I’ve reviewed a whole range of soundbars in my time at What Hi-Fi?, ranging from five-star wonders to less-than-satisfactory models.

But it is not every day that a product like the Focal Mu-so Hekla enters the test room. This all-in-one sound system comes in at a whopping £3000 / $3600 (around AU$5625), placing it firmly in the high-end soundbar category.

The system supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, plus you get the full complement of streaming-service support, including Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify.

While it is branded as Focal, it is a collaboration between the French manufacturer and its sister company Naim Audio. Both brands hold a strong pedigree, so we had high hopes when we got the system into our test room.

And (spoiler alert) we were not disappointed. My colleagues and I spent days testing the Mu-so Hekla, so here are three things that impressed us the most about the model, and one thing that gave us some trouble.

Immersive, detailed sound with music and movies

First off, the Hekla sounds amazing with whatever we throw at it, whether that is a tense action thriller or a delicate piece of classical music. During testing we felt like we were immersed in everything we listened to, thanks to the system’s enveloping soundstage that wrapped around the listening position.

This experience was heightened by the system’s excellent precision, as you can hear effects placed around the soundfield with startling accuracy. When watching Dune: Part Two, we found in our review: “The levels of detail are breathtaking, as we can hear the grains of sand falling with an impressive exactness.”

Turning to music, this same show-stopping performance continued. Vocals sounded natural and expressive, and each frequency remained well-balanced.

We tested the Hekla against one of its closest competitors – the Award-winning KEF XIO. This five-star model launched at £1999 / $2500 / AU$3600, and holds the crown as the top premium soundbar in our best soundbars guide.

While the XIO is still an excellent performer, the Hekla justifies its higher price tag with better dynamics, detail resolution and refinement.

Clean, agile bass

Another sonic standout is Hekla’s bass. The low frequencies are meaty yet agile, lending its performance an extra sense of impact.

We felt the tight punch of initial bass in the soles of our feet during Dune: Part Two as our central character slips the thumper into the sand to call the worm.

Later as the worm bursts out from the depths, the roar of sand was forceful but not overwhelming, as you still hear Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides slinging his metal hooks and shouting in his efforts. It never stood out from the rest of the sound despite its low-end heft, and remained balanced even during busy action scenes.

We said in our review that it “reaches the lowest we have heard for an all-in-one system”, making it a class-leader in the soundbar category.

Stylish design

Aside from its audio performance, the Mu-so Hekla has a stylish design that feels worthy of its premium price tag. It is made from anodised aluminium with sandblasted finishes, which gives the system a sturdy and smooth feel.

Under the hood, it is equally impressive. There are 15 drivers in total, including seven on the front (three woofers, two midrange and two tweeters), two full-range drivers each on either side of the unit, and four upward-firing drivers at the top.

The Hekla is available only in an all-black finish – the idea is for the unit to disappear in a dark room (you can also turn off the LED illumination surrounding the control dial) for ultimate immersion in what you are watching or listening to.

There is also a tactile dial on the top of the bar that also acts as a touch screen, and adds to its sleek appearance. You can control volume with a twist to the side, and the dial acts as a touch screen to adjust input and power.

No display and bulky design

As much as we like this stylish touch dial, it makes navigation a little difficult when it is being used as a soundbar. As the display is on the top of the bar, it is not as intuitive as other designs we have seen such as the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max where the change in volume or output is clear.

In our test room, the light from the dial also reflected off the screen from certain angles. This won't be a problem if you're using the Hekla as a hi-fi system away from your TV, though.

The bar is also pretty hefty, weighing 15.5kg and measuring one metre long and almost 30cm deep. That means it’s less easy to accommodate than other premium soundbar rivals, as it needs a relatively large piece of furniture to support it.

This design makes sense from an engineering perspective, as Focal says it had to be this large to fit the required drivers, electronics and acoustic technology into the box to deliver the high-quality sound and immersion it wanted. Still, it is certainly worth considering how it will fit into your space.

Despite this design quirk, the Focal Mu-so Hekla is an incredibly strong sonic performer that more than justifies its high price tag.

MORE:

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Focal has a new flagship active wireless speaker system, and you'd better start saving it you want to get your hands on one.

The new Focal Diva Alta Utopia sits at the summit of the brand's Diva Utopia range, which is made in collaboration with sister-brand Naim Audio. As with the rest of the range, the new system offers built-in amplification alongside wireless streaming powers in a pair of floorstanding speakers – and it's the largest, most powerful and most expensive model yet.

We reviewed the first of the range, the five-star Diva Utopia system in late 2024, and found it a very impressive offering.

Focal pledges that this new flagship Alta Utopia system is "aimed at the most demanding audiophiles looking for an exceptional system", taking the ingredients of the established lineup and elevating them to new heights.

The Diva Alta Utopia features a new generation of the brand's 'Prism' tweeter, a 27mm unit which combines multiple materials for "the perfect balance between lightness, damping and rigidity".

That tweeter is complemented by a reinforced 13cm 'M-profile' midrange driver, with carbon reinforcement and a sealed enclosure that aims to offer a detailed, natural sounding mid-frequency reproduction.

Four 20.5cm woofers in each tower tease a deep and articulate bass, while a 16.5cm 'W' mid/bass driver uses a cone with two sheets of glass on either side of a central foam body, which, says Focal, grants the ideal blend of lightness, rigidity and damping.

The active system packs a huge 600 watts of Class A/B power per speaker, which is distributed over four dedicated amplifiers to provide what Focal says is an "exceptionally wide" sound with "no dynamic compression".

Thanks to the implementation of Naim's Pulse streaming platform, the flagship system can accept high-resolution files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM. The Diva Alta Utopia uses Focal's 'Ultra Wideband' technology to ensure 24-bit/192kHz wireless support between the speakers, and a hi-res connecting cable is also provided.

'Focal Time Management' tech is integrated, wherein the speakers' drivers are arranged in a curved arc to obtain a more consistent and realistic sound image at all times. This design is in keeping with Focal's Utopia series of passive speakers.

Streaming support is extensive, with UPnP compatibility allowing you to stream digital files across a home network from a NAS unit, and the system is compatible with the most popular platforms, such as Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Qobuz. AirPlay 2 and Google Cast are also on board, while aptX Adaptive codec support allows for 24-bit Bluetooth playback from a compatible source.

For physical connections, the primary loudspeaker houses HDMI eARC, optical, USB-C and RCA line-level inputs, and an ethernet port if you prefer a wired connection to the internet. Those physical connections are mounted to a curved heat sink, designed for maximised thermal dissipation, while an aluminium base aims for optimised airflow and better ventilation.

The Focal Diva Alta Utopia is available now, in five distinct finishes: Grey Felt, Ivory Felt, Black High Gloss, Off White High Gloss, and Dune High Gloss.

The price? A rather hefty £165,000 / $199,999 / €190,000 for the felt finishes and £175,000 / $210,000 / €199,990 for high gloss. That's considerably higher than the original Diva Utopia we tested at £29,999 / $39,999 / AU$59,999 per pair.

MORE:

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The Focal Mu-so Hekla is not your average soundbar. It claims to be an “immersive all-in-one system” that “combines Dolby Atmos technology, outstanding sound performance, and ease of use to transform your everyday listening”.

Its name alone shows off its strong pedigree. While it is branded as Focal, it is a collaboration between the French manufacturer and its sister company Naim Audio. This isn’t the first time the two brands have worked together on a product: that was the high-end Diva Utopia active wireless stereo speaker system (£29,999 / $39,999 / AU$59,999) which came out back in 2024.

The Naim link is also apparent with the inclusion of the Mu-so branding, which audio fans may recognise as the company’s well-regarded line of wireless speakers that launched in 2014. The range boasts such products as the five-star and What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Naim Mu-so 2 (2019) and Mu-so Qb 2nd Gen models, which wowed us with their punchy, detailed and dynamic sound.

And where does Hekla come from? It’s the name of one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes. If that evokes an explosive and powerful performance, then you would be correct.

Price

The Focal Mu-so Hekla has its sights set on the high-end market, and is only sold in authorised Focal Powered By Naim retailers. This exclusive nature is also reflected in its price tag, which is a whopping £3000 / $3600 (around AU$5625).

That’s higher than the all-in-one music systems we have encountered from Ruark Audio and Cambridge Audio, as well as premium Dolby Atmos soundbars such as the KEF XIO (£1999 / $2500 / AU$3600) which snagged a What Hi-Fi? Award last year. We praised this KEF soundbar for its agile bass and detailed overall sound.

Design

The Mu-so Hekla is quite a bulky beast. It is one metre long and almost 30cm deep. On top of that, it weighs 15.5kg. This makes it less easy to accommodate than other premium soundbar rivals, as it needs a relatively large piece of furniture to support it.

