the desired effect of adding more mass for greater damping, should you need it. 

Performance

We place a variety of products on the Stax 2G during testing, including the Cyrus CDi CD player, the Rega Planar 3/Nd3 turntable and the Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition streamer. We also have the Award-winning Atacam Evoque Eco 60-40 SE2 and the pricier Atacama Elite ECO 24 Reference hi-fi racks (both five star recommendations) for comparison. 

With the Cyrus CDi placed on the Blok Stax 2G, we are treated to a spacious and large scale sound. Waxahatchee’s Tigers Blood album sounds more relaxed than ever, and we experience a more open soundscape where it’s easy to place and differentiate individual instruments. We find that our system sounds a tad rich in the bass, making the whole sound fuller. If your hi-fi system is particularly lean-sounding, then using the Blok rack should help to add a bit more body.

We switch to our long-running Atacama Evoque rack and find that, while the resulting sound from our system is smaller in scale, we feel there is a better sense of grip and drive with songs. In our opinion, there's more nuance, detail and emotion being revealed in Katie Crutchfield’s singing on 365, while our system sounds more solid and rhythmically agile here. With our kit placed on the Award-winning Atacama rack, the way our system delivers the basslines on Jamiroquai’s When You Gonna Learn is more defined and articulate, and there’s a greater sense of cohesion and solidity to songs.

Switching back to placing products on the Blok, we notice there is a slight loss of definition and drive to our system’s sound compared with using either of the Atacama racks. Overall, though, the Blok provides a stable platform, and the way it allows our system’s performance to deliver greater space, richness and ease of sound is appealing.

Verdict

The Blok Stax 2G is a thoughtfully put together hi-fi rack. We can’t stress enough how easy it is to assemble, not to mention how clever the bespoke assembly tools are. This is a modern-looking rack for modern systems and users, and one that offers an appealing blend of stable support and lifestyle appeal. 

It’s perfectly fine for most kit if you’re after sturdy support that also looks nice, and it’s a good alternative to traditional-looking hi-fi racks. But if you want to get the best performance out of your hi-fi kit and are happy to sacrifice a bit of visual style, the more traditional Atacama racks will be the better option if you prioritise sound quality above all else.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Atacama Evoque Eco 60-40 SE2 

Also consider the Atacama Elite ECO 24 Reference

Check out our pick of the best hi-fi racks

If you're a long-time reader of What Hi-Fi?, you know we always recommend placing hi-fi – such as turntables, CD players and amplifiers – on dedicated hi-fi racks to give your products a stable support so you get the most performance out of your system.

It's not every day we have cause to celebrate a new hi-fi rack range, but that's exactly what we're doing here. Blok has been around the proverbial block for many years (we last reviewed a Blok rack in 2011), but the company has recently been acquired by the Monitor Audio Group and the first range of furniture under its wing is the Blok Stax 2G.

The new range is available in three combinations of finishes for the shelf and supports: natural ash plywood shelf with white satin for the supports; black ash plywood shelf with natural (dark) wood supports; and black glass shelf with high gloss black supports. The range is modular to suit your system's requirements, consisting of shelves in three different heights, a shelf base and an "LP" version for storing your records. 

Blok says the shelves and supports are designed to offer "optimal isolation" for your hi-fi system from resonances and you can further fill the structure with inert acoustic material to achieve even more damping and reduction of unwanted vibrations where needed.

Designed in the brand's headquarters in Rayleigh, Essex, the Stax 2G range has been developed to be as simple as possible to assemble, with hidden fixings and concealed rubber bungs that sit flush with the material of the supports, which in turn carry the weight of the shelves. There are silicon isolation pads between each shelf to further offer greater absorption of unwanted resonances and vibrations carried through the shelves that might affect your hi-fi set-up's performance. The feet are adjustable and you get the option of spikes or rubber feet.

The Blok Stax 2G range is available from today, with prices starting at £225 per shelf, while the base costs £275. We have a review sample of this new hi-fi rack range in our test rooms that we'll be putting through the full review process in due course.

Full pricing is below:

Stax 2G Shelf Base: £275| $375 | €350

Stax 2G Shelf 120: £225 | $325 | €285

Stax 2G Shelf 170: £250 | $350 | €300

Stax 2G Shelf 220: £275 | $375 | €350

Stax 2G Shelf LP: £300 | $425 | €375

Stax 2G 3 Shelf Collection: £775 | $1,075 | €950 per collection (consists of 1 x Shelf Base, 2 x Shelf 170) 

Stax 2G 4 Shelf Collection: £1,050 | $1,450 | €1,300 per collection (consists of 1 x Shelf Base, 2 x Shelf 170, 1 x Shelf 220) 

MORE:

10 affordable ways to upgrade your hi-fi system

Check out the best hi-fi and AV racks we recommend

Looking for a good discount? Check out the best hi-fi deals

Thinking about upgrading your stereo setup with HDMI and streaming for a music and TV hub combo? Onkyo could be here to help. The Japanese brand has announced the release of its new TX-8470 two-channel network receiver which it claims blends outstanding sonic performance with all the up-to-date connections the modern consumer demands.

The new stereo receiver uses Class G amplification for 110 watts per channel (into 8 ohms), and houses an AKM 32-bit/768kHz two-channel DAC. The audiophile-centred receiver comes with HDMI ARC connectivity (four inputs, one output) and support for 8K and 4K Ultra HD resolutions, plus two optical, a single coaxial and twin USB inputs. You can even boost your setup's bass using the TX-8470's subwoofer output.

Analogue sources are catered to thanks to three RCA line-level inputs, while there are also AM, FM and DAB+ radio tuners integrated into the unit. 

Modern music lovers are well catered for, with the network-connected TX-8470 offering hi-res streaming via Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music and Deezer as well as multi-room capabilities and support for both AirPlay and Chromecast. It also has a Roon Ready certification.

If you're planning on jumping on the vinyl-revival bandwagon, the Onkyo TX-8470 could be right up your street. The new stereo receiver features an isolated moving magnet/moving coil phono stage circuit powered by a dedicated linear analogue power supply, that is claimed to reduce distortion and improve sonic clarity for your records.

Onkyo claims that its two-channel receiver has been meticulously built and designed with a focus on “refined audio output”. The unit's gold-plated terminals and audio-grade capacitors push for a purer, cleaner sound, while the built-in amplifying stage “maximises your loudspeaker performance” for a “superior sound and a richer listening experience”. 

The Onkyo TK-8470 is available to order now for $799 (further prices pending). 

MORE:

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Interested in vinyl? Here are 9 tips for keeping your vinyl tip-top

12 of the best songs to test your speakers

QED was founded in 1973. Within a few years, it launched the legendary 79 Strand, arguably the first specialist speaker cable to hit the market. That’s some legacy, and in the years since then, the company has continued to develop its understanding of cable design, even going as far as to publish technical papers on the subject. 

The new QED Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable not only marks the brand’s significant birthday but also embodies the culmination of the engineering ideas it has developed over the past five decades.

Build & design

This is a smart and well-made product. It certainly feels expensive. Look under the skin and you will find that QED’s engineers have put at least as much thought into the construction and geometry of the cable as the classy appearance.

Essentially, putting QED’s marketing terms like Aircore and X-Tube aside, each conductor is made up of ten copper strands twisted around a hollow polymer rod. Nine of these strands are made of high-purity oxygen-free copper (OFC) while the tenth uses Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) Copper. OCC Copper is processed in a way that removes grain boundaries within the material’s structure with the promise of purer sound. The exacting geometry of the cable is designed to minimise distortion and deliver consistent results through the frequency range.

Each conductor is then wrapped with gold mylar tape (which gives the cable its distinctive colour) and then encased in a transparent LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) dielectric. There are two such conductors in the Golden Anniversary XT and they are twisted together before being protected by a thick PVC external layer. It is a complicated approach to making a speaker cable and shows the company’s desire to achieve something special.

Our review sample is terminated by QED’s Forte 4mm banana plugs. These are cold-welded to ensure a solid and stable connection over time and are nicely made. We have a small complaint though. The plug body has a trio of coloured rubber rings to help grip and identify the cable as black or red. In use, these rings are easy to dislodge or even break. It would be nice if QED could come up with a more durable solution.

Performance

Let’s make one thing clear, a speaker cable can’t make the music signal any better. All it can do is carry the electrical signal from your amplifier to the speakers while minimising losses and distortion. We try the Golden Anniversary XT in multiple systems: our main reference setup of Naim ND555/555PS DR, Burmester 088/911MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers and a Cyrus CDi player/PMC Cor integrated amplifier/Epos ES14N speakers combination. We also use it between Arcam’s A5 amplifier and a pair of KEF LS50 Meta speakers with our reference Naim music streamer as the source.

The Golden Anniversary XT turns out to be a fine cable regardless of the partnering system. With it plumbed in, our systems sound impressively clear and crisp. We have the Award-winning Chord Company RumourX (2022) (£20/m, $21/m) on hand for comparison and it doesn’t take long to figure out that the QED delivers more outright clarity and detail precision. The Golden Anniversary XT also has a more even and neutral balance than its rival, while managing to sound more fluid and rounded than previous generations of QED cables we’ve heard.

We listen to a range of music from grand classical pieces like Mahler’s Symphony No.4 to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s The Heist, and the QED cable shows no particular bias towards any specific genre. It is well-balanced, combining attack and refinement nicely. The classical piece shows a fine sense of scale and authority while The Heist track proves that the QED has plenty of agility and can deliver punch with the best of them. Overall, the Golden Anniversary XT is the kind of cable that is multi-talented enough to work well across a wide range of systems and, as such, is easy to recommend.

The rival Chord Company RumourX (2022) still edges it for rhythmic drive and dynamic expression though, and that’s particularly obvious on tracks like Thrift Shop, but the QED remains good enough in these respects to satisfy. The choice between the two cables comes down to whether you place resolution, tonal neutrality and openness above the more visceral aspects of music replay. There is no right answer here and it comes down to your system and taste.

Verdict

There is no doubt that the QED Golden Anniversary XT is an excellent performer. If your system merits a speaker cable at this level, put this one on your shortlist.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Also consider the Chord Company Rumour X (2022)

Best speaker cables: budget and premium audio cables

While the PS5 and Xbox Series X each come bundled with a quality HDMI cable, you may find that you need a longer one.

The problem is that you can't go out and buy just any old HDMI cable because most won't deliver the high-end features of your next-gen console, most notably 4K/120Hz gaming.

That's why it's well worth seeking out a proper 'Ultra High Speed' certified HDMI 2.1 cable. This certification confirms that the cable has a data transfer rate of 48Gbps, which is what you need for those fancy features.

Having trawled through pages of HDMI cables in the Black Friday sales, I've found what I believe to be the cheapest certified 5-metre HDMI 2.1 cable available anywhere. It's by a brand called Ubluker and it's just £15.99 at Amazon.

To take full advantage of any HDMI 2.1 sockets, you will need HDMI 2.1 cables. The good news is that the two most common HDMI 2.1 sources, the PS5 and Xbox Series X, come bundled with HDMI 2.1 cables, so you should be good to go if you buy one of those.

If you need a longer cable, you'll want to make sure it's fully HDMI 2.1 compliant. Being confident of that is now fairly easy, as the HDMI Forum (the organisation responsible for the HDMI spec) runs a certification program for HDMI 2.1 cables.

So-called Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables feature a QR code that can be scanned so that certification can be confirmed. There are plenty of cables out there that claim to support the HDMI 2.1 bandwidth of 48gbps, and many of them do, but it's worth getting a certified cable to be sure.

If you buy the Maxonar above, there should be a a silver badge with a hologram and QR code on the packaging. Simply download the HDMI Certification app from the Apple App Store or HDMI Cable Certification app from the Android Play Store, scan the badge and, after a few seconds, you should get a big tick to let you know that the cable you've bought is certified for 48Gbps transmission.

If you don't get that big tick, get that cable sent back pronto. It's not worth messing around with cables that aren't certified. Even if they seem to work fine at first, you might find that you get signal dropouts further down the line.

MORE:

Everything you need to know about HDMI 2.1

These are the best TV deals available right now

And here are the best gaming TVs you can currently buy

In all of the excitement around Black Friday TV deals, it's easy to overlook those all-important accessories – but there are bargains to be had on those, too.

While certainly not sexy, a 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 cable is essential for getting the most out of a PS5, Xbox Series X or gaming PC (and, to a lesser extent, an Apple TV 4K). With a lesser cable, you likely won't get 4K/120Hz – and VRR might not work either. Or you might get a generally patchy performance. Of course, the PS5 and Xbox Series X each come with an HDMI 2.1 cable, but you might need a replacement or an extra one.

Buying a good HDMI 2.1 cable used to be tricky, but the HDMI Forum recently introduced a certification program whereby you can verify the authenticity of the HDMI cable you've bought by scanning it with your phone.

I've trawled through the Black Friday sales and hunted down what I believe to be the cheapest certified HDMI 2.1 cable available. It's by a brand called Maxonar and it's just £3.99 at Amazon. This isn't a cable that I've personally used, but it's got superb user reviews which, combined with the official certification, makes it seem like a pretty safe bet.

If you'd prefer a personal recommendation, I recently bought two certified HDMI 2.1 cables by Vention, and they're both working a charm. You can currently pick those up for £6.49 each at Amazon.

To take full advantage of any HDMI 2.1 sockets, you will need HDMI 2.1 cables. The good news is that the two most common HDMI 2.1 sources, the PS5 and Xbox Series X, come bundled with HDMI 2.1 cables, so you should be good to go if you buy one of those.

If you need an extra cable, or perhaps one that's longer or shorter than the one provided, you'll want to make sure it's fully HDMI 2.1 compliant. Being confident of that is now fairly easy, as the HDMI Forum (the organisation responsible for the HDMI spec) runs a certification program for HDMI 2.1 cables.

So-called Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables feature a QR code that can be scanned so that certification can be confirmed. There are plenty of cables out there that claim to support the HDMI 2.1 bandwidth of 48gbps, and many of them do, but it's worth getting a certified cable to be sure.

If you buy the Maxonar above, there should be a a silver badge with a hologram and QR code on the packaging. Simply download the HDMI Certification app from the Apple App Store or HDMI Cable Certification app from the Android Play Store, scan the badge and, after a few seconds, you should get a big tick to let you know that the cable you've bought is certified for 48Gbps transmission.