On the top of the bar, you will find a stylish white illuminated dial that is the same as that featured on Naim’s Mu-so products. You can control volume with a twist to the side, and the dial acts as a touch screen to adjust input and power. It makes for a sleek design that rotates smoothly and adds to the premium feel.

As much as we like it, this design creates some issues when the Hekla is used as a soundbar. In our test room, it only just fits under our TV screen and the light from the dial is reflected off the screen from certain angles. This is not a problem when using the Hekla as a hi-fi system away from your TV.

Given the system’s bulkiness it’s fair to ask, why not make it more soundbar-y in shape? The Hekla’s shape is dictated by the engineering team’s insistence on prioritising acoustics. It simply had to be this large to fit the required drivers, electronics and acoustic technology into the box in order to deliver the high-quality sound and immersion they wanted.

“When we created this product, yes, we wanted a home cinema experience; but above all, we wanted to keep our hi-fi signature, specifically for music,” a Focal representative told our Hi-Fi and Audio Editor Kashfia Kabir at the product’s launch showcase last year.

The Hekla is available only in an all-black finish – the idea is for the unit to disappear in a dark room (you can also turn off the LED illumination surrounding the control dial) for ultimate immersion in what you are watching or listening to.

Although it is large, the Hekla has a premium-feeling design that matches its price tag.

Features

There are 15 drivers in total, with each powered by its own Class D amplifier. That includes seven drivers on the front (three woofers, two midrange and two tweeters), two full-range drivers each on either side of the unit, and four upward-firing drivers at the top of the unit.

All together, it outputs a claimed 660 watts of power (60W each to the front three drivers, 40W each to the remaining 12 drivers). The electronics (streaming and amplification) are all designed by Naim. Steve Sells, the engineer behind the original Mu-so and the flagship Naim Statement amplifier, was also involved in the development of this Mu-so Hekla.

In terms of physical connectivity, you will find an HDMI port with eARC support. There is also an optical input, a wired Ethernet port (alongside wi-fi capability), and a pair of RCA outputs to add a subwoofer.

You can connect your TV, CD player, Blu-ray or games console; but unlike other do-it-all modern systems, there is no built-in phono stage.

As you would expect, you get the full complement of streaming-service support and high-resolution file compatibility. Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify – and their Connect versions – are present, as are AirPlay 2, Google Cast and Bluetooth (standard AAC and SBC codecs only) for easy streaming from your devices. UPnP streaming is also on board, meaning you can play stored files from connected hard drives.

Hekla supports hi-res audio up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD128 files, and it can also connect with other compatible Focal/Naim streaming products that use the same Focal & Naim app and streaming platform to create a multi-room system.

In terms of sound modes, there are a range of options to choose from: Dolby Music, Dolby Movie, Sphere Music and Sphere Movie. There is also a Night Mode, which reduces dynamics and bass so you do not disturb others in the house.

You can switch between these modes via the app, which lets you easily fine-tune the bar’s settings and change the output. You can also go into the EQ settings, and calibrate the soundbar to your space with Focal’s ADAPT (Adaptative Acoustic Personal Tuning) technology. Get your tape measure handy for that one, as you will be asked to calculate a range of different measurements.

With ADAPT on, the scale of the sound is wider, which adds an extra bit of immersion to our listening experience.

Sound

As soon as we boot up the Focal Mu-so Hekla with movies, we are greeted with a spacious yet precise sound that elevates every scene.

We kick off with Sinners in Dolby Atmos as our protagonist Sammie summons spirits from the past, present, and future to a small barn in Mississippi. When Sammie sings his heartfelt tune, accompanied by just his guitar, his slightly tentative vocals sound emotive and grow stronger as he gains confidence with a sense of authenticity.

As the spirits join in and more instruments are added to the mix, the Hekla does a brilliant job of expanding the soundfield to create a sense of spaciousness without losing its composure. Each instrument and voice is still placed exactly around the space, which adds a sense of precision that is rare for an all-in-one system. There is not a trace of harshness either, as we are instead treated to a solid and full-bodied approach that adds an extra weightiness.

The Hekla maintains this composed yet impactful performance with its bass. With Dune: Part Two in Atmos, we watch as Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides rides his first sandworm. When he slips the thumper into the sand to call the worm, the initial click is tight and clean with a precision that can be felt in the soles of our feet. The levels of detail are breathtaking, as we can hear the grains of sand falling with an impressive exactness.

Later as the worm bursts out from the depths, the roar of sand is forceful but not overwhelming, as you can hear Atreides slinging his metal hooks and shouting in his efforts. The bass also packs an authoritative low-end punch that reaches the lowest we have heard for an all-in-one system, adding to the scene’s impact.

The gradual build from Atreides quietly skulking across the sand to the exhilarating flurry of sound as the worm emerges is expertly handled by the Hekla, and shows off its superb dynamics.

When switching between the sound modes, each offers a slightly different experience. Dolby Movie offers the most precise sound, but this results in a slightly less three-dimensional feel. Sphere Mode, on the other hand, offers a more spacious sound with a more muscular bass but sacrifices a degree of precision. Both sound great, but it is down to personal preference.

The same can be said for the modes when we switch between Dolby Music and Sphere Music when playing some tunes.

The Hekla continues its show-stopping performance with music, and deals excellently with whatever we throw at it. Listening to 500 Miles by Peter, Paul and Mary via Qobuz Connect, the system shows off its softer side. As the vocals get louder near the end of the piece then grow quieter to almost a whisper, it handles this change in dynamics with subtlety to compound the emotive finale.

It can go punchy and loud, too. With Liar’s Tale by Kneecap, the initial visceral electric zing is portrayed with enthusiasm and clarity. When the bass comes in full throttle, it is delivered with authority and immediately gets our toes tapping.

With Yosi Horikawa’s Bubbles, the sound of bouncing ping pong balls cascades all around our listening position with incredible levels of detail and spaciousness.

We put the Hekla up against the less pricey KEF XIO. While the cheaper XIO is still great for the money, the Hekla justifies its higher price tag with better dynamics, detail resolution and refinement.

Verdict

As far as all-in-one systems go, the Focal Mu-so Hekla offers the best of both worlds. It delivers all the drama you could want from a soundbar when watching movies, with controlled bass and authoritative overall sound that elevates each scene.

But you can also feed it a delicate piece of music and be treated to a finessed performance that makes you feel the emotion of each note.

It might come at a high price but, if you have the funds, its performance more than justifies the cost.

Review published: 15th June 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Design 5

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We have seen several feature-packed all-in-one hi-fi systems enter the market from traditional manufacturers in recent times. Cambridge Audio, KEF, Sonus Faber, Naim and Ruark Audio, to name but a few, all offer one-box solutions which include source(s), input and speakers built-in. And now we can add Danish speaker manufacturer Dali to that list.

At High End Vienna 2026, it launched Vega, a hi-fi system with a twist, and one that the company has actually been working on for four years. Obviously, we couldn’t resist dropping by the Dali stand for a closer look to see the system in action.

Price

The Dali Vega costs £2599 / $4500 / AU$4499 and launches in October. This makes it more expensive than the Ruark Audio R410 (£1299 / $1699 / AU$2599) or Cambridge Audio Evo One (£1299 / $1499 / AU$2499.

However, it does sit below the £2999 / $3600 / €3300 asking price of the Focal Mu-so Hekla, which will be one of its key rivals.

Design and build

Dali claims Vega has been designed to be “the most versatile and user-friendly audio source in the home”. And it definitely delivers the kind of flexibility and thoughtfulness we haven’t seen in this arena before.

Besides placing Vega horizontally on a tabletop, you can also wall-mount it. Not only that, but you can flip it through ninety degrees so it hangs upright.

It’s a clever idea and offers users an extra solution when room space might be tight, and attaching it to a wall is an option.

Although it does offer HDMI connectivity, Dali is at pains to say this is a wireless sound system and not a soundbar – there’s no Dolby Atmos or upfiring drivers.

What it does have is a 400W digital amp running 8 channels of audio. Under the woven fabric speaker grilles are two 25mm soft dome tweeters and two 4.5in wood-fibre/paper mid/bass cones on the front, and you'll find the same driver configuration on the rear.

At either end of the unit is an anodised aluminium passive radiator, which matches the finish of the speaker. They’re black on the dark oak finish and silver on the light oak silver finish.

You can’t miss the large circular control on the top of Vega. Dail has spent a lot of time trying to make it tactile and nice to use, and when we try it out, it seems smooth to operate.

It uses a military-grade ball-bearing, while the housing of the wheel is metal with a glass top. Tap the glass, and it brings up Vega’s menus, which are located on a small OLED screen positioned next to it.

The writing on the screen switches to match the unit's portrait or landscape orientation, which is a neat touch. Dali explained that this functionality would have been difficult to achieve with a more traditional dot-matrix LCD display.

It does seem a little small, especially when trying to read the speaker’s settings from a distance, but once the speaker is set up, you’ll mainly be interacting with the BluOS app on your smartphone or tablet.

To the left of the control dial is a row of buttons which includes power, mute and input switching. You also get five customisable preset buttons, which you could assign to a radio station or streaming service – you can even map one to a particular input.

Features

As we’ve mentioned, Vega is powered by BluOS, which we've found to be a stable and well-featured streaming platform. Everything else for Vega has been designed in-house by Dali.

This includes a patent-pending Adaptive Stereo Enhancement (ASE) DSP processing that monitors the incoming stereo signal in real-time and adapts it to fill your room in a spacious and immersive manner.

Out of the box, Vega is set up for use on a shelf or tabletop and has three settings to choose from depending on its placement: free space, medium, and close.

Each one of these affects the sound output from the rear of the speaker, which is at its maximum when in free space mode.

You also have not one but two wall mounting options (it comes with a bracket in the box). It can be positioned horizontally or vertically and uses an internal accelerometer to work out its orientation, and it will automatically switch the output of the speakers to match.

So, when it’s mounted vertically, instead of still having left and right channels firing out of the front and rear, the whole left side of Vega becomes the left channel, and the right side becomes the right channel. Very clever.

To accommodate wall mounting, all connections are underneath the system as opposed to on the rear – Vega offers HDMI ARC, an RCA analogue input, an optical digital connection and a USB input for an external drive. There’s also a subwoofer output, should you want to up the bass at a later date.

In addition to the BluOS streaming smarts, Vega’s wireless connectivity also includes Bluetooth aptX HD, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect and AirPlay 2.

Sound

During our demo with Vega, we were shown the effect of having the ASE processing on and off, and although it was tricky to hear too much, thanks to the noise coming from other areas of the exhibition space, you could still hear the sound shrink and become smaller scale when it was turned off.

Turned back on, you could hear the sound open up again and become larger and fuller.

We’ll obviously need to get it into our test rooms for a full sound quality evaluation, but we heard a few seconds of Ray Charles and Natalie Cole’s version of Fever and the double bass and finger clicks seemed to be nicely defined and have decent snap to them.

Vega seems to serve up an open and dynamic sound, although it was difficult to really evaluate the detail and definition that managed to cut through the noise on the stand.

We switched up the pace with the Stereo MC’s Step It Up, and the Dali seemed to have a skip in its step with seemingly decent punch and power. We couldn’t really hear anything stick out of the frequency range, but it was competing with a lot of environmental noise.

Initial verdict

Obviously, we won’t know how the Dali Vega truly fares until we’ve had a chance to put it through its paces in our test rooms, but it’s an eye-catching offering from the brand in the category of all-in-one hi-fi systems.

Not only does it boast interesting tech developed in-house, Dali’s managed to package its wireless sound system with an attractive amount of versatility.

Some might see the wall-mounting as a bit of a gimmick, but we think the extra flexibility has legs and is a novel approach where space in many living rooms is at a premium. If Vega manages to execute it successfully, Dali could be onto something, and we can’t wait to find out.

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I have tested a fair amount of soundbars in my time, from budget bars to premium multi-speaker systems. Most of those models fit fairly neatly into the soundbar category, serving as a way to upgrade your TV’s speakers without having to fill your living room with a load of extra kit.

But the most recent product to enter our test room has not sat perfectly in that mould. Enter the Focal Mu-so Hekla, dubbed on the brand’s website an “immersive home cinema system [that] combines Dolby Atmos technology, outstanding sound performance, and ease of use.” This is a joint release coming from Naim as well as Focal, as the brands merged in 2011.

The Hekla is coming for the premium end of the market, with a serious price tag of £3000 / $3600.

Now, I’m hesitant to call it a soundbar for a few reasons.

The Focal Mu-so Hekla takes its name from Naim’s well-regarded line of wireless speakers. That includes such products as the five-star and What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Naim Mu-so, Mu-so 2 (2019) and Mu-so Qb 2nd Gen models. And the name reveals its close ties to hi-fi as well as home cinema.

Then there is its design. The Hekla makes much more sense as a hi-fi system than a soundbar when it comes to where you can actually place it. Measuring 30cm deep and 100cm wide, the Mu-so Hekla does not offer the same pick-up-and-play build, especially compared with premium soundbars such as the KEF XIO. Its size also means it can be difficult to place in front of the TV unless you have dedicated furniture to house it.

On top of the system is a light-up dial (see above) which acts as a touch screen to control volume, power and input. That placement is not ideal for being below your TV, as you can’t easily see what is being displayed. Also, the light from the display can reflect off your TV screen at certain angles, which makes viewing a little distracting.

All of that means it would look more at home on a side table, much like a hi-fi system rather than a soundbar.

Its performance also stops us from calling it purely a hi-fi or soundbar system. Our full review is in the works but, spoiler alert, it sounds excellent with both music and movies. With both, we are met with an immersive, detailed and full-bodied sound that elevates whatever we throw at it.

There have been soundbars that have performed well with music and movies, but the Mu-so Hekla’s ability to handle both brilliantly certainly threatens to set new standards for the category. And that ability to do it all has made me question whether the soundbar label is becoming outdated.

Ultimately, it’s not clear which category the Hekla fits into. We had been debating what to call it within the What Hi-Fi? team even before it entered our test room. But its show-stopping performance could move the goalposts for what we should call a soundbar – and I’m excited to see that the label will keep evolving.

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A couple of months ago we brought you news that hi-fi brands Naim and Focal were being taken over by a new owner. We now have official confirmation that the deal is done.

The two brands' parent company VerVent Audio is now owned by Barco, which is "a global specialist in high-end projection, visualisation, and immersive experience solutions."

The aim is to build "a European leader in audiovisual solutions" that can cater to both professional and residential environments alike.

It's described as a "long term vision for all Focal and Naim activities", so let's hope the brands keep thriving. Our senior staff writer Harry McKerrell was worried and excited in equal measure when the move was announced.

We're promised the deal will produce "some of the most competitive audiovisual solutions on the market while setting new standards for usage in the most demanding environments."

As for what it means for us hi-fi and home cinema fans, we'll have to wait and see. Naim and Focal were both founded independently in the 1970s, and joined forces in 2011 under VerVent Audio.

Hopefully we'll keep seeing products as good as the premium Focal Bathys Mg wireless headphones and the superb Naim NAC 552 / NAP 500 DR amplifier we reviewed recently.

We also have the brands' latest collaboration product, the Focal Mu-so Hekla all-in-one Dolby Atmos system, in for review at the moment.

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It’s the pulsating heart of your hi-fi system and, as anyone who’s read this publication knows, to ignore its sonic relevance in your setup would be foolish in the extreme.

Several long-established and highly revered audio firms started out when one or two individuals shared a common goal: to release a decent stereo amplifier – something better than whatever was currently powering their system.

We have seen and tested many (though not all) of these amplifiers and their successors over the 50-year history of What Hi-Fi?, and here we’ve picked out nine of the very best, in our humble collective opinion.

These little powerhouses have left indelible marks on hi-fi history, paving the way not just for the brands that blossomed in their wake, but for the agile, transparent and joyous music systems we enjoy today.

Naim NAP 200 (1973)

Julian Vereker’s shift from building cars to designing amplifiers and loudspeakers (for London’s Capital Radio, no less) led to the founding of Naim Audio in 1973.

With both Julian and his co-founder Shirley Clarke as directors, their shop in the centre of Salisbury, England, was the birthplace in that same year of the company's first consumer product: the NAP 200 power amplifier.

Vereker originally designed the NAP 200 in 1971 and, although its descendants differ greatly – the line continues to evolve with products like the excellent NAP 100 to this day – Naim still shoots for the same performance goals of pace, rhythm and timing.

Cyrus One (1984) 

The Mission Cyrus One – back when Cyrus was a part of Mission – was a piece of kit very much aimed at audiophiles, despite its budget-friendly price tag.

It had no tone or balance controls and carried plenty of inputs for sources. Early examples had a plastic case to eliminate the distortion effects of eddy current, but later versions switched to a cast metal case – sophisticated for a budget amp.

In the What Hi-Fi? review, we concluded that the inaugural One communicated a precise soundstage, but it was also capable of handling low-level details that other amplifiers "repressed or simply rendered messy".

Combine that sound with the superb build quality, and you had an amp whose performance could rival pricier options.

• Old amplifier vs new amplifier: which is better?

Cambridge Audio P40 (1968) 

Cambridge Audio's first ever product, the P40 integrated amplifier, was also the first ever amp to use a toroidal transformer – a significant innovation at the time.