If you don't get that big tick, get that cable sent back pronto. It's not worth messing around with cables that aren't certified. Even if they seem to work fine at first, you might find that you get signal dropouts further down the line.

MORE:

Everything you need to know about HDMI 2.1

These are the best TV deals available right now

And here are the best gaming TVs you can currently buy

It may not seem like audio cables can make a big impact on your hi-fi system, but they are still a crucial part of your set-up. While the cables themselves can’t actively improve your system’s sound, they do the important job of carrying the audio signal between each component, and can potentially degrade the performance of your set-up.

If you’ve taken as much care with individual components, you’ll want to ensure that you are using the best possible cable within your system so that the audio signal is pure throughout.

Chord Company has been evolving its Clearway line of analogue interconnects with every generation. This latest version, the Chord Company ClearwayX ARAY Analogue RCA, builds upon an already excellent cable with one main upgrade. The X in the ClearwayX’s name denotes the addition of the XLPE dielectric material.

Build & Compatibility

The material used for the dialectic has a significant impact on the cable’s overall ability, and Chord has been using its version of XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) technology to insulate the conductor in its more premium cables in recent years. This ClearwayX model at £130 per metre is the first time it’s been available on a more – relatively – affordable interconnect. 

Other elements of the cable remain the same, carried over from last year’s model, including the high-quality oxygen-free copper conductor and the latest versions of Chord’s Tuned ARAY conductor geometry technology and dual layer shielding systems. Our review sample measures one metre and is terminated at both ends with RCA plugs that are coated in Chord’s ChorAlloy multi-metal plating – this was also introduced last year and aims to offer better conductivity and is claimed to tarnish less over time (compared with silver or gold-plated plugs).

The cable itself is well made and feels reassuringly durable; if you are going to splash out and buy this cable, it certainly feels as though it will last many years with minimal wear or tear. We also appreciate the direction indicator icons to guide you on which end to plug into your source and which goes into the amplifier. 

While the cables can be used with any system, your hi-fi set-up does need to be of a certain calibre and level of transparency to really hear the benefits that a decent cable upgrade can make to your system’s overall performance. You won’t need to splash out such money for a budget system, but much like when we reviewed the premium Atacama Elite Eco 24 Reference rack, we would recommend upgrading to this level of cable only when each individual product in your system costs around £1000. At that price level, the performance upgrade is more apparent.

Performance

We connect the Chord ClearwayX cable into our reference system of Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition music streamer, PMC Cor amplifier and Epos ES14N speakers. We also have the previous Clearway RCA Analogue (2022) model at hand to make clear comparisons.

We’re not expecting a gulf of differences in the overall system’s sound here. The Chord ClearwayX RCA interconnect shares the same characteristics as its predecessors, with our system retaining high levels of clarity, crisp leading edges, rhythmic cohesion and even-handed tonal balance. But there are clear differences heard with the newer model.

Major Lazer’s Pon De Floor is propelled forward with a greater sense of drive and attack when the ClearwayX cable is used between the streamer and amp. There’s more momentum and purpose to the song, which now flourishes in a bigger soundstage. There’s clearer intention and snap to each staccato drum beat, while the tautly pulled deep bassline has more textures unearthed. It demands your attention.

Switch to Nina Simone’s Feeling Good and her voice is lavished with greater undertones and richer textures – it’s a more detailed and expressive performance. There’s greater weight and dynamic subtlety to the instruments too, while the quiet moments in between notes are more pronounced and more profound. Background noise is lowered, while there’s more depth and dimension to the space too.

We swap back to the older Clearway RCA and our system still zings with a clear, nimble and surefooted performance packed with detail. To be clear, that is still a perfectly capable cable that doesn’t diminish enjoyment from our system’s performance. But the newer ClearwayX manages to eke out a greater degree of control, punch and musical expression from our system.

Verdict

Chord’s existing Clearway cable was at a good standard, but this new, upgraded Chord ClearwayX ARAY Analogue RCA interconnect pushes the performance even further. It’s a notable step up from last year’s Award-winner, and a worthwhile investment if you want to upgrade your system’s overall sound quality.

Review published: 2023. Review updated: November 2024.

SCORES

• Performance 5
• Compatibility 5
• Build 5

MORE:

Also consider the Chord C-Line

These are the best audio cables you can buy

Hi-fi equipment racks have to do two things: be a sturdy, reliable support for your hi-fi kit to sit on, and look good enough as a piece of furniture to blend into your living space. 

In both cases, Atacama’s new Elite Eco 24 Reference range succeeds with flying colours.

Atacama has form here. Its bamboo-made Evoque range of equipment racks has been our go-to recommendation in recent years, with the current Evoque Eco 60-40 SE2 model a multiple What Hi-Fi? Award-winner. 

Atacama hasn’t found fit to sit on its laurels, however; it’s decided to redesign the way its hi-fi rack is constructed to deliver better support as well as offer a new-look design.

Build

The new Elite Eco 24 Reference range continues Atacama’s use of bamboo, which now extends to the legs as well as the shelves – there are no metal legs here like in the Evoque range. Both the construction and look of the new shelves have been revised, with interlocking panels of wood slotting together neatly to create a more rigid and seamless structure. 

It looks rather lovely once assembled, too; we really like the naturally textured tones of the bamboo wood. The Elite Eco 24 looks even more like a premium piece of furniture than the Evoque rack does.

As part of the top-of-the-range Reference Series, the Elite Eco 24 series consists of four shelf modules costing £300 each. That’s £100 more per shelf than the Evoque range, and the pricing is consistent for all shelves regardless of height. The natural bamboo finish comes as standard, while the dark bamboo option is an extra cost of £20 per module.

Each shelf is of a uniform 600mm width and 400mm depth, but the height of each shelf differs, so you can choose and stack them according to your hi-fi system’s needs. The available modules are the 70mm base, 170mm, 220mm and 270mm-height shelves.

Each shelf can accommodate up to 80kg of weight, and Atacama advises that, if you’re stacking multiple modules on top of each other, the maximum total rack weight doesn’t exceed 250kg, to ensure the lowest shelf doesn’t get overloaded.

There are more distinctive grooves cut into the underside of each Elite shelf now (including the base shelf), and these are designed to channel the flow of mechanical energy and unwanted standing waves away from the hi-fi product it’s supporting. Atacama says these grooves direct the unwanted resonances away in a more efficient manner down through the legs to the floor, while the inverted frustum cones on the feet further help isolate the base shelf from the floor itself. 

The solid panels on the sides leave a more closed structure than an open one. But the back panel leaves plenty of room for cables and Atacama says there should be enough ventilation thanks to the gap in between each shelf, raised by the brass/nickel-plated isolation spikes at each corner under the shelf. 

If you have a turntable system, you can swap out the base shelf for a vinyl storage module (starting from a rather expensive £600) to store your records. To address a previous complaint, Atacama has now made cable management panels (in portrait and landscape orientations) that can be fitted to the back of any assembled shelf across its range (£99 for panel, £39 for extension).

Performance

We placed a variety of products on the Elite Eco 24 rack during testing, from the modest Cambridge Audio MXN10 streamer to the more premium Cyrus CDi player, and the limited edition Naim Nait 50 amplifier. We also have the Evoque Eco 60-40 SE2 shelves at hand for comparison. 

It’s a stable, sturdy arrangement. With the Cyrus CDi placed on the Elite rack, the resulting sound from our system is solid, dynamic and well-organised. We immediately hear just how big and open our system sounds when playing Jamiroquai’s Travelling Without Moving album; the Elite rack seems to allow the system to breathe more freely. We hear a tauter, more rhythmic bass performance too.

When listening to the same kit placed on the Evoque rack, that sense of openness is less apparent. More obvious is that bass is a touch lightweight in comparison, too. This top-heavy focus means there’s a touch of sibilance to the higher frequencies, which disappears as we move back to the Elite. Virtual Insanity flows with fluid musicality and dynamic ease, and we hear ample texture to instruments and voices when going back to using the Elite rack.

That’s not to say you should swap out your Evoque-range rack instantly; our system still sounds stable, zippy and engaging on this rack. But the new Elite Eco 24 allows for a step-up in performance that adds up incrementally, offering a more grounded, nuanced and larger-scale presentation.

Verdict

Paying £300 per module is a pricey sum. If you have a budget hi-fi system, you’ll likely be more than happy with your products placed on general furniture like a table or sideboard. 

But if each unit in your system costs upwards of £1000, then it can be worth investing in a specialist equipment rack that is designed to eke the ultimate best out of your products’ performance (and can even be an alternative way of updating your system’s sound without replacing individual kit).

The cumulative upgrades in absolute audio quality that a rack like Atacama’s Elite Eco 24 Reference offers is worth it to our minds and ears. And it all looks rather nice, too. 

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Atacama Evoque Eco 60-40 SE2 

Also consider the Hi-Fi Racks Omnium8 

Best hi-fi and AV racks: budget and premium

Let’s be honest, there is something truly special about picking and setting up a new hi-fi system.

Whether it’s the time spent creating a shortlist of potential options based on What Hi-Fi?’s reviews, or jumping into a store to experiment and see how your various options work together, the entire journey is wonderfully fun.

But, in all the excitement of picking which amp, turntable and speakers you want, it can be all too easy to overlook one critical step: getting the right speaker cable to connect it all. It’s a cable right, what could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, quite a lot. 

This is why we have created this handy guide signposting the three biggest pitfalls to avoid when buying speaker cable.

Don’t buy blind

One of the most common mistakes rookie buyers make is assuming that all speaker cables are created equal. What Hi-Fi? has been reviewing hi-fi since the 1970s; trust us when we say, this is not the case.

We make a point of reviewing speaker cables, as they are a key component that can make a hi-fi system shine – or completely ruin it. Even if you have otherwise excellent hardware, a poor cable can destroy its performance.

On top of that, like system matching in general, you should try to find a cable with a character that is compatible with your hardware. This is why we recommend reading our reviews and trying different combinations in-store rather than going off our star ratings alone or grabbing whichever option is top in our best speaker cables guide.

If in doubt, you can also ask the manufacturer of your amplifier or an expert in-store which cable they recommend.

Cost is also a factor. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend spending about 10-15 per cent of your budget on a system’s cables.

Measure the space

Most specialist retailers sell speaker cables by the metre, so you should always measure the space you plan to set up your system in. There’s nothing more annoying than getting everything bought and in place only to realise you have bought too little cable. This is especially true if you plan to use a bare cable end - remember stripping it will reduce the cable’s length, so it’s always good to have some wiggle room to spare with the length.

On top of that, if you want to get the best audio possible you will also want to make sure you get the same length for the left and right channels. As well as being basic good cable-management practice, there is also a scientific reason for this - to ensure they both have equal impedance values. If you don’t, the amplifier sees very slightly different electric loads for the left and right channels, which could affect the sound.

Check what you are actually buying

Knowing what you are buying may sound like an easy pitfall to avoid, but it’s the easiest mistake on this list to make. This is because it is fairly common for online retailers to use product images of cables with banana plugs, when those are actually an add-on you have to purchase separately. So make sure you read the product description and know if the plugs are included.

On top of that, if you are going the bare cable route, make sure you have the proper tools. If you’re going to invest in a decent speaker cable you should also pick up proper cable cutters and strippers. Try to DIY it with a Stanley knife and a basic set of pliers and you will risk damaging the wire and be at a higher risk of cutting yourself.

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Today, the audio interconnect from Chord's middle-sitting Epic series has become the latest of the company's wires to get the XLPE (Cross-linked Polythene) insulation upgrade that it has been rolling out for the past five or so years (including to its award-winning RumourX speaker cable, no less).

The new EpicX ARAY (with the 'X' denoting the XLPE inclusion) is a "considered development" of the original Epic, which Chord Company says quickly became one of its most popular interconnects when it launched many moons ago.

What you get over the one-range-down Shawline model here are heavier-gauge silver-plated conductors with upgraded geometry, plus increased shielding volume – all in the name of enhanced performance, of course, with both improved conduction and isolation designed to help carry music signals without detriment.

As for where the 'ARAY' part of its name comes in, the new interconnect features Chord Company’s proprietary, supposedly performance-enhancing ARAY 'mechanical tuning' technology, which it says optimises the potential of those silver-plated conductors. This is all finished off by its ChordAlloy connectors, which promise three benefits – lower intermodulation, full solderability and a tarnish-free finish.

The EpicX ARAY can be terminated with VEE 3 RCA, XLR or even the DIN connection which has been an option for the range since 2020. And the pricing is £420 for a 0.5m length and £520 for a one-metre length. The EpicX ARAY is designed for a pretty serious system, then, although is still some way below the ambitions of Chord's reference Sarum T and Music cables.

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Chord Company’s new interconnect promises "the best performance in 25 years" - but it'll cost you

British audio specialist Chord Company has announced an upgrade to its long-running, high-performance and very high-end Signature cable range. The new SignatureX Tuned ARAY boasts upgraded materials, specifications and construction for what Chord Company boasts will be “the best Signature analogue interconnect in the range’s 25-year history”.  

The SignatureX Tuned ARAY features cross-linked Polythene (XLPE) insulation, a technology first introduced in the SignatureXL speaker and power cables. This updated upgraded insulation has been added in conjunction with the shielding architecture and Chord’s proprietary Tuned ARAY conductor geometry technology taken from the previous generation. 

The new analogue interconnect cable is bolstered by ultra-low-mass RCA connectors, while XLR and DIN connectors are also available (good news for Naim users, especially for the new Naim Classic range). There’s also a turntable-ready version available to order, as well as tonearm cables in slim or reference versions. 

The pins themselves are ChorAlloy plated, a new multi-metal material that we’ve seen (and heard) used in the Award-winning Rumour X (2022) and Clearway Analogue RCA (2022) cables. ChorAlloy is designed to improve conductivity and tarnish less over time. Chord further says it aims to avoid changes in impedance where the cable is terminated.

The cable’s conductors, meanwhile, are multi-stranded silver-plated OFC types with XLPE insulation, whereas high-frequency shielding is provided courtesy of a high-density silver-plated braid and foil mix. 