These days, it's a standard component inside high-end amps; a sure sign that what the firm tried back in 1968 worked out really rather well.

The follow up to the P40 arrived just a few years later in 1970 with the P50, a much more powerful amplifier with a unique active volume control.

However, one glance at the lines and craftsmanship on the P40 is to know that this is a stunning debut amp.

A&R A60 (1976)

Amplification & Recording Cambridge was founded back in 1976. Now known by a far snappier moniker, Arcam (see what they did there?), the company’s success was built on its first amplifier, the A60.

Pictured above is our review from August 1981, though the product was launched five years earlier.

Back in the early 1980s, this slimline integrated amp would set you back £190 and was considered the go-to middle-market amplifier, comparable to the Crimson 510/520 pre/power combination (remember that?). It proved the ideal upgrade from budget champions such as NAD’s original 3020 (which we will get to shortly).

It was a functional unit with a decent array of line-level inputs plus a capable moving-magnet phono stage – hardly a surprise considering vinyl was still the dominant media of the day.

The tone controls were subtle in their action and as such could, on occasion, prove useful when any recording or partnering kit wasn’t quite balanced.

The A60 also had a filter switch which progressively rolled off frequencies above 7.5kHz in a bid to reduce hiss from a tuner or the impact of a pop from vinyl.

NAD 3020 (1978)

A power output of 20W per channel was hardly earth-shattering but, at £85, the 3020 could drive speakers better than pretty much any of its rivals. The 3020 amplifier put NAD on the map, such was its impact.

The story goes that when NAD’s managing director, Marty Borish, hired a quiet audio engineer called Bjorn Erik Edvardsen, the pair noted a space in the market. Edvardsen got the bit between his teeth.

Initially headquartered in London, NAD’s growing team, led by Edvardsen, obsessively experimented and refined the electronic designs, seeking a eureka moment. When it finally came, NAD delivered perhaps the best-selling hi-fi amplifier in history.

The original NAD 3020 had a balance that was smooth and full-bodied, delivering a good, coherent sound which worked well with the some of the less–refined budget kit of the time.

The cult-like following generated by the 3020 was so great that NAD would have been foolish to shelve it. In 2013, some 35 years after its initial release, we gave the latest NAD D 3020 iteration a coveted five-star review and a What Hi-Fi? Award.

Burmester 777 (1977) 

As a musician, Dieter Burmester (founder of Burmester Audiosysteme) always wanted to make his sound system reproduce music as naturally and purely as possible, and it was the malfunction of his preamp that led to him fashioning the first Burmester product.

Preamps on the market couldn’t satisfy Dieter Burmester’s high demands, so he built his own from parts of medical machines – the Burmester 777.

According to the firm, the 777 – so named because it was released in the seventh month in the year 1977 – remains a core element of Burmester's products today.

In 2007, Burmester even released a 30th anniversary update in its honour, a preamp called the Burmester 077. Did we like it? You could say that. In our review, we concluded, "If you can afford it, buy it right now."

McIntosh 50W-1 (1949) 

Before you write in, the amp pictured is the 50W2 (two pieces, which form one 50W-per-channel mono amp), McIntosh's fourth amplifier, circa 1951 – think Elvis and Frank Sinatra territory.

Why are we not showing you the original 50W-1? Well, photographs of hi-fi separates from 71 years ago are quite hard to come by, it turns out.

In 1946 Frank McIntosh, a design consultant for broadcast and TV stations, hired Gordon Gow to help him design a high power, low distortion amplifier for his clients. This amplifier would be the 50W-1.

It included McIntosh’s first patented circuit, the Unity Coupled Circuit – still used in the company's current products.

Musical Fidelity Dr. Thomas Power Amplifier (1982)

Musical Fidelity chose to keep the naming of its inaugural product simple with The Preamp. It was released in 1982 and quickly racked up rave reviews.

Evidently, the designer of its shoebox-style power partner, Dr. Martin Vincent Thomas, didn't like the idea of designing 'The Power Amp', and chose to take matters into his own hands when it came to establishing a moniker for Musical Fidelity's first power amplifier. Thus, the Dr. Thomas was born.

With its black acrylic casework and name (what a name!) illuminated in red on the fascia, the 100W+ Dr. Thomas power amplifier cut a fine figure – a great visual match for the similarly-styled Preamp.

It was also surprisingly powerful. Sadly, this casework design was dropped quite quickly – but what a lovely-looking setup it must have been.

Audiolab 8000A (1983)

Audiolab's 8000A caused quite a stir in the early 1980s thanks to its "superb finish and styling" – just take a look at our review (below).

Admittedly, today it looks a lot like a grey-tinged box with lots of dials, but it offered excellent sound and features, including bass and treble controls, a stereo balance control and a separate record selector, so you could "listen to one source while taping another". And the sound was smooth with "plenty of presence and detail".

Audiolab was formed in 1983 by Philip Swift and Derek Scotland, quickly earning worldwide acclaim in that same year with the 8000A – an integrated stereo amp that was both a natural ‘step-up’ from budget models of the time and, latterly, a classic hi-fi component.

Thanks to its fine build and features, the 8000A was great value for money too.

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If luxury cars and high-end hi-fi are two of your favourite things, then Bentley’s latest offering should get your engine revving.

The Crewe-based car manufacturer has just unveiled its new Virtuoso collection, three exclusive, curated themes available across its range of luxury cars.

Virtuoso is available in either Soprano, Tenor or Bass form and sees the use of more refined materials, unique embroidery and champagne gold details “inspired by high-end music craftsmanship”.

The main highlight for audiophiles, though, is the 18-speaker Naim for Mulliner sound system, which comes as part of the package.

Naim for Mulliner was originally designed for Bentley’s coachbuilt £2,000,000 Batur model, where it had an option price of £25,000, and now it’s been distilled for Bentley’s, dare we say, standard road cars.

The limited collection is available across Continental GT, GTC and Bentayga for now, with Flying Spur to be added at a later date

The system has been developed with Dolby and supports Dolby Atmos to give a more immersive listening experience.

Naim provides much of the hardware, but the system also uses speakers derived from Focal’s Grand Utopia high-end speakers (don’t forget the two brands merged back in 2011), including two upgraded drivers originally developed for Batur, which offer a 20 per cent increase in cone movement thanks to their unique ‘M’ shape.

They’re light, rigid and damped and claim to have “greater articulation” and “broader dynamic range”. The system also features aluminium/magnesium tweeters, which also use the patented ‘M’ cones, which help to deliver an ”extremely linear frequency response with a low distortion rate and better sound dispersion”.

These drivers combine with newly designed speaker grilles that give a claimed 26 per cent “greater acoustic transparency”.

Bentley’s audio engineers also used Frauhofer Symphoria rendering technology to set the soundstage for each model in the range so driver and passengers can get the best balanced sound throughout the vehicle.

There are some neat small details, too, like the use of soft Dinamica inserts placed inside the door panels to reduce unwanted vibrations and frequencies. The thick Mulliner overmats also handle sound absorption duties.

The three styles of Virtuoso available are Soprano (Linen and Gravity Grey hides, Portland Dinamica fabric and Open Pore Crown Cut Walnut veneer), Tenor (Stratos and Brunel hides, Ceramic Glaze Dinamica fabric and Piano Gravity Grey veneer), and Bass (Gravity Grey and Beluga hides, Beluga Dinamica fabric and Open Pore Black Crown Cut Walnut veneer); but of course, as is the case with Bentley, you can work with its Mulliner division to create your own unique style should you wish to.

Unsurprisingly, pricing is only available on request.

Naim and Focal merged way back in 2011, but more recently, it was announced that their parent company, VerVent was being taken over by Belgian firm Barco, so it’s an interesting time for both brands.

MORE:

Read our Naim for Bentley premium audio system (2020 Bentley Continental GT) review

And our Naim for Bentley premium audio system (2020 Bentley Flying Spur) review

7 things I’ve learned testing in-car hi-fi for a decade

I spent 24 hours immersed in Dolby Atmos Music – these are 8 key things I learned

In case you missed it, established audio brands Focal and Naim are set to be taken over by Belgian firm Barco. Better known for its healthcare tech, as well as assets in enterprise and entertainment, it seems on the face of it to be a slightly odd arrangement, considering Barco's lack of experience in the audio sector.

It's a realm into which the Belgian firm is keen to expand, however, with Barco aiming for an "evolution towards integrated audio-visual solutions, offering high‑end visualisation and audio solutions to both consumer and professional customers.”

We don't know exactly what the plan is at the moment, but we know that Barco wants to expand into home cinema, public spaces and professional cinema arenas, and with the acquisition of Focal and Naim, it's clearly keen on sound, too.

That's all well and good, and there's no question that the new ownership has the potential to put some significant financial backing into its latest acquisitions. The company's official revenue last year clocked in at around €963.8 million, a pretty decent amount for, potentially, pumping into audio and home entertainment.

Lots of money should be sloshing around, then, although we'll wait and see how Focal plans on using it, or the extent to which new ownership will have an effect on how the company is run.

Often, when smaller brands are amalgamated into larger ones, such as Arcam's integration within the wider world of Harman (in turn owned by the colossus that is Samsung), it tends to mean more resources and access to established consumer networks. The extent to which interference trickles down from above, of course, varies significantly.

What we're hoping for Focal, and indeed for Naim, is that it's generally business as usual. Focal's recent run of headphones, be they wired or wireless, has been outstanding, with the Bathys, Clear Mg and Bathys Mg over-ears impressing us mightily with five-star sound and looks that could kill. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

New owners don't tend to change sonic signatures, and we hope that's the case with Barco and its new assets. Focal's current crop of headphones really are some of the best in their respective classes, so we're not keen for a wholesale change sonically. If it ain't broke, and all that...

While a deviation from that tasty Focal blend of detail, spaciousness and sheer musicality might not be the route to take, we would tentatively welcome expansion into different ends of the market.

The brand's cans have tended to be focused on the upper echelons of the headphones landscape – the Focal Azurys tend to knock around at the bottom end of the scale, and they'll still set you back around £499 – so opening up to newer, more affordable avenues wouldn't be a bad thing. New ownership and more resources might free up the opportunity to do just that.

Focal has carved an impressive niche within the world of wired and wireless headphones, with very few brands capable of emulating the unique look and sound of its best and brightest.

What we want is a best of both worlds scenario. New avenues of expansion would be exciting, but sonically, with a brand like Focal, sometimes things are best left the way they are.

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In the world of hi-fi and home cinema, many brands have been around for quite a while. To the point, some of the heavy-hitters we cover are significantly older than What Hi-Fi?, which, in case you missed it, is turning 50 this year.

This is why many of us assume certain household names are here to stay. At least that's what we thought until 2026 rolled around and three key events occurred that could spell trouble – or lead the way to a brighter future – for some of the industry's biggest names.

In case you missed the news, allow us to fill you in on the details...

Hi-fi high jinks

Starting with what’s going on in hi-fi, the most recent news is that Belgium firm Barco is set to buy VerVent Audio.

Not heard of either? Neither had I until a grey cell fired off, reminding me VerVent is the relatively new parent company of Focal and Naim.

And then alarm bells went off when a quick bit of research reminded me that Barco is mainly known for its presence in the healthcare industry and commercial AV markets, and certainly not hi-fi. Think giant screens for immersive museum installations, cinemas and stadium-level events, rather than two-channel separates.

The CEO of Barco, An Steegen, was eager to tell press and investors that the purchase is intended to help it “shape the future of immersive audiovisual experiences”, and that both brands will continue to operate in the consumer space. But even then, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of concern.

First, because the statement clearly stated the focus was on growing “integrated solutions where image and sound reinforce each other seamlessly”.

Pessimistic soul that I am, this sounds like the aforementioned museums and stadiums rather than home hi-fi, which is of course where Focal and Naim have such strong pedigree.

We’ve contacted both Naim and Focal for more information on this point, but haven’t heard back at the time of writing. And in truth, it’s likely too early for people at those brands to know Barco's plans – these acquisitions tend to take a while to roll out.

This news comes on the back of Harman International completing its purchase of Masimo’s audio brands in September 2025.

That deal had us worrying for the future of the brands affected – Bowers & Wilkins, Classé, Denon, Marantz and Polk Audio, to name a few.

All told, there's a lot of uncertainty in the hi-fi world.

Home cinema havoc

And how about in the home cinema world? Here we have two other big shifts.

Last month we covered the Panasonic 2026 TV launch event in Germany and we expected it to follow a familiar script: journalists turn up, company executives brief media, new products are announced, we share all the news with you, the readers.

Except it didn’t go down that way. Instead, Lewis Empson, our TV and AV writer, was greeted by an emptier showroom than normal. And a bunch of people with Skyworth branding were on stage with Panasonic. And it turned out for good reason.

The Chinese firm is buying Panasonic’s TV business. This means that apart from the single new OLED this year, the Z85C, Skyworth will be responsible for the R&D, production and sales of Panasonic TVs going forward.

Yes, Skyworth has made TVs before, but for people like me who remember Panasonic in its plasma heyday, this is a big change. And it's not the only one we've had this year.

Back in January we had the bombshell announcement from Sony that it had reached an agreement to sell a 51 per cent stake in its home entertainment business to TCL. Marketed as a “strategic partnership”, the concrete details of how the arrangement will work remain unknown.

But the early announcement confirmed TCL will oversee "the full process from product development and design to manufacturing, sales, logistics, and customer service for products including televisions and home audio equipment".

That, in theory, includes Sony’s OLED business, which has had multiple What Hi-Fi? Award winners, including the Sony Bravia 8 and Sony Bravia 8 II, in recent years.

Given TCL’s past insistence that Mini LED is better than OLED, the move has set off more than a few alarm bells among the What Hi-Fi? team.

Be like Brian

So what do all these changes mean for regular consumers, who just want to buy the best possible TV or hi-fi products?

It’s way too early to tell. During the 50 years of What Hi-Fi?'s existence we’ve seen acquisitions like this plenty of times before, and some have been positive for the brands involved, others less so.

The only thing we know for certain right now is that big changes to the home cinema and hi-fi market are coming.

Which is why, for now, while I wait for more information and the firm’s involved to offer concrete answers to the questions we’ve sent (which they may well not know right now either), I’ve decided to take a page out of the playbook of my favourite prophet, Brian.

Specifically, to always look at the bright side of life, and hope that the changes will be positive until I get clear evidence to the contrary. After all, we certainly don't want to lose any more legendary AV brands.

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Audio firms Focal and Naim are being taken over by a Belgian firm better known for its healthcare tech. Barco has fingers in the healthcare, enterprise and entertainment pies, so might seem like an odd fit with the audio brands' parent company VerVent. But Barco says it has designs on the future of audio-visual entertainment.

“Today marks an important step in Barco’s ambition to shape the future of immersive audiovisual experiences,” said An Steegen, Barco's CEO.

“By welcoming VerVent and its iconic Focal and Naim brands into the Barco family, we accelerate our strategy to deliver fully integrated solutions where image and sound reinforce each other seamlessly.”

Focal makes high-end speakers and all-in-one systems such as the Mu-So Hekla (pictured). But it is just as well known for its premium headphones such as the Bathys and Stellia. Naim is also well regarded for hi-fi components such as the Mu-so 2 wireless speaker and Nait 50 and Uniti Atom amplifiers.

We have asked both brands what this will mean for them, and will update this if we hear back.

As well as the devices already mentioned, VerVent makes studio monitors and automotive and yachting systems, as well as custom installation and home theatre offerings.

The acquisition is said to “enable Barco’s evolution towards integrated audiovisual solutions, offering high‑end visualisation and audio solutions to both consumer and professional customers.” Beyond the home market, Barco says this will create opportunities in the home cinema, public spaces and professional cinema arenas.

The deal is worth approximately €135 million (around £117 million / $157 million / AU$220 million).

Barco says it “intends to support [VerVent]'s ongoing strategic plan” so hopefully nothing will change for Naim or Focal in the short term at least.

MORE:

Read our Focal Stellia review

And our Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation review

Check out the Focal Bathys MG review

Can we all show our appreciation for the Award-winning Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation music streamer?

At the full price of £1219, we rated it five stars and crowned it a What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 winner. We love it so much we're looking for every opportunity to recommend it to you, our readers.

Now discounted to £699 at Peter Tyson, we think it's a total no-brainer. As one of our favourite compact, premium wireless speakers, we bring this deal for your consideration.

Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation deal

The handsome, stylish Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation looks like a futuristic monolith around which tiny space aliens might worship. They'd be right to do so, as the hugely talented Qb is very much worthy of adulation, with outstanding processing power and internal wizardly leading to even greater speeds and musical accuracy.

You won’t be short of streaming options, either, thanks to built-in Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2 alongside Bluetooth streaming, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Roon Ready-ness and internet radio.

Better yet, you can gain access to hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz anywhere on your home network via the smooth Naim app.

Those files will sound outstanding once you get the characterful cube up and running. It's a rich, sparkling speaker that gives your music a real feeling of hi-fi 'polish', the sort of reproduction you don't often find from single-box units.

While there's ample detail and depth to the sound on offer, we've always been so impressed by how much space, breadth and airiness the Qb's soundstage offers. For small-scale listening or room-filling renditions, the Naim can do it all.