The new XLPE insulation is clearly something that the Chord Company is looking to use going forward, recently announcing that all future Signature range interconnects will be upgraded to incorporate XLPE insulation.

Price? Available now, the new SignatureX Tuned ARAY interconnect costs a rather expensive £1,000 / $1,300 / AU$1,900 per metre, so it’s very much suitable for those customers who want a premium cable for some similarly premium hi-fi equipment. 

MORE:

Best speaker cables: budget and premium audio cables

How to build the perfect hi-fi system

Read the Chord Company Clearway Analogue RCA (2022) review

British audio specialist QED has announced its Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable to commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary this year.

The new Golden Anniversary XT will join QED’s current five-star model, the capable Reference XT40i, and promises to deliver the sonic benefits of a high-end speaker cable at a relatively competitive price.

The new speaker cable integrates X-Tube Plus technology to provide a more even, consistent performance across frequencies. X-Tube Plus essentially sets a cable’s conductive material around a central hollow insulating rod, avoiding the ‘skin effect’ that pulls high-frequency analogue music signals to the conductor’s exterior. The result is a more even and consistent performance across the spectrum of audible frequencies.

The Golden Anniversary XT also utilises a hybrid oxygen-free copper and Ultra-Pure Ohno Continuous Cast Copper blend for an improved signal path to give “outstanding signal retention” at “a fraction of the price”.

The dielectric material insulating the central conductors, meanwhile, is made from low-density polyethylene (‘LDPE’), which works in tandem with the cable’s X-Tube Plus arrangement to deliver greater efficiency and a dissipation factor that is “barely measurable”, according to QED.

The cable also uses the Airloc cold-weld system for attaching QED’s Forté banana plugs to the entire range of the company’s speaker cables, including the new Golden Anniversary XT. Forté banana plugs provide resistance to oxidation by essentially rendering the cable and the plug a single unified entity, thus protecting against degrading and weakening in vulnerable areas such as the link between the cable and the speaker/amplifier.

Want to check it out in person? The speaker cable will be making its first appearance at the High End Munich Show from the 18th to the 21st of May in room A (Atrium) 4.1, F110.

The QED Golden Anniversary XT will be available to purchase in June from QED retailers, priced at £27 / €35 / $40 per metre.

MORE:

Best speaker cables: budget and premium audio cables

How to build the perfect hi-fi system

Read our QED Reference XT40i review

If you've been following recent TV news, you'll know that 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for TVs. CES 2023 saw some futuristic "wireless" TVs make their debut, as well as brand new screen technology in the form of Micro Lens Array, which could power a host of brighter, next-generation OLEDs.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows in TV land, though, as there is one significant disappointment here to cast an unfortunately early shadow over many of the TVs we'll see this year from the likes of Sony, Philips and Panasonic. That happens to be MediaTek's Pentonic 1000 chip, which was announced late last year and was expected to up the number of HDMI 2.1 sockets from two to four.

Bad news for gamers...

Well, it appears that's not the case after all, as we've had confirmation that the Pentonic 1000 will actually support just two HDMI 2.1 connections. Worse news is that one of these HDMI 2.1 sockets will still be the designated eARC port for connecting audio equipment. That will leave just one HDMI 2.1 port for those people using eARC for a soundbar or AV receiver. That won't be the end of the world for everyone, but it will be a serious turn-off for hardcore gamers.

The PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X / Series S and gaming PCs require HDMI 2.1 in order to unlock their most next-gen feature – 4K/120Hz gaming. 4K is obviously beneficial when it comes to detail and graphical fidelity, while 120Hz refers to achieving higher frame rates. This results in smoother and more lifelike motion, as well as giving you a competitive edge in gameplay with faster reaction times. 

If you have both consoles and/or a gaming PC, you'll have to choose just one to use in glorious 4K/120Hz. Unless you're happy switching over your HDMIs every time you switch machines. Which you're not, are you?

This is a really frustrating compromise to have to make when you're spending thousands on your new TV, especially when some brands have been offering four HDMI 2.1s for years.

Can MediaTek keep up?

LG has included four HDMI 2.1 ports on its C-series OLED TVs since the C9 launched way back in 2019. Samsung also jumped on the bandwagon back in 2019 with the Q90R offering HDMI 2.1 features across all four ports, even though they weren't officially certified. In other words, MediaTek has had four years to catch up, making it all the more baffling that it's still behind.

So why don't the likes of Sony, Samsung and Panasonic develop their own HDMI chips in the way that LG and Samsung have, rather than continue to rely on MediaTek? It's almost certainly down to resources. LG and Samsung are vastly larger entities with far bigger budgets.

Perhaps the bigger question is why LG and Samsung don't sell their HDMI chips to these other brands. After all both companies sell TV panels to them. It's also a bit surprising that another third-party manufacturer hasn't sought to upset MediaTek's apple cart with an HDMI chip of its own. Doesn't Qualcomm, for example, want a piece of the action?

LG and Samsung feature TVs within their respective ranges that don't include HDMI 2.1 on all ports, but the higher-end sets are fully equipped, with the upcoming C3 and G3 OLEDs from LG and the S90C and S95C from Samsung both getting the full HDMI 2.1 treatment. This means the latest Panasonic, Philips and (in all likelihood) Sony sets will launch to an almost immediate disadvantage. We've already considered how the LG C3 and Philips OLED808 will compare with one another, and the LG is immediately the clear choice for gamers with multiple consoles and/or a PC.

All of this is extra frustrating in the case of Sony, seeing as it has a major stake in the gaming sector with the PS5. But perhaps the company doesn't like to entertain the thought of gamers having Microsoft consoles and PCs.

What does this mean for 2023 TVs?

So where does that leave us? Will the Sony, Panasonic and Philips TVs that launch this year all flop? Of course not, but they'll have to go the extra mile to appease serious gamers. We've reached out to MediaTek for comment so stay tuned for an update, but expect to see us complain about the lack of abundant HDMI 2.1 ports on many of our 2023 TV reviews.

Looking ahead to 2024, we really hope that MediaTek has a step-up version of the Pentonic 1000 with four HDMI 2.1 sockets up its sleeve. More fully-featured gaming TVs would mean more choice for gamers, and that can only be a good thing.

MORE:

Read our full review of the LG 55OLEDC2

And check out our list of best gaming TVs, for more great choices

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The most appealing thing about Atacama’s Nexxus range of speaker stands is how modular and versatile they are. You have multiple choices of stand heights and top plate sizes to accommodate a vast range of standmount speaker types, which means you shouldn’t have a problem finding a speaker stand entirely tailored to your standmount speakers’ dimensions and weight. 

The Nexxus speaker stands we have on test here are specifically the Atacama Nexxus 600 Essential model.

Atacama has form when it comes to making speaker stands. The British company’s Moseco 6 has been winning What Hi-Fi?’s best speaker stands Award for nearly a decade. Can the Nexus 600 Essential impress us enough to replace its stablemate on the podium?

Build quality & compatibility

Built in the UK, Atacama’s Nexxus 600 Essential speaker stands are designed for small- to medium-sized speakers. It’s a minimalist metal design that’s available in the standard satin black finish of our review sample, or there’s an optional diamond white finish that costs an additional £20.

The 600 Essential stand features two 50.6mm-wide support tubes, and a 5mm thick ‘laser cut shield design’ base plate (measuring 260mm x 365mm). The 130mm x 170mm top plate comes as standard, but you can also choose from four larger top plate sizes to better accommodate your speakers.

Our review sample pair comes with the next step up – 160mm x 220mm sized top plates – which cost an extra £29.99 over the standard pack. In total, the Nexxus 600 Essential stands we’re reviewing here cost £169.98.

Each size-up top plate pack costs £29.99 extra, while the largest size is an additional £39.99. You can get a Nexxus stand in different height options too, ranging from 220mm to 1020mm; our Nexxus 600 Essential model measures 620mm in total.

If you’re opting for one of the larger top plates, Atacama recommends you attach the unused standard top plate to the base plate underneath to increase the stands’ “low down” mass for better stability. It’s a clever arrangement (and also means you’ll never lose the original top plates if you need them later).

The Nexxus 600 stands can support speakers weighing up to 15kg each. Not only is this more capable than the previous Nexxus generation (which topped out at 8.4kg each), but it’s also generous enough to accommodate most standmount speaker sizes – from as small as the Elac Debut ConneX and KEF LS50 Meta to the deeper Q Acoustics Concept 30 and B&W 705 S3 speakers.

Overall the stands are built well – rigid, sturdy and secure. Carpet spikes and spike shoes are included, while domed gel pads are also provided to go on the top plate. These are to ensure your speaker cabinet finish isn’t scratched by the metal top plate, and adds a certain amount of decoupling between stand and speaker.

The long-running Atacama Moseco 6 stands which feature a bamboo base are still in production for £149 per pair (around $185 / AU$263), and the build quality of both stands is largely the same. You don’t get the various top plate options with the Moseco 6, but it still accommodates a large spread of speakers.

Performance

We use the KEF LS50 Meta speakers for the majority of our testing, and play locally-stored music and Tidal-streamed songs played through our reference Naim/Burmester system as usual. 

With the KEF speakers placed on the Nexxus 600 Essential stands, our system’s overall sound is stable, clean and focused. We play Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill, and the stands allow the speaker to deliver a good amount of solidity and punch. Timing is no slouch and the balance is well-judged, although the higher frequencies are boosted a touch compared with the lower notes. 

Switching the KEFs to the Moseco 6 stands, our system sounds a little more full-bodied, detailed and spacious. It’s a slightly richer, more dynamic sound. The characterful bassline of On We March from The Social Network soundtrack is packed with textural depth and etched with precision, showing a touch more dexterity than with the Nexxus stands in the system. Kate Bush’s voice also has a little more subtlety and warmth; overall it’s a more engaging performance. 

In comparison, the way our system sounds on the Nexxus stands is more upfront and punchy, but loses a degree of subtelty and clarity the Moseco 6 help to impart.

Verdict

The Nexxus 600 range’s modular and versatile design will no doubt appeal to many. Atacama has made a clever arrangement that will suit a broad variety of standmount speakers, and ensures a sturdy, stable and clean sound for your hi-fi system.

However, we still prefer the way our system sounds when using the Award-winning Moseco 6 speaker stands. They bring out a more layered performance that still impresses hugely – especially for the price. 

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Atacama Moseco 6

Also consider the Soundstyle Z2

Best speaker stands: budget and premium

MediaTek has announced a new chip that will bring more TVs into the next generation. The Pentonic 1000 system on a chip (SoC) will power a host of 2023 models according to MediaTek, most likely from brands such as Sony, Samsung, Philips and Panasonic, who already use MediaTek chips in their TVs.

So what makes this new chip so special? Well, gamers might want to take note here as it opens up the possibility of having four fully featured HDMI 2.1 ports – MediaTek's current top chip, which powers flagship models from the TV brands mentioned above, has only two HDMI 2.1 sockets with two HDMI 2.0 ports. You may think that two HDMI ports is plenty, but when one of them is also the eARC port that's used t connect a soundbar or AV receiver, you're left with just one for an Xbox Series X, PS5 or gaming PC.

Each of the new chip's four HDMI 2.1 sockets will support 4K 120Hz or 144Hz depending on the panel, so you'll have more than enough ports for your games machines and whatever other HDMI 2.1 devices might come in the future, just as you already do if you buy a top LG or Samsung TV.

VRR and ALLM will also, of course, be supported, just as they are now, and while it's not specifically been confirmed by MediaTek, the expectation is that gaming in Dolby Vision at 4K 120Hz will also be possible. Currently, that's a feature exclusive to LG's top TVs.

In other Dolby Vision-related news, the Pentonic 1000 brings Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail for greater contrast control and dark detail improvements, all automatically optimised based on ambient lighting conditions. This is another feature that's currently exclusive to LG's top TVs.

Motion also gets some love from the Pentonic 1000 thanks to Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation (or MEMC) onboard, which is a system of inserting extra frames for smoother movement. It will be interesting to see if this can overcome the reservations that many AV aficionados have about motion processing.

The Pentonic 1000 brings other improvements across the board, with Wi-Fi 6E support for low latency wireless internet connectivity, as well as the promise of vague AI enhancements – we’re not sure if that relates to the picture or software experience on upcoming MediaTek-powered TVs but the suspense is killing us. The processor itself features a multi-core CPU which is tasked with keeping the user interface running smoothly, as well as a dual-core GPU for graphical rendering.

As mentioned before we can expect to see TVs with this new processor launching in 2023, with a target of Q1 according to MediaTek. Expect lots of related news at CES in January.

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The best TVs: brilliant budget to 4K Ultra HD

Read our LG OLED42C2 review, winner of our Best Gaming TV Award

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You may not have spent much time thinking about the cables in your hi-fi system, but it can be one of the most important factors in your system's overall performance.

After all, an audio cable carries the analogue signal between your source (a CD player, turntable or music streamer) and your stereo amplifier – that's an awful lot of crucial information. So it is important to keep that audio signal as pure and accurate as possible with the least amount of interference or degradation.

This is why the quality of audio cables – otherwise known as 'audio interconnects' or 'RCA cables' – can significantly affect your system's performance. Cables matter, and they're often a major aspect of most hi-fi systems that gets overlooked time and time again. As with speaker cables, this is an area you don't want to overlook or scrimp on if you want your hi-fi system in tip-top shape.

So where should your buying decision start? Well, you can skip ahead to our 'how to choose the right audio cables for you' section below, or simply scroll down to see the three audio cables we most recommend.

This trio represents the best-value audio cables our expert in-house reviews team has tested and span various budgets (the prices are per metre) and suit most user needs, too. Whether you're after a decent budget cable for your modest set-up or your high-end system demands more investment and care, these RCA interconnects will make the most of your hi-fi's potential.

Or if they're not to your tastes, they will offer a jumping off point to discover the best audio cables for your system.

The quick list

Best audio cable overall

If you've ever wondered what difference a metre of cable can make to your system, we'd urge you to give the C-line a listen.

This is the venerable British cable company displaying once again an understanding of what makes hi-fi great, with the best-value audio cable we've heard at this affordable price point. It never loses sight of what matters – the musicality of your system – and is a deft hand at communicating your system's detail levels, making for an entertaining and informative listen.