With £520 off at Peter Tyson now's the perfect time to buy the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 winner.

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Other deals at Peter Tyson

Richer Sounds has many other great deals

As does Sevenoaks

With the annual Awards issue of What Hi-Fi? out in the shops now, I thought it would be a good time to look back a quarter of a century to the November 2000 issue of the magazine. How mad is that, by the way? Twenty-five years ago is still in the 21st century…

I chose this particular issue to venture down memory lane – and to juxtapose with the 2025 Awards issue – for a couple of reasons. First, because it happens to coincide with my first stint on What Hi-Fi?, when I served for 15 months or so as deputy editor; I have always been partial to a little bit of nostalgia.

More importantly, though, this particular magazine jumped out at me for the sheer quality of some of the products in the First Test section. And then it surprised me again for the main Group Tests and round-ups: almost all of them are for products that, in effect, simply don’t exist any more. One, though, is for a product type that was only just starting back in 2000, but that has absolutely thrived since then.

There’s something in all that lot, then, to tick pretty much all the boxes for Back Issues requirements.

The cover of the November 2000 issue sums things up rather nicely as far as referencing those product types that have disappeared in the first quarter of the 21st century. The main cover line announces “MiniDisc vs CD-RW – we pick the best digital recorders from just £160”. That’s two down right there.

Four-saken

But there’s more. Taking third and fourth billing (after “Britain’s best £1000 system”) are two more product types that have gone the way of the VHS: “DVD-Audio has arrived!” we trumpeted, above a final round-up – “Put up your jukes” – on a trio of 200-disc CD multichangers.

Now that’s four products right there, I would wager, that most people today under the age of 35 (possibly even older) wouldn’t even have heard of – with MiniDisc possibly the honourable exception.

What I do know is that the concept of a bulky machine holding 200 compact discs caused much hilarity and no little bewilderment in my offspring – three young adults aged between 22 and 27. (Might as well take that November 2000 test headline and run with it…) Back then, though, it was a brilliant way of storing and playing your music collection.

Some stunning First Tests

While the cover of the November 2000 issue doesn’t age particularly well, inside there are a few stunning products making their What Hi-Fi? debuts that have stood the tough test of time remarkably well.

Chief among those is the lead First Test, the stunning and stylish Naim Nait 5 stereo amplifier. This marked the start of Naim’s 5 series of products – and it kicked things off with a real bang, proving to be competitive with such illustrious products as the Arcam Alpha 10, Cyrus 7 and Musical Fidelity A3. Tough rivals indeed.

Talking of the Cyrus 7, further along in the First Tests section is the Cyrus CD 7, the series mate to the amplifier above. Another product in this magazine that punched well above its weight and hung around our Awards judging for many years.

Joining these two heavyweights, and alongside a Linn Pekin tuner (also five stars), is a superb pair of speakers. The KEF Reference Model One-Two blew us away with their class and proved to be even more impressive than the Reference Ones they replaced.

From super dupers to the stuff that streams are made of

After the First Tests section, I was intrigued to see a half-page story announcing that “The world’s favourite hi-fi website just got better!” And yes, before you start being unkind, that was in reference to whathifi.com which had just undertaken a site-wide revamp.

Those were the days still, though, of What Hi-Fi? being first and foremost a magazine, with a website attached to it. It would be a decade and more before things started shifting to the digital-first strategy that the brand enjoys today.

Which brings us to the trio of tests that can no longer stand in 2025. We started with the digital format war of its age: MiniDisc vs CD-RW. There were a mighty 12 products tested, with star ratings ranging from a frankly dire one star for the unfortunate Goodmans GMD920 MiniDisc recorder, to five-star triumphs from Marantz, Sony and the Supertest-winning Pioneer.

I hope some of these fine machines are still doing service out there for their owners; but most people will certainly have moved on with their digital music to streaming from the likes of Spotify at the very least.

Then we come to a “New technology” feature all about DVD-Audio – and specifically testing the JVC XV-D721 player. Which, to be completely straight with you, didn’t cover itself – or the format it had intended to champion, come to that – with glory.

An overall two-star verdict, with another (in one issue!) one-star decision for sound, rather damned both machine and format.

The first steps towards wireless wizardry

But what’s this, tucked into the back of the test section, just before the Temptations? A double-page spread on upgrade headphones: six options, and three of them boasting a shiny new “cordless” feature. Not only new, but also (thank heavens) surprisingly effective at bringing users’ precious music to their ears.

The AKG K105 UHF were particularly impressive, with a five-star rating for sound, build and the overall verdict. I’m not sure we would have guessed at the time that such wizardry would become not only commonplace but the norm for listening on the go – but it’s good to know that we knew a good thing when we saw it.

Which brings us full circle, back from November 2000, to the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025. The 2025 Awards issue is in the shops now – and it is full to bursting with products that we know are not merely a good thing, but the very best thing out there in their particular category. Now that is praise indeed.

I wonder, though, how our choices today will seem to the What Hi-Fi? observer in 2050 when they are seeking Back Issues comparisons of their own.

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See all our 2025 What Hi-Fi? Award winners

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I’m a MiniDisc fanatic and this is my love letter to the format

You know those Hanna-Barbera cartoons where a character is craving a good meal, and all they can see is the world filtered through a lens of severe hunger, so much so that they see they imagine their friends as a massive slice of pizza or a strawberry milkshake?

That's how I currently see the world, only instead of anthropomorphic food items, it's deal, deals and yet more deals. I've seen so many deals over the past month that I probably mutter about Black Friday and Cyber Monday in my sleep.

Yet of everything that I've witnessed, there's one saving that, if push came to shove, I would be tempted to take advantage of, and that's the whopping discount currently enjoyed by the exceptional Naim Nait XS 3 integrated amplifier.

It's not become what you'd call cheap, but the Nait XS 3 is a legend, and now that it's fallen from £2499 to just £1699 at Peter Tyson, it's hard to resist the urge not to bite the bullet and just buy one. Yes, we've got one in our test rooms as our reference amp, but that's not quite enough for me.

Best Naim Nait XS 3 Cyber Monday deal

Of all the deals I've come across during the manic month of November 2025, this is the one I'd genuinely want to take home for myself. Those are bold words considering the pedigree of some of the gear we've seen take huge tumbles in price over the last thirty or so days.

The Naim Nait XS 3 is in a league of its own, though. It is, as we said in our review, "a fit-and-forget product in the best sense. It slots into your system and does exactly what you want it to, and that’s deliver the music with emotional impact intact".

The Nait XS 3 has won every accolade you can think of. It's in our Hall of Fame and it's won multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards along the way. It earned five stars upon first review, and it's still part of our reference system for when we want to put a price-comparable alternative up against the very best.

It's a stunning performer, getting to the heart of our music and drawing out the emotions with exceptional perceptiveness.

Musically, it does exactly what we look for in a great piece of hi-fi, in that it connects you directly to the music you're playing without imposing its own will or flavour on the sound it produces.

The amp sounds energetic entertaining and impressively enthusiastic when the moment calls for it, but its real strengths is bringing together various musical components and making them sing as a cohesive, emotionally absorbing ensemble. As we said in our review: "Detail resolution is good, but it’s the amplifier’s ability to assemble all that information into a cohesive whole that really impresses".

We like how the Nait XS 3 is made, too, and while it isn't outrageously flash or showy, the sold amp is extremely well made and never tricky to use. I particularly like the green LEDs around the input buttons contrasting with the amp's sleek black framework – it's like something from Alien, and I can see it slotting nicely into my existing setup.

The Naim isn't exactly stuffed to the brim with features (Bluetooth and digital inputs aren't on the menu) but there's enough here to keep most people happy, including a three stage phono option and four line-level inputs. It'll do for me, that's for sure.

All in all, the Naim Nait XS 3 is a bona fide legend, and one of the best purist stereo amplifiers you can get at this sort of level. We think it's outstanding, and if you don't get one from Peter Tyson, then I just might.

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Cyber Monday quick links

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

One of my real highlights of this year was treating myself to some new hi-fi. Specifically, I bought the 50th-anniversary special edition Naim Nait 50 integrated amplifier.

We never officially reviewed the Nait 50 at What Hi-Fi?. We don't tend to review and star-rate limited edition models due to their exclusive nature, but it was impossible to say no to a sample of this one-off Nait amp back in 2023.

I had never heard the original Nait 1, you see, so I subsequently took an in-depth look at the history of the original half-width Nait integrated, which this '50' model is an homage to, and spent quite a lot of time listening to this lovely little new amp in our test rooms.

I'm rather fond of half-width products for my home system (my first amp was the mid-80s Cyrus One), and this Nait 50 – with its gorgeous retro chrome-bumper design, satisfyingly clunky buttons, and incredibly fun, energetic and charming sound – stayed in my mind long after we returned the sample back to Naim.