Indeed, in terms of overall enjoyment, little at this price level comes close to what the C-line can do for your system. And that's why this model has won multiple What Hi-Fi? Best Buy Awards on the trot.

Read our full Chord Company C-line review

Best premium audio cable

The original Clearway analogue interconnects were around for a good while but were finally revised in 2022 in the Chord Company Clearway RCA Analogue (2022) to introduce new plating to the plugs. The even newer and current Award-winning ClearwayX ARAY Analogue RCA interconnect is another premium option if your budget can stretch ever further, and especially if your system is transparent enough to benefit from it. The 'X' in its name denotes the addition of the XLPE dielectric material, and this has a significant impact on the cable’s overall ability.

Other elements of the cable remain the same as the 2022 model, including the new ChorAlloy multi-metal plating on the plugs, and we found the new ClearwayX ARAY Analogue RCA interconnect was able to eke out a greater degree of control, punch and musical expression from our (admittedly high-end) system.

The ClearwayX Aray shares the same characteristics as its predecessor, allowing our system to deliver an open, crisp, rhythmically cohesive sound, but with that bit more detail, momentum and precision to the sound overall. With this cable used in our system, background noise levels are lowered too, allowing for a cleaner, more open sound.

The price tag might weigh heavy on many listeners’ wallets – and the cheaper C-line remains a class leader we can still get behind – but for those who can justify the outlay and have a high-end system that will benefit from the upgrade, it is brilliantly capable of letting you hear where your money has gone.

Read our full Chord Company ClearwayX ARAY Analogue RCA review

Best alternative audio cable

This QED interconnect has been around for many few years, but it remains a solid recommendation. The Performance Audio 40 analogue interconnect cable is a great step-up buy if you are keen to replace the cheap cables supplied in the box.

We always say that if you're looking to refresh or update your audio system, start with the cables rather than replacing an entire product, as it might just need an uplift in performance that better quality cables (which have good shielding and materials that prevent noise interfering with the audio signal) can provide.

In the QED's case, this interconnect works with a variety of audio systems, especially as an upgrade for an entry-level system to bring out a greater degree of detail. When plugged into our reference systems in our test rooms, it delivers a presentation that is clearer and more spacious overall, too, while keeping everything nimble and snappy.

Compared to the Chord C-line, the QED cable favours a more clean, analytical approach while the Chord offers a smaller-scaled but more musically cohesive and dynamic presentation when used in our system. Either way, if you're looking to upgrade your cables and don't want to pay hundreds, under £50 per metre for this QED interconnect is a solid way to breathe new life into your audio system's performance.

A newer Performance Audio 40i cable is available to buy now, which claims to improve upon the original cable's performance even further.

Read the full QED Performance Audio 40 review

Also consider

• Atlas Element Achromatic: It’s possible to buy alternatives that are livelier and more obviously entertaining (such as Chord’s Clearway Analogue RCA above), but it’s hard to think of anything at this price that makes our system sound as neutral and pleasingly hands-off as this. This is a clean and precise-sounding performer.

How to choose the right audio cables for you

A good starting point for choosing audio cables is to get in touch with the manufacturer of your stereo amplifier and ask if they recommend a particular brand or model of interconnect. After all, engineers will have spent hours experimenting during the development process and you might be told some valuable nuggets of information which might make your job of finding something suitable more simple.

You could also speak to your local dealer to see if they have tried different cables during demos and found any that work particularly well with your amplifier.

Otherwise, when it comes to picking the right audio interconnects, a lot of your decision-making will revolve around price and, of course, your system, whether you're putting one together or already have one set up.

As a general rule of thumb, we'd recommend setting aside 10 to 15 per cent of the total cost of your system for cables. In the case of a hi-fi set-up, you'll be looking at analogue interconnects, speaker cables and, potentially, a digital optical or coaxial cable depending on the sources you're using. So you'll want to dedicate a share of this to a pair of suitable analogue interconnects.

If you currently own an excellent entry-level set-up, you don't need to spend big on interconnects. However, at the same time, nothing is stopping you from trying more premium pairs to see how your system reacts. On the flip side, If you own a high-end set-up, we'd suggest looking at price-comparable interconnects, though you could also audition some cheaper interconnects too. As always, the best way to choose any component for your system is to listen.

You'll also want to decide whether you want an unbalanced RCA cable (which is the most typical, cost-effective analogue solution and the type pictured above) or the balanced XLR cable (which is pricier but for good reason: it better rejects the electrical interference and radio frequency noise it is subject to in a room, and is considered a better choice particularly for longer distances). Popular audio cables such as those above come in a choice of either.

One last piece of advice would be to avoid choosing audio cables purely on their What Hi-Fi? star rating. Read our reviews to help you understand the character of the cable and see if it matches the character of your hi-fi system.

How we test audio cables

The What Hi-Fi? team has more than 150 years of combined experience in reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics. We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Reading, where our expert reviewers do all our in-house testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency across every product we review.

The first thing we do to a pair of analogue interconnects is run them in by connecting them to our reference system over at least a weekend. In our experience, their impact on a system can change over time so we make sure they have a couple of days with an audio signal running through them before we start listening.

When connecting them, we also pay attention to the cable's directionality, which is usually marked on the plugs' cable sheaths via arrows. These arrows reveal the direction of the signal from the source to your amplifier.

During testing, we start listening through our high-end reference system as its transparency allows us to hear exactly how the characteristics of the cable are affecting the sound. We also connect them to a more price-compatible system to hear how they work in a more typical scenario. As we keep stock of class leaders in every hi-fi category, we can compare each cable to its closest price-matching rival(s) to see how it fares in the market context. Naturally, this helps us reach a verdict and star rating.

All our review verdicts are agreed upon by the team rather than an individual reviewer, to eliminate any personal preference and ensure we're being as impartial and thorough as possible, too. There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to our verdicts on audio cables, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for decades.

That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended below, or on any of our other Best Buy pages, you can be confident 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.

FAQs

Recent updates

• January 2026: It's a new year, and we've checked that all the information in this guide is current.
• May 2025: We have removed the discontinued QED Profile cable and have included the QED Performance Audio 40 cable instead.
• January 2025: Checked all information is up to date.
• September 2024: Added the current Award-winning Chord Company's ClearwayX ARAY Analogue RCA entry into the main list.
• April 2024: Added Also Consider and FAQ sections to help better inform readers in their audio cable buying decision.
• October 2023: Added mentions of Chord Company's ClearwayX ARAY Analogue RCA audio cable following its What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 win.

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So you've spent time, effort and money choosing the source, amplifier and speaker components for your hi-fi system, but there's one thing you don't want to forget or scrimp on: speaker cables.

Sure, speaker wire isn't the sexiest thing to spend money it, but it is a crucial consideration and can make a difference to your overall system's performance, especially when going beyond budget separates.

As passive components that carry sound between system components, speaker cables can't make your system sound better than it actually is. But we find that the best cables are those that degrade the audio signal the least and ensure that every last drop of performance makes its way from your amplifier to your speakers.

Sub-par cables are often a limiting factor within a hi-fi system and can even make it sound worse than it really is, which is why we always recommend investing in the best cabling within your budget when buying or upgrading a system. Dedicating 10 per cent of your total system cost to speaker cables (and the interconnect audio cables between your electronics) is a good place to start.

So without further ado, here are the best speaker cables tested by our in-house reviews experts inside our state-of-the-art facilities. Of course, there are plenty of speakers cables available and this could be a starting point for you to find the cables that suit your system and needs best.

The quick list

Best speaker cables: compared

Here's how the best speaker cables stack up against one another.

Best speaker cable overall

The original Rumour was introduced way back in 1996 and at the time was only Chord’s second attempt at a speaker cable. This audiophile speaker cable has seen various iterations since then, with the previous five-star RumourX (2018) now superseded by the latest RumourX (2022) model.

It's incremental changes throughout, but all of these add up to a fine performance upgrade at this price.

Chord’s development work with high-end ranges such as ChordMusic and Sarum T showed significant improvements could be made to the Teflon dielectric material used. While the subsequent high-end solution of Taylon proved too expensive to use in products such as the RumourX, a more reasonably priced alternative XLPE (Cross-linked Polyethylene) was found instead in the 2018 model. Chord has introduced a new multi-metal alloy for the pug plating in the 2022 model (changed from the previous silver), which supposedly tarnishes less over time and offers better connection quality.

With the Chord cable plumbed-in, our reference hi-fi system delivers a crisp, clean and dynamic presentation, just as before. Our reviews team compare it to next to a sample of the previous-generation Rumour and found that the basic character of the cable hasn’t changed: "This is still a detailed and dynamically expressive performer that’s unusually surefooted when communicating rhythmic drive," our RumourX (2022) review reads.

But the bass performance is tauter, the top end is more refined and there's an ounce more subtlety. We’re impressed at the musically cohesive nature of the sound and the way our systems render subtle dynamic shifts with such finesse. It's not essential to upgrade if you already own the previous RumourX cables, but if they're looking a bit worn, this latest RocketX version will give your system a decent performance lift.

Read our full Chord Company RumourX (2022) review

Best budget speaker cable

Monetary savings are not necessarily accompanied by a reduced level of technology or care on Chord Company’s part. The C-Screen's specifications are similar to speaker wires further up the British brand's hierarchy.

Beneath its white outer jacket, the C-Screen features what Chord Company describes as multi-stranded oxygen-free copper conductors, insulated with low-density polyethylene and arranged in a twisted-pair configuration to reduce interference. The white outer covers a PVC casing designed to reduce mechanical noise and space the conductors correctly.

So what is all of that in today’s money? Essentially it translates to recognisable Chord Company performance, favouring your system's cohesion and musical performance over outright analysis. "Tracks... characterised by its drive are held together as if with superglue, but without ever sounding mechanical," notes our C-Screen review. Our in-house reviews team tested it within our top-level reference system and a more financially appropriate one, and with each the Chord impressed.

What it does well, it does better than anything else we’ve heard at this price, though if your system sounds warm enough already, you may prefer a cable that won’t significantly add to that. An alternative cable that prioritises space and detail is the QED XT25.

Read our full Chord Company C-Screen review

Best mid-price speaker cable

AudioQuest’s Rocket 11 – at the budget end of its Rocket range – could just be the hi-fi speaker cable to give your system a new lease of life. We love it so much it's been a What Hi-Fi? Award winner several years running now, having batted off new competition to keep its crown for many moons.

AudioQuest has taken a lot of care with the configuration and quality of the conductors used inside the Rocket 11. It uses semi-solid true-concentric conductors and long-grain copper – all to improve performance and reduce any interference that might degrade the sound.

There’s a perceptible improvement in the way systems perform when the Rocket 11 is plugged in, compared with rival speaker cables. Music sounds crisp and clean, with a punchy sense of dynamism that's a joy to listen to.

The similarly priced QED Reference XT40i lets through more detail and therefore could be the preferred choice for anyone whose hi-fi is built upon clarity and analysis, but we find the Rocket 11 offers more of a musical whole, which is a lot to do with dynamic expression and organisation, and that does it for us more so than the extra information. As our Rocket 11 review concludes, "the best thing this AudioQuest cable does is get out of the way and simply let you enjoy the music".

Read our full AudioQuest Rocket 11 review

Best premium speaker cable

The Rocket 22 continues the fine work of its multi-Award-winning sibling, the Rocket 11, and, in a suitably talented set-up, the difference in price between the two can be justified by the improvement in scale, detail and authority.

The design of this audiophile speaker cable mirrors that of the cheaper model but uses higher quality copper conductors with a polished outer surface that’s claimed to give a ‘sweeter’ high-frequency performance. The conductors use strands arranged in concentric layers, where each layer spirals in the opposite direction to the one below it.

The cable also uses AudioQuest’s Noise Dissipation System, which is essentially specially designed layers of shielding that reduce the impact of RF (Radio Frequency) interference and EMI (Electromagnetic Interference).

In both the reference-level and more modest systems we plumb the Rocket 22 into during testing, we enjoy a spacious and refined presentation – "one that sounds noticeably larger scale than when we substitute talented cheaper alternatives such as the Chord Company RumourX [above]," reads our Rocket 22 review.

It carries an impressive amount of fine detail, arranging it in a stable and cohesive manner and presenting it even-handedly without emphasis, and despite its civilised nature there’s still enough in the way of dynamic punch and rhythmic drive to allow a track's sheer energy and attack to shine through.

All of this makes for an easy-going balance that makes the Rocket 22 suitable for a wide range of systems.

Read our full AudioQuest Rocket 22 review

Also consider

• QED Golden Anniversary XT: Pricier but delivering more outright clarity and detail precision than the Chord Company RumourX. The Chord replies with greater rhythmic drive and dynamic expression, but the choice between the two comes down to whether you place resolution, tonal neutrality and openness above the more visceral aspects of music replay.

How to choose the right speaker cables

Ask your speakers' manufacturer
If you're embarking on getting new speaker cables for your system, a starting point could be to get in touch with the manufacturer of your stereo speakers and ask if they recommend a particular brand or model of cable.

After all, engineers will have spent hours experimenting during the development process, and you might be given a valuable nugget of information that might make your job of finding something suitable simpler.

Speak to your dealer
You could also speak to your local dealer to see if they've tried different speaker cables during demos and have found any that work particularly well with your pair of speakers. First-hand advice is always valuable. Alternatively, our list above offers a trio of the best cables we have found to work well in several varied systems.

Consider your required lengths
Do remember to budget for the lengths of speaker wire that you need (and the number of speakers you're wiring up if it's a surround system) and bear in mind that the cable prices we quote in our reviews and buying guides usually don't include the banana plugs that you'll see in the pictures – you can specify lengths and termination during the buying process.

Consider cable termination
Banana plugs make connecting, unplugging and reconnecting easier, but they don't make the sound any better. In fact, many people believe a bare wire connection to be sonically superior. You might also want to consider bi-wiring if your speakers are compatible (i.e. they have four speaker terminals as opposed to just two).

Your system matters
Otherwise, when it comes to picking the right speaker cables, a lot of your decision-making will revolve around price and your specific hi-fi system. As a general rule of thumb, we'd recommend setting aside 10 to 15 per cent of the total cost of your system for all cables.

In the case of a hi-fi set-up, you'll be looking at analogue interconnects, speaker cables and, potentially, a digital optical or coaxial cable depending on the sources you're using. So you'll want to dedicate a share of this to a pair of suitable speaker cables.

If you currently own an excellent entry-level set-up, you may not feel the need to spend big on cables, and that's totally fine. However, you might find that trying a new set of cables is an easy and effective way to upgrade your system's sound without spending big bucks.

As you can see from our list above, there are some brilliant affordable options available.

How we test speaker cables

What Hi-Fi? has been reviewing speaker cables for 50 years, and today our reviews remain as independent, honest and trusted as ever across print and online.

The current What Hi-Fi? team, which has more than 150 years of collective experience in reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics, has access to purpose-built, acoustically treated testing facilities. Indeed, all of our testing is done in-house, giving us complete control over the reviewing process and ensuring we are consistent across all product reviews.

It also allows us to keep stock of a wide variety of kit – mostly benchmark class leaders and five-star products – so that we can compare new products against the ones we know and love. Comparisons are bread-and-butter to our reviewing process and ensure we have the widest contextual knowledge of every corner of a market. This is particularly helpful for speaker cable reviews as it allows us to plumb the wires into numerous systems of varying price and tonal character, ensuring we can offer advice on which sonic flavour of systems they would best suit. Testing them within our reference system can really reveal what the speaker cable is doing (or not doing), while plugging them into a more price-compatible setup is also vital to gauge their 'real-world' effect.

Whether tested individually or collectively during our What Hi-Fi? Awards judging process, all speaker cables are listened to by multiple members of the What Hi-Fi? reviewing team at one time. The final review verdict is agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than a single reviewer, to help ensure consistency and avoid individual subjectivity and biases. Manufacturers, PRs and commercial teams have zero impact on them – which is why our reviews are trusted by readers, retailers and manufacturers alike.

From our reviews, we hand-pick only the best speaker cable at each price to feature in this Best Buy guide. That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended here, 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.

Speaker cable FAQs

Recent updates

• January 2026: It's a new year, so we've checked this guide's information and the available of the cables recommended to ensure it's all up to date.
• June 2025: No new entries, but we've lightly updated our how to choose the right speaker cable advice.
• February 2025: Checked all information is up to date.
• December 2024: No new entries this time, although we have tested a new set of Ecosse cables recently – but they don't make the cut here. We've also flagged our current 2024 What Hi-Fi? Award-winner in the speaker cables category.
• October 2024: Updated our buying advice and FAQs.
• April 2024: We added 'FAQ', 'Also Consider' and 'How we test' sections to offer you more buying advice and awareness of how What Hi-Fi? arrives at its verdicts.
• January 2024: We trimmed our list of the best speaker cables for more pointed recommendations at set price points.

MORE:

10 affordable ways to upgrade your hi-fi system right now

Our pick of the best audio cables you can buy

All of our test track playlists in one place: the ultimate music tracks to test your hi-fi system

Spoiler alert – these Atacama Moseco 6 stands remain our favourite affordable speaker stands and are yet again an award-winner in 2023.

Performance

With our reference KEF LS50 Meta placed on top, these Atacamas allow our system to flourish by letting the speakers deliver their best in terms of punch, detail and rhythm.

There’s texture to basslines, a twang to guitars, and expressive (if slightly forward) vocals. Overall, it’s an enjoyable performance.

The Mosecos are rigidly built too. Two metal columns – one filled for better stability, one for cable management – and a bamboo base offer sturdy support and a neat look.

Those with big speakers might find the top plate on the small side, but Atacama does offer an optional Large Top Plate pack, where the plate measures 160mm (6.3") wide with a depth of 220mm (8.7") instead of the standard 130mm (5.2”) and 170mm (6.7”).

In terms of finishes, your choices are satin black as standard and an optional diamond white or gloss/satin black mix. The base panels come as standard in natural bamboo, but there are also medium and dark finishes available.

Verdict

We’re impressed with how weighty and dynamic these stands make our system sound.

They work well with a variety of speakers across the price range, too and, for a relatively modest amount, they’re one of the best-value stands we’ve come across.

Review published: 2014. Review updated: November 2024.

MORE:

Our round-up of the best AV and hi-fi racks

How to build the perfect hi-fi system

At first glance, there seems little difference between Atacama’s Evoque Eco 60-40 SE2 and its Award-winning predecessor, the Evoque Eco 60-40. But if you think that means Atacama’s engineers have been twiddling their collective thumbs over the past few years, you’d be wrong. 

Take a closer look, and you realise that there have been a whole host of tweaks to eke out even more performance from this rack.

Build

Place the two generations next to each other, and the most obvious difference is that the bamboo shelves on the SE2 version have slightly curved sides. This helps to reduce the build-up of internal standing waves, something reinforced by the revised shaping of the distinctive cut-outs on the underside.

Great care has been taken to control the flow of mechanical energy in the rack’s structure. This energy could originate in the hi-fi components (vibrations caused by their mains transformers or CD transports, for example) or be generated by the speakers and try to work its way back into your electronics through the floor. 

To deal with these vibrations, each leg is decoupled from the shelf it is attached to. The legs (which come in standard length options of 165, 215, 265 and 300mm) also have an internally mounted weight that controls how it resonates, and is terminated by a slightly rounded brass spikes to offer a degree of mechanical grounding between layers.

There are three shelf finish options – the standard finish is natural Bamboo, but medium finish bamboo and a dark version are also available at a £20 premium per shelf. The legs are only available in one colour, and that’s satin black.

The Evoque Eco 60-40 SE2 arrives flat packed, but it barely takes 15 minutes before we’re up and running. It feels well engineered and is nicely finished. If we do have a complaint, it’s that we would like Atacama to give some attention to cable management. The lack of it means the resultant spaghetti of cables from our system looks a little messy.

Compatibility

There are some people who don’t believe that an equipment support can make much of a difference to the sound of their system. But as we try a range of products on both the Atacama and our well used Hi-fi Rack Podium we’re left in no doubt as to the improvements such supports can make.

While a rack is obviously not in the signal path, if it handles all that vibrational energy well, the system can do its job better.

Performance

We try a Cyrus CDi CD player first and are struck by how much more agile and dynamic it sounds when used on the Atacama. We play Hans Zimmer’s Like A Dog Chasing Cars, from the Dark Knight OST, and are aware of more detail, coupled to a greater separation between the dense instrumental stands.

We’re equally pleased to note that both Rega's io budget integrated amplifier and Burmester’s 088 preamp respond in a similar manner. Both these amplifiers sound clearer and better organised when used on the Evoque than when sat on a typical sideboard or table. 

The comparison with the Hi-fi Racks Podium proves instructive. Both are a notable step ahead of non-dedicated alternatives, but it’s the Atacama we keep returning to when we want to hear exactly what’s going on.

While lacking the attractive weight and warmth that the Podium encourages in our set-up, when used on the Evoque, our electronics improve when it comes to dynamic expression, precision and rhythmic coherence.

Verdict

Paying this sort of money for a three-tier Evoque Eco SE2 is hardly a trivial sum of money, but if you really want to hear just how good your system can sound, it’s an investment worth making.

Review published: 2019. Review updated: November 2024.

SCORES

• Performance 5
• Compatibility 4
• Build 5

MORE:

Our round-up of the best AV and hi-fi racks

How to build the perfect hi-fi system

There’s been a trend of products not updating their name even though they’ve had significant revisions in the new model. The new 2022 generations of Focal Utopia and Apple AirPods Pro come to mind as the most recent examples, and Chord Company has followed suit with its new 2022 edition of the multiple award-winning Clearway Analogue RCA interconnect.

Build

The Clearway’s cable design is based on the Award-winning and more budget-friendly C-Line interconnect, but uses a heavier gauge oxygen-free copper and an improved version of Chord’s Tuned ARAY conductor geometry technology for the step-up in performance.

It’s by no means the biggest or flashiest update we’ve come across: the formerly silver-plated plugs of the interconnect have now been updated to a new ChorAlloy plating. Chord hasn’t expanded on the exact materials used here, stating only it’s a “multi-metal material” that now coats the VEE 3 RCA plugs on either end of the cable.

Chord Company is no stranger to updating the materials on its cable connections to improve the conductivity and longevity of its products. A few years ago, silver replaced gold as the choice for plugs due to its better conductivity, and the new multi-metal ChorAlloy plating is further claimed to act as an even better conductor that will tarnish less over time. Chord claims this results in a more musical sound for your system. 

The rest of the audio interconnect remains exactly the same construction as before, with FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene) insulation and a dual-layer counter-wound heavy gauge foil design for its shielding.

Elsewhere, small visual changes include a new direction indicator icon and the new packaging that the cable comes in. The cardboard box with sleeve is a nicer (not to mention more eco-friendly) presentation than the previous all-plastic affair.

While cables themselves can’t actively improve your system’s sound, they do carry the audio signal between your components, and can easily degrade the performance of your set-up.

Sound

We connect the Clearway RCA cable to our reference system of Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, Burmester 088/911Mk3 amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, as well as a more relatively affordable set-up of the Cyrus CDi, Naim Supernait 3 and KEF’s LS50 Metas.

We have the previous generation Clearway Analogue RCA at hand as well, which makes it easy to make comparisons.

It’s no surprise that both cables share the same characteristics – clear, detailed, rhythmically cohesive, and dynamics that are communicated with confidence. 

But it becomes clear fairly quickly that with the new 2022 Clearway RCA interconnect plugged in, both our systems sound crisper and more open. There is more nuance to voices, along with subtler dynamics and a tauter bass.

We play Eminem’s The Way I Am, and the edges of notes are crisper, more precise and more detailed. The bite in his vocals remains but it isn’t just straight aggression we’re hearing; there’s more texture and feeling in his voice that the new Chord cable communicates more effectively.

The bassline is also pulled tauter, adding to the driving, attacking rhythm. It sounds more solid and tuneful with the new Clearway RCA connected.  

We swap back to the older version and, while it’s still very capable, we now notice a slight hard edge to the top which is absent when using the new cable. With the latter, the ambient notes in Four Tet’s Circling soar high with refinement, and the greater sense of airiness and subtlety makes it a more involving listen. The rising crescendo before a drop into silence in the middle of the song is more dramatic when using the new interconnect, too. 

With its new plugs, the 2022 Clearway RCA simply makes our system sparkle more. It’s the difference a fresh coat of white paint or a wipe-down of a mirror makes: everything is just cleaner, pulled into focus, and there’s more detail, allowing the system to deliver a more emotive and tangible performance.

Verdict

Current owners of the Clearway Analogue RCA with silver plugs need not rush out to upgrade immediately, as that cable remains a perfectly fine performer for the money. But if you feel your home audio system needs a refresh or a little lift, the new edition of the Clearway RCA with ChorAlloy plugs is a good place to start. It works with a wide range of kit, and is worth the investment.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

See all the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2022 winners

Read our review of the Atlas Element Achromatic 

Also consider the Chord C-line

Best speaker cables: budget and premium audio cables

You can tell Chord is relatively pleased with its Tuned ARAY technology. Until now, however, it’s been aimed at the high-end hi-fi listener only. But that was before the C-line stereo RCA interconnect.

Build

Even with all this technology, high-grade copper conductors and high density foil shielding, what difference can a metre of cable make to your system?

We played Lou Reed’s Transformer album to compare the C-line with a previous award-winner, the  Atlas Element Integra.

We liked the latter for the detail and size of the soundstage when plugged into our reference system, and that positivity hasn’t waned over the last 12 months.

Yet, as is its signature, Chord has created a product that doesn’t ignore those things but places its main emphasis on the character of your music.

For Transformer, it helps our system make more sense of Reed’s almost blasé delivery, making it sound laid back but not uninterested, and finding it to be true to the roots of the album’s spirit.

Rhythmic drive is strong and dynamics are expressive.

Verdict

This is Chord displaying once again an understanding of what makes hi-fi great, with an entry-level interconnect that never loses sight of what matters; the musicality of your system.

Review published: 2015. Review updated: November 2024.

We admit that the change of plating on a set of banana plugs isn’t particularly glamorous. But take a listen to a 2022 sample of Chord Company’s award-winning RumourX speaker cable using the new ChorAlloy plated banana plugs and it’s hard to do anything but nod in appreciation.

It’s not that RumourX wasn’t already a great speaker cable. It has been our go-to premium recommendation for a number of years now, and rightly so. On paper, its twisted pair construction to improve electrical interference rejection is hardly unusual, and the use of relatively thin and stiff 6mm conductors – silver plated copper – isn’t massively impressive. But there’s a reason that the Rumour has been part of Chord’s line-up for decades. 

It was introduced in 1996 and was just the second speaker cable the company ever made. Rumour was a success from the beginning and has been developed sparingly over the years. The addition of a soft outer sheath over the twin conductors and a change of dielectric from PTFE (Teflon) to Chord’s now favoured XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) in late 2018 being the most notable revisions.

Build

It is fair to say that in comparison, the change of plug coating from silver plating to ChorAlloy – the company is sketchy on details, calling it a multi-metal material – seems pretty minor. 

The new plating looks shinier, almost chrome-like in comparison to the previous silver alternative. Chord says it gives improved connection quality with greater resistance to tarnishing over time. The result is claimed to be a more musical sound.

Of course, cables are passive components that only carry the sound between components in your system. They can’t actively make the sound better, so the best cable is the one that degrades the signal the least. We try the RumourX in a number of systems from our reference set-up of Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, Burmester 088/911Mk3 amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, to a more price-compatible pairing of Naim Supernait 3 and KEF’s LS50 Metas.

Sound

We have a sample of the previous generation RumourX to hand, but it doesn’t take long to hear the improvements. Listening through either of our systems, it’s clear that the basic character of the cable hasn’t changed. This is still a detailed and dynamically expressive performer that’s unusually surefooted when communicating rhythmic drive. Yet, as we listen to the likes of Olafur Arnald’s Found Songs and Hans Zimmer's Interstellar OST, it is clear that the latest version of the cable is more balanced with a tauter, more controlled bass performance. There is a greater sense of openness about the sound and a little more subtlety in the way it renders dynamic nuances. At the top end, our system sounds just that touch more refined whereas the last generation cable adds a small degree of previously easily-ignored hardness in this region. 