Two years on, I finally bit the bullet. I usually buy second-hand and older products, but having a box-fresh, brand-new Nait 50 of my own was an absolute joy.

The biggest hurdle was the price. As a limited edition model (only 1973 units were made), the Nait 50 was priced at £2699 – which was simply too steep for me. Over the past year, the price has dropped to £1199, which was far more amenable.

And now? The Nait 50 has absolutely plunged in price to an astonishing £999 at Peter Tyson. That's a third of its original asking price, with an overall £1700 saving. Having looked at the Naim and our What Hi-Fi? forums on the topic, I know there are plenty of hi-fi fans out there who were tempted by the Nait 50 but felt the original price was simply too high.

At £999, however? I cannot recommend it enough – it's a charming amp that isn't just a nod to an iconic piece of hi-fi history, but it's such a great amp to listen to in its own right, too.

The Nait 50 was designed to celebrate 50 years of Naim's history, in particular being an homage to the 1983's Nait 1 "shoebox" integrated.

But while it has kept the very appealing retro looks and dimensions on the outside – even down to the off-centre Naim logo – inside it's a whole other story. This isn't a revived amplifier; Naim's engineers took the chance to completely overhaul the electronics and update it, while still keeping in spirit with the Nait's original purpose and personality.

So the power rating has been upped from 15W (into 8 ohms) to 25W per channel of Class A/B amplification. The moving magnet phono stage is all new, the power amplifier design is based on the latest, sixth-generation NAP 250, while the brand-new headphone amplifier section is borrowed from the five-star NSC 222 streaming preamplifier.

The balance control spindle of the original has been swapped out for the new 6.3mm headphone socket at the front, while the left-side volume dial is now machined from solid aluminium and feels lovely and tactile to use. There are some oddities: the power LED button always glows, albeit dimly, even when in standby mode (it grows brighter when turned on), while we wish we could make even subtler volume changes.

Inputs are simple: a pair of RCA phono inputs for your turntable, and two DIN sockets. That's it. There isn't even any standard RCA line-level inputs, and you don't get a DIN-to-RCA cable supplied in the box either – which is my only real gripe with this amp at its full high price. But, as I was only going to use this amp with my turntable, this didn't deter me.

How does it sound? Incredibly fun. In my in-depth hands-on feature, I said: "While it has been redesigned to modern standards, Naim’s engineers have done a great job of ensuring that this Nait 50 retains the enthusiastic sonic character of the original Nait 1 that was so liked. During listening, our technical editor Ketan Bharadia kept referring it to as having a “puppy dog-like” character – it’s zippy, energetic and inherently likeable."

There's ample detail, punch and rhythmic drive, and despite the comparatively 'low' power rating, we have no problem driving a variety of speakers, from our reference ATC SCM50 and Epos ES14N speakers to the more modest Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 and 606 S3 standmounts. We also tried the PMC Prodigy 5 floorstanders and the Musical Fidelity LS3/5A speakers, along with the tiny Neat Iota II speakers I use at home.

Getting the best results is more about matching the sonic signatures of the speakers and source you'll be pairing with the Nait 50. The amp is obviously "flavoured" – this isn't a neutral-sounding amplifier by any means – but what it does do so well is communicate the inherent "message" of music, and simply entertains us with whatever song we're playing.

Modern amplifiers do have a more mature, neutral balance, as well as offering a larger scale of sound. But if you value rhythmic punch and sheer fun, and pair it with the right components, then this Nait 50 will delight you for hours (not to mention years, or decades) to come.

You may not need another amplifier in your system, but sometimes, it's okay to splash out on hi-fi that feels a little special, or a little quirky, and just plain fun. The Nait 50 is a great little amp with both heritage and modern engineering behind it, and I don't regret taking the plunge and buying it this year at all. And now that it's available for even cheaper – just £999! I find that astonishing – I would urge you to give it another look. I think it's worth it.

MORE:

Read our in-depth feature on the Naim Nait 50

Black Friday hi-fi deals: the best prices on five-star turntables, stereo amplifiers, speakers and more

What's in my bag? I've been browsing the Black Friday vinyl deals for must-have albums to add to my record collection

Black Friday quick links

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

Looking for a top of the range all-in-one music system? The Naim Mu-so 2 is one of the best to ever pass through our test rooms. The combination of a superb-sounding speaker and a modern wireless streamer, it’s got all the features you’d want from a one-box system of this kind.

And now, you can get a cool £100 off this fully-featured wireless speaker. Pick it up for £799 at Richer Sounds, Sevenoaks or Peter Tyson and enjoy a great saving with this early Black Friday deal.

Equipped with Naim’s comprehensive streaming platform, the Mu-so 2 features UPnP streaming of hi-resolution audio up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM. Stream directly over your network from Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, internet radio, and even Google Chromecast, while offline streaming is possible via Bluetooth.

USB, optical and 3.5mm inputs allow for connection to another source such as a CD player; it even doubles up as a TV soundbar thanks to an HDMI ARC output.

The Mu-so 2 has had its drivers updated from the previous generation: the bass unit has been equipped with a longer voice coil and larger magnet to reduce distortion, while a better-damped surround has been added to the midrange to improve its phase with the cone.

These improvements have paid dividends. During testing, we noted “a calibre of sound that’s more next level than incremental”. The richness of the original Mu-so is still there, but in terms of detail, dynamics and rhythmic dexterity, this iteration is far superior.

While this model has been around for a few years now, the Naim Mu-so 2 remains a tempting premium proposition, especially at this lowest-ever price. If you’re on the hunt for an all-in-one wireless speaker system, grab it for £799 at Richer Sounds, Sevenoaks or Peter Tyson.

MORE:

Check out our initial assessment of the Focal Mu-so Hekla

Or our list of the best wireless speakers

The best early Black Friday deals

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

If you're familiar with the Mu-so line of wireless speakers, you might be a little confused to see the latest addition to this range sporting a 'Focal' label rather than that of established maker 'Naim'.

After all, the five-star and Award-winning Naim Mu-so 2 and Naim Mu-so Qb (2nd generation) have won plaudits and acclaim over the years as two of the best premium wireless speakers to pass through our test rooms.

This new Focal Mu-so Hekla aims to expand upon the Mu-so line to create a system that's as much geared towards the AV market as it is to traditional hi-fi consumers, while also "replacing bulky multi-speaker setups".

With the acoustics designed by Focal and the electronics designed by Naim, the Mu-so Hekla combines the two sister brands' expertise and deliver the best of both worlds. Following the Focal Diva Utopia active wireless stereo system, the new Mu-so Hekla is the second product collaboration between Focal and Naim following their merger in 2011.

(Hekla, in case you're curious, is the name of an active volcano in Iceland.)

Designed to be a versatile, stylish and high-end all-in-one system, the new all-in-one system boasts a whopping 660 watts of Class D power to deliver "room filling" sound no matter your desired use case.

And there are quite a few potential options in that regard. You can use the Hekla as a traditional wireless speaker, and stream music from your device using AirPlay 2, Google Cast and Bluetooth, while popular streaming services such as Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and Qobuz Connect are all on board.

High resolution 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD files are also supported, and you can play all tracks in stereo mode, or upmix them to 7.1.2-channel format.

Unlike previous stereo-only Mu-so speakers, the Hekla is also geared towards home cinema use thanks to Dolby Atmos support, with Focal promising "immersive and powerful spatialisation" and support for configurations up to 7.1.2.

You get HDMI eARC and optical digital inputs for easy connection to a TV, with the Hekla doubling up as a soundbar – albeit a considerably large one, even bigger than the five-star, premium KEF XIO soundbar.

The Hekla also features the 'Adapt' technology we first experienced in the Diva Utopia, which allows you to personalise the Hekla's sound according to your room's acoustics, size and configuration. You can control the system using the Focal & Naim app, via voice control and even using your Apple or Samsung smartwatch. Multi-room and Party mode functions mean you can link up your Hekla to other streaming products within the Focal/Naim ecosystem, including the existing Mu-so 2 wireless speaker.

Constructed from anodised aluminium and with an all-black finish, Focal conceives the Hekla as being a single, discrete unit which offers the "perfect balance of power, beauty and versatility". The Mu-so Hekla is a rather substantial unit, measuring one metre long and weighing 15.5kg, but still sporting familiar Mu-so design points such as the illuminated touch control dial and large heat sinks.

The Focal Mu-so Hekla launches exclusively in South Korea and China today, with global availability starting in Q1 of 2026. As with the Diva Utopia, the Mu-so Hekla will be available to buy only from authorised Focal Powered by Naim retailers.