We switch to Carnage by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis and enjoy the 2022 edition’s extra clarity and improved transparency. It feels like the inclusion of ChorAlloy has just increased the RumourX’s ability to pass the signal without messing with it too much. Anything that allows us to enjoy Cave’s heartfelt music even more is just fine with us.

Verdict

We want to make it clear that these aren’t night and day differences. They are relatively subtle, even through a revealing set-up, so if you have last year’s RumourX it isn’t absolutely essential that you get the plugs changed to ChorAlloy. If you do though, the sound will be a little better. 

Review published: 2022. Review updated: November 2024.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Also consider the AudioQuest Rocket 22

Best speaker cables: budget and premium audio cables

Love your hi-fi system but feel the need to give it a bit of a lift? If you haven’t already, you might want to invest in a better quality of speaker cable.

AudioQuest’s Rocket 11 – on the budget end of its Rocket range – could just be the thing to give your system a new lease of life.

Build & Compatibility

The first thing we like about the Rocket 11 is how flexible it is. Much like AudioQuest’s previous Award-winning FLX-SLiP 14/4, it’s easy to bend the malleable cable around tight corners to reach your kit without worrying about it breaking or getting damaged.

The cables are handily labelled, too. Not only are the left and right cables marked, AudioQuest has helpfully noted which end goes into the amplifier and which end plugs into the speaker – it’s these little touches that make the Rocket 11 all the more easy and appealing to use.

They’re also designed so that you can use them in a single-wired or bi-wired configuration if your system demands it, with the option to terminate them in banana plugs or spade connectors in store. Our review sample has banana plugs and comes in a smart white finish, though you can get the Rocket 11 in black too.

AudioQuest has taken a lot of care with the configuration and quality of the conductors used inside the Rocket 11. It uses semi-solid true-concentric conductors and long-grain copper – all to improve performance and reduce any interference that might degrade the sound.

Sound

Of course, none of this would make a jot of difference if the Rocket 11 cable didn’t have a positive impact on your system’s performance.

We connect the cable into our main reference system (a formidable ATC SCM 50 speakers, Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and Naim ND555/555PS DR streamer combination) as well as in a more modest system comprising KEF LS50 Meta speakers, Rega Brio amp and Marantz CD6007 CD player – and the effect on our assembled systems is immediate.

There’s a perceptible improvement in the way the systems perform when the Rocket 11 is plugged in, compared with rival speaker cables from Atlas and Chord Company.

We play In The Cold, Cold Night by The White Stripes, and our system sounds stunningly clear, controlled and detailed. Guitar strings are pulled taut, leading edges are wonderfully crisp and clean, and the precise timing propels the song forward with a driving momentum.

Vocals are packed with nuance and emotion, too. The precision of Meg White’s diction comes through with sparkling clarity.

The Rocket 11s also guide our system into performing with a pleasing and punchy sense of dynamism that’s a joy to listen to. Stevie Nicks’s Edge Of Seventeen is delivered with the full, raw power of an air-punching power ballad, with while the playful clubbing rhythm of SBTRKT’s New Dorp New York charges along merrily.

Listening with competitors such as the Chord Company ClearwayX speaker cable (which is slightly cheaper), our system sounds a bit richer, with a weightier emphasis on the basslines. But with the Rocket 11, our system knits musical elements together with more confidence and alacrity. We get a better sense of spaciousness, too.

Verdict

As we said in our review of the FLX-SLiP 14/4 a few years ago, the best thing this AudioQuest cable does is get out of the way and simply let you enjoy the music.

For the money, it might sound a bit steep when you add up how many cables, the length, and the terminations you’ll need. But if you’ve put a lot of care into your hi-fi system, it’s well worth investing in good quality speaker cables that will optimise its performance.

And the Rocket 11 speaker cable is well worth that investment.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Compatibility 5
• Build 5

MORE:

See all our AudioQuest reviews

See all the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2022 winners

Buying advice: How to choose the right speakers

Speaker cables are a vital part of any hi-fi or home cinema system, but let’s face it, they’re not exactly attractive to look at. Not only that, they can also be a minor tripping hazard. Which is where a cable like the Wireworld Horizon can come in very handy.

Build

Pulled from its packaging, we’ve got mixed feelings. It’s fair to say the Horizon doesn't exactly have the robust feel or look of some rivals we’ve tested at the money, but then again, it looks and feels like that for a reason.

At just 1.4mm thick and 10mm wide, it’s super thin, pliable and perfect for running under carpets and reaching places in your living room or listening room that other cables can’t.

Our review sample is terminated with 4mm Z-type banana plugs which, we can report, won’t slip out of your speaker or stereo amplifier terminals any time soon. They’re a really tight fit with our ATC SCM50 reference speakers and Burmester 088/911 Mk3 pre/power combination, so be careful when pushing or pulling them so you don’t damage the plugs.

Don’t forget that a tight fit is a very good thing: the more contact between the plugs and your speaker/amplifier terminals the lower the resistance and the better the signal transfer. Which is good for sound quality.

Sound

Without any running in, the Wireworld Horizon starts out life with a character that mirrors its design. The general presentation is rather thin, flat and a little insubstantial. On a quick listen, you’d be looking at a so-so three-star rating.

But this is a good example of why it pays to treat your cables like any new component in your system and give them time to run in. We give the Horizon a couple of nights to properly bed in, and notice some of those coarser edges are smoothed out.

Play Kid Cudi’s Day And Night and there’s a more believable texture to Kid’s vocal and less of a rough surface to the track’s synths. The cable just helps to deliver a more satisfying overall sound: bass notes sound fuller and weightier and the song doesn’t sound as tonally grey. There’s more space around the different elements too.

Switch to Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven and the cable helps to communicate the harmonics of the piano and the differentiation between key strokes. The ebb and flow of the track is communicated with greater clarity. Notes sound natural and realistic. The speaker cable doesn’t allow dynamics to shine quite as brightly as the very best at the money, though, and there’s a slight emotional disconnect from the music.

Verdict

The Wireworld Horizon is up against some tough competition at this level, namely the AudioQuest Rocket 11, but it’s still a very capable and versatile performer and could be a smart choice if you want to keep cable clutter to a minimum.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Compatibility 4

MORE:

Read our AudioQuest Rocket 11 review

10 affordable ways to upgrade your hi-fi system

These are the best speaker cables: budget and premium audio cables

Ecosse is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the release of a new loudspeaker cable, the CS2.15 Mk2, which the company believes is a "world beater".

Priced at £10 (around $12, AU$17) per metre, the CS2.15 Mk2 uses a solid conductor, as opposed to a stranded one, which Ecosse says has been designed to mitigate against unwanted high-frequency attenuation by reducing resistance. While a low DC resistance helps to maintain low-frequency extension and control. 

The conductors comprise two circular cores made of high purity oxygen-free copper that are interlaced with cotton fibres and bound in cotton paper. A high-grade polypropylene forms the dielectric, while on the outside a soft PVC cladding protects the cable.

Ecosse says that the construction of the CS2.15 Mk2 ensures that it has a high rejection of RFI, EMI and ESI as well as being mechanically damp and less susceptible to microphony. 

The result, according to the Scottish company, is "an improved sense of ambience and larger soundstage; vocals are clearer with real presence and natural breath tones; glare and edginess give way to a sweeter and more detailed treble".

MORE

Best speaker cables 2022: budget and premium audio cables

10 affordable ways to upgrade your hi-fi system right now

How to build the perfect hi-fi system

An amendment to the specification for HDMI 2.1a was announced yesterday, which introduced a new feature called HDMI Cable Power, enabling users to use HDMI cables that are much longer than are currently supported, without the need for a separate power connector.

HDMI Cable Power will overcome the limitation of HDMI 2.1's Fixed Rate Link signalling system, which delivers ultra-fast, high bandwidth signals but can only be preserved for short distances, meaning that passive cables are restricted to just a few metres in length.

Previously the only way to overcome this constraint was to use active HDMI cables, which employ an amplifier to boost the signal allowing it to be maintained for longer distances without degradation, and are typically found in professional settings. 

Whereas active HDMI cables require a separate power supply fed from an external source, HDMI Cable Power cables can draw up to 300 mA from the 5V supply of a source directly from the HDMI connector, allowing for less convoluted cable runs in home cinema systems.

However, like active HDMI cables, HDMI Cable Power cables will be one-directional, with a specified source and output. According to the HDMI website: "One end of the cable is specifically labelled for attachment to the HDMI Source (transmitting) device, and the other end of the cable must be attached to the HDMI Sink (receiving) device. If the cable is attached in reverse, no damage will occur, but the connection will not work."

HDMI Cable Power will be available for all categories of HDMI cable, but for ARC/eARC support, you'll want to look out for cables labelled as Ultra High-Speed HDMI Cable, Premium High-Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet, High-Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet or Standard HDMI Cable with Ethernet.

To make use of HDMI Cable Power, you need to have both an HDMI cable and an HDMI source device that supports the feature. We're yet to see any products announced that include it, but it's worth noting that new HDMI cables with Cable Power will ship with a separate power connector, normally a USB Micro-B or Type-C, for use with non-compatible source devices.

More

Any HDMI connection can now be labelled as HDMI 2.1, and that's not okay

This is what HDMI 2.1 meant before all this nonsense: HDMI 2.1 explained

Everything you need to know about 4K/120, VRR and ALLM

Chord's previous generation Clearway was something of a star, picking up a trio of our 'best speaker cable' awards between 2015 and 2017. Winning the award once is hard enough, but holding onto it is even more difficult in the face of ever-newer competition. So it says a lot about the original cable that it remained successful for so long. 

Build

For its latest iteration, Chord has sensibly chosen to build on this solid foundation rather than start with a blank sheet, so much about this new generation feels familiar. We have high purity OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) multi-strand conductors configured in a twisted pair arrangement to improve interference rejection. There’s further protection in the form of two contra-wound high-density foil shields and a soft PVC wrap to hold the conductors, minimise mechanical vibrations and maintain the spacing between those foil shields and the twisted cables.

The big news in this 'X' update is the use of a material called XLPE (Cross-Linked Polyethylene) for the dielectric (the insulation that directly encases the conductor). Chord says that the new material is a cost-effective alternative to the Taylon used in its high-end cables and offers greater phase stability compared to the PTFE used previously, giving a notable improvement in sound.

It turns out that the company is right. We’ve long admired the previous-generation Clearway’s ability to deliver the music signal in an enjoyable and musical way, and none of this has been diluted with this new version. Of course, let's make things clear from the beginning in that a cable is a passive component that just carries the signal from your amplifier to the speakers. It can’t actually make the sound better, so the cable you want is the one that degrades the music signal the least.

Sound

Judged in that way, the ClearwayX must count as a huge success. We use it in our reference set-up of Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, Burmester 088/911 Mk 3 pre/power with ATC SCM50 speakers, as well as with Naim’s more price-compatible SuperNait 3 integrated amplifier and the KEF LS50 Meta standmounters. The results are consistent and positive regardless.

With the Chord speaker cable linking the amplifiers to the speakers, we get an organised and musically cohesive performance. Listening to Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar OST, we can’t help but be engaged by the vivid dynamics and punch on offer. There’s an excellent level of insight and a sense of spaciousness that’s impressive.

Tonally, things are nicely even-handed, with the crisp yet controlled higher frequencies being balanced by a taut and authoritative bass. That feeling of cohesion is helped by a surefooted handling of rhythms and a fine sense of drive. 

These strengths are highlighted when we play Massive Attack’s Heligoland where our systems render the sound with punch and power. We love the way instrumental textures are reproduced and the expressive way vocals come across. There’s plenty of clarity here and enough insight to dig deep into the dense production should you wish. Most importantly of all, we’re having fun.

Verdict

The Chord ClearwayX is up against some tough competition in the form of Audioquest’s slightly cheaper but hugely capable Rocket 11, but its broad range of talents means that it remains an excellent choice in price-compatible systems.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Audioquest Rocket 11

Best speaker cables 2022: budget and premium audio cables

10 affordable ways to upgrade your hi-fi system right now

We don’t mean to be antagonistic in saying that cables aren’t the most interesting hi-fi products out there, despite their quality being as important to a hi-fi system as they are necessary in the first place. But to its credit, AudioQuest has done its best to create a narrative around its cables. They're named after geographical elements and we certainly think the company’s inspiration behind choosing Chicago as a name and emerald as a colour for this budget interconnect on test here is worth a read.

The psychology of colour would tell you emerald green (and green in general, really) has positive connotations – growth, rebirth, nature, etc – and that shines through the AudioQuest Chicago’s sonic character. It’s likeably punchy, full-bodied and smooth – good traits generally suited to the budget electronics these cables will likely find themselves between.

Sound

In our system, the Chicago conveys the bluesy instrumental in Melody Gardot’s Amalia with decent helpings of solidity and refinement. The cello strings and ‘humming’ have body and substance in what is a nicely focused and present soundstage, while the shakers and delicate strumming that come in beneath her well-focused vocal all manifest with decent clarity.

Something meatier and more upbeat – we go to the extreme with Eminem – plays into the Chicago’s hands. It's a little cruder than the class-leading competition in conveying rhythms and dynamics but it’s controlled with it.

The Chord Company competition on either side of the Chicago’s price point (namely the C-line and Clearway X) are more astute in surfacing subtle textures and dynamic nuances. This places the AudioQuest interconnect a few pegs further down the ladder than it’d probably like to be. But, that shouldn’t detract from its agreeable balance and otherwise capable nature.

That cleanliness is undoubtedly partly down to AudioQuest opting for a solid core long-grain copper conductor over the more typical short-grain, stranded kind – chosen to prevent strand interaction and reduce grain boundary issues that can cause distortion. The ‘Hard-Cell Foam’ insulation is supposedly stiff, helping ensure stable conductance, and is also nitrogen-injected to create air pockets that are not sensitive to absorbing energy or releasing any into the copper.

To further maximise the purity of the signal as it’s being carried down the cable, AudioQuest has implemented its Noise-Dissipation technology here in a bid to shield the cable from any radio-frequency interference.

The good news continues – that tube-covered, braided emerald green and black finish is immediately striking, and further visual scrutiny and usage over our testing confirms the cable’s quality build. The compact, minimalist plug jacket design isn’t as grippy as some, but unless you plan on unplugging them several times a day (like we do over the course of our testing!), practically speaking this won’t present the slightest of issues.

Verdict

The Chicago might not be the most accomplished performer at this price point, but AudioQuest has created a likeable cable here – one that will simply let your (hopefully entertaining) budget electronics do the talking without losing too much.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Check out our Chord Company C-line review

And our Atlas Element Achromatic review

These are the best audio cables you can buy

The Tonik sits on the first rung of Kimber’s analogue interconnects ladder, but that doesn’t stop it from showcasing many of the company’s trademark design touches. The most obvious is the use of braided conductors. This is a type of construction that is good at rejecting electrical noise and interference.

You’ll also find that the conductors differ in terms of thickness, something that’s claimed to cover the frequency range better than just a single size would. There are three conductors in the Tonik, all made of high purity copper and coated in a polyethylene dielectric.

The Tonik also comes with a choice of connectors – RCA and balanced XLR – and a wide range of lengths. We have a 1m pair for this test. It’s a nicely built cable without quite having the quality aura of rivals such as the Atlas Element Achromatic or the slightly pricier QED Reference Audio 40.

Sound

If you feel your system’s presentation could do with an injection of energy this is certainly a good option. Not that a passive component such as a cable can actually add energy to the sound, of course, more that the Tonik is great at preserving the energy already in the signal. It helps our system sound punchy and fast with the likes of Eminem’s The Way I Am, delivering the song with impressive verve. There’s a decent though not class leading level of detail and a good sense of organisation. We like the cable’s ability to make our system sound composed and nicely organised regardless of the genre of music we play.

We notice some shortcomings compared to the very best cables at the price though. Using the Tonik reduces our system’s ability to render dynamic nuances convincingly and its ability to convey changes in rhythmic momentum unambiguously. We also miss the finer points of instrumental textures. Add these things together and we have a cable that doesn’t hold our interest over longer listening sessions as well as we’d hope.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a fast and punchy cable, this one is worth a listen – but ultimately the Kimber Tonik doesn’t have the finesse required to challenge the best in the class.

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Build 4
• Compatibility 3

MORE:

Also consider the Atlas Element Achromatic

Read our review of the Chord Clearway

Our pick of the best audio cables you can buy

It’s a good job for Wireworld that the Victorian attitude towards children – that they should be seen and not heard – doesn’t apply to interconnects today. Going solely on looks, you wouldn’t pick the Luna 8 out of a lineup that also comprises, say, the QED Reference Audio 40 or AudioQuest Chicago competitors at this price level.

But what it doesn’t offer in the aesthetics department it makes up for in its performance – which, considering interconnects are mostly tucked away out of sight, is a skewed balance no other product type could get away with as easily.

Build

The Luna 8 continues Wireworld’s long-standing, near-entry-level interconnect series, following directly on from the Luna 7 that we called “a great option at the money” some years ago. It looks and feels familiar in form to its predecessor, with its thin, grippy, blue rubber cable, which is on the flimsier or more flexible (however you want to look at it) side compared to some. It's terminated with typically on-brand silver-coloured, ribbed RCA plug jackets and silver/gold connectors here, although XLR termination is also available at the usual premium.

Progress has been made where you can’t see it, though. The Luna 8 keeps a copper construction but in a new ‘Tri DNA Helix’ design that comprises more than three times as many parallel strands of flat conductors layered in a bid to carry the audio signal more efficiently and accurately. The insulation Wireworld uses has been upgraded to ‘Composilex 3’, too, supposedly improving tonality and image focus.

Sound

We certainly have no qualms with the Luna 8’s tonal balance or ability to map a precise soundstage. This is a cable that prioritises communicating your system’s sound precisely, in an organised manner and with an appealing finesse. The way it relays Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’s The Road soundtrack can only be called “graceful”. It captures the ebb and flow of the pianos and the texture of the keys and accompanying strings in a way that duly cummunicates the mournfulness of the piece.

The Luna 8’s delivery feels nicely deliberate and there’s enough dynamic variation to keep things interesting, making it great for couriering music that demands it – even if the rival Atlas Element Achromatic takes faithfulness that little bit further. There is opportunity amongst this praise for a wishlist, mind, and that would be a tighter grip on bass notes. Listening to Eminem’s The Way I Am, we find the jaunty bass tab a little droney and ill-defined through the Luna 8. It’s not the end of the world, but it is noticeable and that low-end drive (and general musicality, actually) comes up second best to the Chord C-Line.

Verdict

The budget interconnect market is a competitive one, but the sophisticated Wireworld Luna 8 deserves a place in it – if not for being a class-leading all-rounder then for ensuring your music sounds more precise, organised and refined than through most at this price.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Compatibility 4

MORE:

Read our Chord Company C-line review

And our Atlas Element Achromatic review

Our pick of the best audio cables you can buy

10 affordable ways to upgrade your hi-fi system right now

Atlas’s entry-level Element interconnect has long been a favourite of ours. It has gone through numerous iterations over the years and never failed to impress. This Achromatic version continues that fine tradition.

Build

The most obvious change over previous generations is in the RCA connector, which is now a low-mass, non-magnetic design that is solder-free and cold-welded to the conductor. Atlas feels that this type of air-tight connection is better at maintaining signal integrity than the more traditional soldering method of joining the plug to the conductor.

The conductor material isn’t typical either, being OCC (Ohno Continuous Casting) copper that stands out for minimising the number of grain boundaries. The thinking goes that the fewer crystal boundaries that the music signal has to pass through, the purer it remains. This conductor is coated with a gas-foamed polyethylene dielectric that Atlas claims is more inert and consistent than standard polyethylene. Lastly, the Element Achromatic is a shielded design in order to reduce noise and interference to a minimum.

Sound

Physically, there’s very little that’s flashy about this cable. It just looks and feels like a high quality but functional design. That’s the way we like it. That dedication to doing the job at hand at the expense of cosmetic embellishment applies to the sound too. Achromatic means ‘without colour’ and that’s pretty much how this cable sounds to us. It doesn’t have much of a sonic signature and just seems to let the music signal pass through relatively unimpeded. 

It starts with an impressively even-handed tonality that avoids the brightly-lit nature of some rivals and continues with a level of sonic precision and composure that’s hard to better for the money. It’s possible to buy alternatives that are livelier and more obviously entertaining – Chord’s Clearway comes to mind – but it’s hard to think of anything that makes our system sound as neutral and pleasingly hands-off as this.

This balanced approach to music replay means that this cable works well across all genres. When plugged into our reference system this Atlas sounds as comfortable replaying Eminem’s classic Marshall Mathers set as it does the slinky jazz of Melody Gardot’s The Absence. This is thanks to a pleasing level of resolution coupled to strong dynamic contrasts and a surefooted way with rhythms.

There’s a good level of refinement for the price point too, with the cable revealing the hard edges in the Eminem set without blowing things out of proportion. This is a clean and precise sounding performer that simply gets out of the way of the music signal, letting the rest of the system take the spotlight.

Verdict

If the rest of your set-up is up to scratch then we have no doubt that the Element Achromatic will impress. If your system’s sound doesn’t involve you in the music, don’t blame this cable. The fault lies elsewhere.

SCORES:

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Check out our Chord Clearway review

Our pick of the best audio cables you can buy

10 affordable ways to upgrade your hi-fi system

If you’re familiar with Chord Company, you’ll know speaker cables and audio cables are its bread and butter. But now it has branched out into new territory, specifically power blocks. The aim? To improve the power supply to and the performance of your home hi-fi system.

Chord Company has introduced two new models available in both UK and European specifications, the snappily titled PowerHAUS S6 and its step-up sibling, the PowerHAUS M6.

HAUS stands for Hybrid Array Unfiltered Supply - these six-way blocks employ different levels of technology to try and eliminate any noise that might ruin your listening experience.

Both blocks use aluminium casings and inside you’ll find three isolated bus bars positioned in parallel in order to try and reduce the effects of high-frequency noise. Wiring is also heavily shielded to reduce the possibility of interference and all the internal cables and sockets have been chosen for both reliability and sound performance.

The S6 uses Chord’s SuperARAY conductor technology, but stepping up to the M6 introduces three of its hybrid MainsARAYs in parallel, plus Chord Company’s noise-reducing GroundARAY technology.

We were lucky enough to be invited down to Chord’s HQ in Amesbury, England to get first-hand experience of both of the new power blocks. Our listening session included switching between the two blocks while listening through Chord’s own reference system.

And, in our opinion, you could definitely hear differences in a number of areas including clarity, resolution and stereo imaging. Of course not every hi-fi system will warrant a £1000 (about AU$1900) or £2000 (about AU$3800) for the PowerHAUS S6 and M6 power block respectively, but if it does, then there's no harm in trying one out, right?

MORE:

10 affordable ways to upgrade your hi-fi system right now

Our pick of the best speakers cables 2022

And the best audio cables 2022

It’s almost as if the QED Reference Audio 40 is aware it’s the middle child in the company’s analogue interconnect range (between the entry-level Performance and flagship Signature series). Adamant not to be ignored due to its rank order, it demands that your music sound big, clear and imposing. This is no bad thing – the QED does this in a pleasing way, prioritising clarity to help your music sound compellingly front and centre in your system’s soundstage. 

The previous iteration of QED’s Reference Audio 40 was a five-star cable we praised for relaying music with depth and dimension in an expansive soundstage, and those same characteristics certainly shine through here to make a solid first impression. That impression doesn’t waver as we make our way through our playlist – from jazz to rap to classical – over the course of our testing. It’s quite easy to fall for the cable’s showy, brightly lit nature, with the treble frequencies slightly (but not too overly) emphasised, and that’s nicely balanced with a sense that the QED is striving for technical correctness too.

There isn’t quite the same natural approach of the Atlas Element Achromatic, though, and we find the more musical Chord ClearwayX (and, to a lesser extent, even Chord’s more affordable C-line) a better communicator of dynamic expression and rhythmic cohesiveness. It’s fair to say the QED shares more of the talents of a public speaker than a born entertainer, then.

Build

QED can put the cable’s clear, refined and ultimately capable performance down to the upgrades it has made to bring this cable into the next generation. The British brand has built on the success of its first-gen Analoc plug design with what it fittingly calls Analoc2, which promises to quash the detrimental effects of pesky eddy currents more efficiently than in the isolated metal body of the previous plug design. To do this, QED has swapped in thermoplastic material for both the inner support structure and the cable strain relief, while still pairing copper connectors with metal barrels. 

Moving away from the plug and down to the cable, two silver-plated (and supposedly almost entirely oxygen free) copper conductors carry the audio signal, with each a different diameter to, QED says, provide an alternative path for the high frequencies that could become time-smeared within a single pathway.

Polyethylene (LDPE) for the inner jacket is the dielectric chosen to work alongside the conductors and reduce electrical energy loss. And lastly, a Zn/Mn Ferrite jacket has been chosen within the cordage in a bid to absorb unwanted high-frequency noise. Considering the clean, clear nature of the cable, we’d say it's a job well done here.

If the Reference Audio 40’s sonic characteristics sound like just what your system needs, know that nothing about its physical makeup should put you off. You can tell the cable’s high build quality before having to handle it to confirm it, and it’s not only a pleasingly built thing but also an attractive one thanks to its red braided cable inside the translucent jacket.

Verdict

The QED Reference Audio 40 might not tick every sonic box as boldly as its highest-level competitors at the price point, but there’s a lot to be said for a cable that can relay music with class-leading clarity and a stark radiance. And for that reason, it continues the model’s favourable legacy.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Compatibility 4

MORE:

Also consider the Chord Company ClearwayX

And the Atlas Element Achromatic

Power chords: the best interconnects you can buy

These are the 2022 What Hi-Fi? Award winning accessories

Looking to go big on a home cinema system in 2022? British cable specialist QED can help: the firm has just introduced its Performance Optical Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, designed to transfer a maximum compressed video resolution of up to 48Gb/s 10K@120Hz over long cable runs. And by 'long', QED means anything from 7.5 to 20m in length. 

Billed as the perfect solution for modern day AV installations, this high-performance HDMI 2.1-certified cable boasts the ability to handle all current HDMI standards, including uncompressed 48Gb/s 8K@60Hz video resolution, Dolby Atmos audio and HDR (High Dynamic Range) picture technology.

QED has been designing and engineering premium AV analogue and digital cables for nearly five decades and the Performance Optical Ultra High Speed HDMI cable is, says the firm, the culmination of this expertise.  The company’s innovative Ultra High Speed Active Optical Technology hybrid design combines copper core with optical fibre that boasts the ability to resist data degradation over extremely long lengths – all without the need for an external power supply.

To drill down into what that means a little more, QED tells us that pure copper conductor cables three metres in length or more will cause the 48 Gb/s HDMI signal to break down to the point that it would no longer be reliably decoded at the other end. By replacing four of the 19 copper cores with optical fibre, the company says that data transmissions will be unaffected by losses (due to impedance mismatch) or timing variances (due to crosstalk) over longer cable runs.

Elsewhere, all QED HDMI cables undergo stringent mandatory testing at an HDMI forum authorised testing centre to not only to ensure compatibility with the new 2.1 video standards (the cables are all HDCP 2.2 compliant and with full CEC, DDC, HDR, HEC and eARC compatibility) but also to ensure low levels of electromagnetic radiation, to reduce the possibility of interference with wireless networks, streaming media players, Bluetooth devices and mobile phones.

Professional installers or AV enthusiasts wishing to conceal the cable within the structure of a building can rest assured that the cable’s the Low Smoke Zero Halogen jacket and internal components are all certified and fully compliant with the latest EN 50575:2014 regulations too.

Another nice touch is the clearly labelled plugs. The integrated circuit is built into the plug at each end of the cable to make them easy to run though the fabric of a building. Each plug is clearly labelled ‘DISPLAY’ and ‘SOURCE’ to ensure the cable is always installed correctly.

Need something even longer? For any cable length requirements over 20 metres, QED recommends its Performance Optical HDMI LSZH cable for transmission video speeds of 48Gb/s 8K@60Hz over 30m (£300), 40m (£350) and 50m (£400) runs.

The QED Performance Optical Ultra High Speed HDMI is available now from QED's website and independent retailers priced:

7.5m – £140 (around $190, AU$265)
10m – £160 (around $220, AU$300)
12m – £180 (around $245, AU$340)
15m – £200 (around $273, AU$380)
20m – £250 (around $340, AU$470) 

MORE:

Read our pick of the best AV receivers 2022: brilliant home cinema amplifiers

Need some inspo? See 8 stunning home cinema custom installs

Have the system and want to test it? Try 18 of the best Dolby Atmos movie scenes to test your home cinema sound

Don't want to break the bank for an HDMI cable? Head over to Amazon today and you can score a one metre HDMI 2.1-certified cable for just £8.99. That's a tasty 31% off the £12.99 RRP!

The Sniokco-branded cable supports a ton of sought-after features including 4K@120Hz and 48Gbps high speed data transfer, so it's ideally suited to premium TVs and next-gen games consoles.

The catch? This cheap HDMI cable deal is only for Prime members. But then, that's easily solved with this 30-day free Prime trial (no contract, cancel anytime).

HDMI 2.1 offers increased bandwidth, higher frame rates and/or higher resolution, which is why it's fast becoming the standard for video and audio in everything from TVs to games consoles and PCs. 

If you're thinking of buying a new TV or a games console, it's well worth adding a HDMI 2.1 cable to your basket. Especially now that Amazon has slashed 31% off the Sniokco 1m HDMI 2.1 certified cable.

We've not tested this particular lead, but it offers an upper limit of 48Gbps, which means it can transmit the extra pixels needed for 4@120Hz gaming and 8K video playback. It also supports eARC, which lets you send Dolby Atmos soundtracks from your TV to your audio system in the highest possible quality.

If you're in the market for a cheap HDMI cable deal, we suggest you grab this HDMI 2.1 cable for only £8.99 while stocks last.

MORE:

Get an Amazon Echo Dot for just £9.99

Amazon Prime is going up in price – how to avoid paying more

Here are the best smart speakers you can buy

It’s hard to assess the often outlandish claims for high-end speaker cables; it can seem a fairy-tale land where sales patter and snake oil combine to lubricate pricing until it climbs to seemingly outrageous levels for cables that may appear, at least externally, like any number of other cables.

On the other hand you have cable companies that have designs which are entirely unlike any other cables and are clearly highly engineered for their purpose. One such is Inakustik, a German company which has been making cables since 1977, and whose use of ‘air technology’ insulation in its cables delivers a unique take on cable dielectrics. 

The approach – and the resulting cable performance – has convinced Tim Wallis of Inakustik’s Australian distributor Audio Marketing. 

“A cable should not offer anything additional to your system, nor change anything. It should simply reveal the quality of your equipment, and that neutrality is what makes Inakustik’s Air and Micro Air cables perfect for all reference systems.”

• The best speakers we've reviewed: budget to premium

Inakustik’s latest creation is the Reference LS-404 Micro Air speaker cable. The complex manual assembly of each cable is conducted in Inakustik’s German factory, including both mechanical and performance testing quality control conducted on each final cable.

The new designs retain the air-insulation concept from the successful higher Reference Air series, where a three-metre pair of speaker cables can set you back more than AU$10,000. But the new Micro Air configuration allows a more affordable solution. 

The LS-404 Micro Air speaker cables will be available as three-metre pairs terminated with banana plugs for AU$1600, or terminated with spades for AU$1700. Bi-wire configuration and custom lengths will be available as special order.

Despite the more favourable pricing, the new designs maintain Inakustik’s use of air as a central component in the insulation dielectric, which the company claims to reduce cable capacitance. 

Normal dielectrics can increase capacitance many times over, claims Inakustik, with the material that insulates a cable absorbing electrical energy and releasing it later, causing smearing to the music signal. Air does not do this, says the company, and is therefore the ideal insulator. 

The Micro Air cables use a diamond-shaped structure to create chambers that increase the distance between conductors, and so also increase the air content in the insulation.

A total of eight concentric high-purity copper conductors are used in the Reference LS-404 Micro Air in addition to the air dielectric (compared with 24 cores in the Reference Air speaker cable). The multicore architecture allows the magnetic fields of the positive and negative conductors to overlap and neutralise, reducing the cable’s inductance, claims Inakustik.

The surfaces of the banana plugs and spades are finished with a durable rhodium coating, with the contact surfaces and the screw connection of the spades also manufactured from a single piece, thereby avoiding contact resistance.

“The proof is in the pudding with cables,” concludes Tim Wallis. “I strongly suggest an audition.”

• Best speaker cables: budget and premium audio cables

Cable specialist Atlas has just launched the new Atlas Ailsa Achromatic speaker cable. Joining the Ailsa Achromatic interconnect, launched in 2021, Ailsa is pitched between the company’s Hyper and Mavros cable ranges and offers OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) conductor technology and microporous PTFE dielectrics at a lower price point than previously available. 

Designed from the ground up, Ailsa is aimed at mid to high-end system use, but the proposition features technology deployed in the even higher-end Mavros range.

Kevin Kelly, managing director of Atlas Cables, said, “The Ailsa speaker cable bridges the gap between our Hyper and Mavros range... We have finally managed to successfully trickle down our OCC/microporous PTFE technology and included it in the Ailsa design."

Ailsa Achromatic speaker cable consists of 2 x 3mm OCC multi-stand copper conductors wrapped in a high-efficiency microporous PTFE dielectric. This is enhanced with super stabilised conductor geometry (SSG isolation layer), an extruded outer layer that keeps the multiple strand conductor symmetrical and geometrically accurate. 

The cable is then packed out with anti-vibration cotton filler and finished with a high-gloss grey jacket.

As with all Atlas analogue products, the Ailsa speaker cable is delivered from the factory terminated with the company’s Achromatic Z (4mm plugs) or S (spade terminals). Being low mass and non-conductive, the plug body promises to eliminate the detrimental effects of circulating Eddy currents.

The promised result is minimal discernible character, thus allowing your system to convey its inherent detail, timing and dynamics.

Atlas's Ailsa Achromatic speaker cable is available in pre-packaged lengths with Z or S connections, priced at £1395 for 2m, £1995 for 3m, £3195 for 5m and £4395 for 7m, all inclusive of VAT. International availability and pricing is not yet known, but given the UK prices, they should start from roughly $1900 or AU$2670. 

Custom lengths are also available to order from authorised retailers.

MORE:

See our pick of the best speaker cables 2022: budget and premium audio cables

And these are the best audio cables 2022

Get your system singing by investing in the best speaker stands 2022: budget and premium

Speaker stands may not be the most exciting of products, but we find they are pretty necessary if you want to get the best performance from your stereo speakers.

Putting your speakers on stands doesn’t just look good; they also provide them with a solid, non-resonating base that can neutralise pesky vibrations and allow them to perform to their full potential, while also providing you with more flexible positioning options to ensure that your listening position is right in the middle of that all-important sweet spot.

You don’t need to spend a lot on a set of stands either. And because the technology involved is pretty basic, a fine pair of stands from a few years (or even a decade) ago will be a fine pair of stands today. Indeed, some of the pairs featured on our list below were first reviewed nearly two decades ago, but they still serve us well and remain among our top picks all these years later.

There’s no need to focus on the latest and greatest, then, unless you want more contemporary styles. All you need to do is decide on your budget and then pick the stands that look and feel right for you. And that’s where we come in.

Below you’ll find our pick of the best speaker stands for various budgets, all reviewed in our dedicated test rooms by our in-house expert team. If you’ve still got your speakers shoved on top of an IKEA bookshelf, do yourself a favour and make this simple upgrade to your system. You can thank us later.

The best speaker stands overall

There's a reason these Atacama speaker stands continue picking up What Hi-Fi? Awards. Two metal columns – one filled for better stability, one for cable management – and a bamboo base offer sturdy support and a neat look.

And they allow our system to flourish by letting the speakers deliver their best in terms of punch, detail and rhythm. For around a ton, you'll struggle to do better.

Read the full Atacama Moseco 6 review

The best budget speaker stands

The Soundstyle Z2 speaker stands have been favourites of ours for more than a decade, winning Awards at various prices, and they remain a solid (ahem) choice.

Soundstyle has added lockable spikes to the base and improved the bolt and socket assembly of the main support for additional rigidity, while also filling the stands with damping materials to reduce resonance. They also come with top spikes. The new stands can help improve detail, add drive and help bring out the excitement in your music.

Read the full Soundstyle Z2 review

The best mid-range speaker stands

Designed for the Q Acoustics Concept 20 but compatible with any speakers, these are a little more expensive but deliver a performance to justify the price.

The clever construction – a layer of compliant compound in the metal top plate that helps dampen unwanted resonances by turning them into heat energy – makes them superb supports for all types of speakers. They look classy and have some cable management, while sonically they will free up your system in terms of punch and bite.

Read the full Q Acoustics Concept 20 Speaker Stands review

The best premium speaker stands

The FS104 Signature has five columns: a large one in the middle and four satellites. Assembly is fairly simple, especially for anyone who’s ever played with construction sets or a certain brand of Swedish furniture.

There’s an all-black option but, for contrast, the satellites also come in gold, chrome and brushed chrome. Overall, these stands allowed our kit to perform with more control and precision than did their rivals, offering a livelier, clearer sound.

Read the full Custom Design FS104 Signature review

Also consider

Atacama Nexxus 600 Essential: While the Moseco 6 at the top of this page remain our number one pick, Atacama’s Nexxus range is worth a look if you have very specific requirements, with various heights and sizes of top plate available. They also deliver a sturdy, stable and clean sound from your speakers, albeit one that lacks the subtlety delivered by the Moseco 6.

How to choose the best speaker stands for you

Picking a pair of speaker stands can aesthetic decision as well as aout stability, but there are still a few things you should consider before hitting that buy button.

The first thing to do is make sure any stands you’re looking at can support the size and weight of your speakers. Stability is the name of the game here, so check the size of the top plate and make sure it’ll provide a sturdy base for your speakers – ideally you want it to be just slightly smaller than the footprint of the speaker, but no larger or it could affect the performance. Some manufacturers offer multiple sizes, but you might have to fork out extra for them.

As well as helping to eliminate vibrations and interference, putting your speakers on stands brings them closer to ear level, so you should also consider the height of the stands in relation to your primary listening position. Most stands will lift your speakers approximately 60cm off the ground, but if you have a particularly low sofa you might want to pick some that are at the shorter end of the scale.

Even our premium pick above is relatively affordable, especially in a world where prices can start to climb very quickly, but do make sure your allocated budget for stands is in proportion with the speakers you’re mounting on them. As a general rule, the stands shouldn’t cost more than the speakers they’re holding.

Finally, there’s likely to be some assembly involved, so make sure you’re prepared for some light DIY before your new stands will be ready to go. Some speaker stands have a hollow element in the middle tube where you can fill it with materials such as acoustic sand, which add extra weight/stability as well as additional damping, should your system demand it. You buy a tub of this material separately, and experiment with how much it needs filling to get the right balance of sound; or you might decide they don't need this filler material at all.

How we test speaker stands

Testing speaker stands is a little different to testing the speakers themselves. After all, these products don't make a sound themselves, but instead offer a sturdy, stable base whose primary function is to offer support for your speakers and reduce any unwanted vibrations from affecting the overall performance.

We test every speaker stand using multiple pairs of reference speakers in order to get the most comprehensive understanding of how they will affect the performance of speakers of different sizes, designs, and at various price points. We use a mix of What Hi-Fi? Award winners, including KEF LS50 Meta, Epos ES-7N and Bowers & Wilkins models, which are kept in our stockroom for exactly this kind of comprehensive and comparative testing.

Using multiple sets of speakers on the same stands means we’re able to get an accurate and reliable understanding of how successful they are at eliminating vibrations and any associated distortion from your music, as well as the impact the stand's materials have on the system's overall performance. It also helps us note how well the stands can accommodate smaller, heavier or deeper speakers.

This comparative testing extends to the stands themselves, so we also keep the best-in-class products, such as the Atacama Moseco 6 featured at the top of this list, in our stockroom so we can pit new products against ones we know and love. We do our best to review as many new models in as many markets as possible to ensure our contextual knowledge is the best it can be.

All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and to make sure we're being as thorough as possible. There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for five decades.

You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.

Recent updates

• January 2026: We've checked all the products and information are still current, and updated some images.
• January 2025: Added a 'how to choose' section and an 'also consider' section including the Atacama Nexxus 600 Essential.

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British audio specialist QED has just introduced a new affordable Connect range of AV cables and adapters. The firm tells us every option has been custom-designed to deliver the best performance at palatable prices. 

Whether connecting to your TV, new hi-fi speakers, home cinema system or mobile device – think smartphones, laptops, tablets or portable DACs – the Connect series covers virtually every audio-visual connectivity base we can think of. And as technology inevitably evolves, the firm assures us any meaningful future connectivity requirement will also be incorporated into the ‘living’ QED Connect family.

Designed in the UK, the entire range boasts a stylish satin black finish wrapped in a soft but durable ultra-flexible PVC jacket, primed for home or mobile use. Each cable (where applicable) features custom-moulded 24K gold plated QED connectors and plugs for noise-free, long-life connectivity and 99.99 per cent oxygen free copper conductors for reliable signal transfer. 

Each QED Connect cable also comes in a variety of lengths and the entire range will arrive in minimal, fully biodegradable packaging.

QED's Connect stereo audio cable, which features HDPE dielectric for improved signal integrity and custom plug design with channel identifier, starts at £9.95/€12.95 for 0.75m length. 

The QED Connect 3.5mm jack to phono cable, 3.5mm jack to jack option and a 3.5mm headphone extension all start at around the £10 mark; QED Connect aerial cables are priced from £18.95/€23.95 and the QED Connect HDMI cable (high speed with Ethernet and fully compliant with HDMI 2.0) starts at just £14.95/€18.95 for 1.5m. 

Optical, subwoofer, speaker and USB cables also feature in the range, as well as a wide selection of stereo audio and video adaptors. 

QED has been designing and engineering AV cables for nearly five decades and is often considered the original cable brand (owing to its QED 79 strand cable, released in 1976, widely recognised as the world’s first “specialist” speaker cable) so it is worth noting these wallet-friendly price points for further investigation. 

The QED Connect range will be available in the UK and Europe by the end of January 2022, from QED's website and at select dealers. 

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