This also means we're looking at a rather premium price: the Hekla system is yours for £3000 / $3600 / €3300. That's considerably higher than all-in-one music systems such as the Ruark Audio R410 (£1299 / $1699 / AU$2599), and further step above the £1999 / $2500 / AU$3600 KEF XIO soundbar.

We've already had a first look and listen to the Mu-so Hekla system, but we'll need to get a final sample of the swanky new system into our test rooms to assess its full capabilities and see how it fares.

MORE:

Read our Focal Mu-so Hekla hands-on review

Best hi-fi systems: CD, vinyl and streaming music players for the home

Check out the 8 spectacular tracks lighting up our test rooms this month

“Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name shook the room so violently that dust fell from the light fixtures.”

Steve Sells is describing the first listening test of the Naim Statement amplifier system, and how it pumped the heavy, groove-driving riffs and raw punk energy through the Focal Grande Utopia speakers. “The clarity and force was terrifying, in the best, most adrenaline-fuelled way.”

It was probably not far from the reaction the young and ambitious Sells had dreamt of 27 years prior, when, during his university summer holiday, he designed the ideological framework for what became the now-iconic NAP S1 Statement power amp – an American-style “big amp” with large front handles, oversized heatsinks and a beefy PSU.

When the Statement project first got the green light, Paul Stephenson, Naim’s managing director at the time, told Sells: “Make it the best. Take your time and whatever cost you need.” Such words, essentially resembling “the sky’s the limit”, are music to any engineer’s ears.

Branching into amplification

Sells' first sonic memories are of his grandfather’s quadraphonic hi-fi. “I saw how deeply it affected him, transporting him to concerts around the world,” Sells remembers.

That initial curiosity was rewarded and encouraged by being gifted a speaker and a physics book a few years later, and before long he was building speakers from magnets, nails and cornflake boxes… and turning his attention to amplifier design.

While he admits that speakers could have easily stolen his attention in his younger days (“I remember being fascinated by how they seemed simple in operation, yet took a lifetime of experience and diverse skills to perfect,” he tells us), amplifiers attracted him due to the variety of solutions and his drive “to find the best one”.

Playing his first record (Ian Dury’s Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick) through his first hi-fi system (a turntable in a cardboard box, a germanium transistor amplifier and homemade speakers); hearing how commanding David Bowie sounded through his brother’s Dual turntable, Rotel RB820 amp and KEF Coda speakers; and selling his motorcycle while he was studying to become a hi-fi designer at Nottingham Trent University in order to afford a Sony ES stack with Heybrook speakers – these early experiences shaped Sells' understanding of sound and its emotional impact.

He was hooked, much to the benefit of three of his student classmates, for whom he willingly completed audio amplifier design assignments.

At that time, he collected hundreds of amplifier schematics and service manuals, trying to understand the reasoning behind specific circuit techniques and always searching for the best solution.

In the intervening 11 years between completing his further education (1990) and starting at Naim (2001), Sells earned his stripes at a series of reputable British hi-fi manufacturers, including Cambridge Audio, Cyrus, NAD, Roksan, Quad and Wharfedale.

From a prolific 35-year (and counting) career, we asked Sells to share a handful of his product highlights…

1. Cyrus Pre & aPA7: scratching the high-end itch

After stints at Wharfedale (working on an abandoned Leak revival project) and NAD (where he stabilised the 208 THX power amp), Sells moved to Cyrus in 1992.

His early designs included integrated amplifiers, such as the Straight Line, 3i, 5, and 7, as well as the PSX-R PSU. But his itch for high-end design was scratched with the Cyrus Pre preamp and, a few years later, the aPA7 mono power amp.

Sells explains to us how the design goal with the preamp was to keep the signal path as short and pure as possible.

The input selection was handled electromechanically using relays (in line with the approach taken by many high-end designs today) and the volume and balance control kept deliberately simple, a single potentiometer per channel managing both functions.

“However, the implementation was sophisticated,” he says, “Each channel used an independent motorised potentiometer, controlled via a fly-by-wire volume knob on the front panel.”

Sells was keen to retain a phono stage, despite the vinyl decline at that time, and found a way to implement it within a more modern practical framework: “I offered users the option to remove the MM stage, reverse it, and reinsert it, transforming it into a line-level stage.”

The aPA7, meanwhile, was developed when Sells had become interested in how the ear/brain system interprets sound and, alongside acoustic instruments, introduces distortion.

It therefore “had to be very linear at low levels, and only pleasant low-order harmonics were allowed,” he says. “Timing was crucial to the presentation, so the amplifier had to be fast.”

And so the aPA7 was 20 times faster than previous Cyrus designs and able to drive complex loads from large, high-end speakers – the first Cyrus amplifier to achieve 40A of current, 150W into 8 ohms, and 240W into 4 ohms.

2. Roksan Caspian: spoilt for space!

When Roksan joined the Verity Group of Quad, Mission, Cyrus and Wharfedale in the mid-90s, Sells could play with “twice as much internal space as a Cyrus product” for a clean-sheet design. The result: the Caspian amplifier.

“The Caspian integrated used some new circuits I had been playing with,” recalls Sells. “Some of the small-signal stages had the input transistors operating at near-constant current in a constant voltage.

"Because the current and voltage on the transistors remained near constant, the transistor did not distort. This meant no feedback was needed for those stages, making them fast and pleasant-sounding.”

Sells also holds a soft spot for the Caspian’s ‘Magic Eye’ tuning indicator, which was essentially a little dot-matrix display that used a novel graphic to help with radio tuning. “It made me smile, it was simple and made tuning to a station more joyful,” he says.

Some years later came the Caspian power amplifier, derived from the integrated design with, in Sells' words, “a few nips and tucks”.

“The automatic standby feature was deceptively difficult to design while making sure it didn’t influence the sound quality,” he remembers. “Eventually, I had the circuit dialled in, and it would turn on at -70dB and not affect sound quality, making it a very usable feature.”

3. Bentley DSP & the nDAC: laying the foundations for streaming

In 2001, Sells joined Naim, working under then-technical director Roy George, who handed him design duties for the NAC 202, 282 and 252 preamplifiers, ahead of subsequent projects such as the Snaxo active crossovers, Nait integrated and SuperLine phono stage.

That decade also saw another milestone for not only Naim but another British treasure, Bentley, in what would be the first of many collaborations: the most powerful and compact audio system in their histories.

While the 1.1kW, 15-channel Bentley car audio system was seen as an achievement in itself, its biggest impact in hindsight was bringing DSP technology to Naim.

“This DSP platform opened the door to more adventurous digital products at Naim,” says Sells, who recalls the first fruits of that new digital-led labour, the nDAC (2010) – familiar in its appearance, if not in the engineering beneath it.

“It eliminated 100 per cent of incoming jitter from S/PDIF sources,” says Sells. “The concept was simple, but the execution was complex. The DSP read the S/PDIF audio and ‘clocked it out’ of a buffer memory using a precise clock. It could choose from five clocks, each running at a slightly different speed.”

The Bentley collaboration and Naim’s debut DAC paved the way for Naim’s range of streaming products.

It wasn’t long before the DSP was paired with new streaming technology, and among the first out of the future-fi gate was the NDX streamer, which we gave a What Hi-Fi? Award to in 2011 and called “a change hi-fi buffs should relish, not fear”.

4. Naim Statement amplifiers: when a dream becomes a reality

And then came Sells' big opportunity. To make “the best”, as per MD Stephenson's wishes. A power amplifier twice as loud as the then-flagship NAP 500, to satisfy George. “That meant aiming for around 600 watts,” says Sells.

“After feasibility studies, the target became 746 watts.” One horsepower. Three years of engineering and over 250 kilograms of aluminium, acrylic and whatnot later, the Statement duo (NAP S1 power amp and NAC S1 preamp) was born.

New platforms were designed from scratch, including a vertical structure (better for heat control) and an ultra-high-current regulated PSU.

And Sells explains that attention to detail was, as you might expect, “paramount”, from the frames the NAP S1’s 4000VA steel transformers were mounted on to minimise vibration, to the intermediate tin layers that were added between its copper and aluminium components to ensure optimally conductive interfaces.

The biggest challenges revolved around the NAP S1’s output stage and the NAC S1’s volume control. “To achieve the required power, multiple transistors were needed,” explains Sells.

“Julian Vereker, Naim’s founder, had said it was difficult to use multiple transistors and make them share current and sound good. The solution was to custom-make one big transistor.

“This was achieved by selecting ‘adjacent die’ from a silicon wafer, each parameterised during fabrication. An algorithm chose the best adjacent die to form a single composite transistor. Thus, the NA009 was born.”

The NAP 250, 300 and 500 were then consequently redesigned using NA009 transistors.

“As the Statement doesn’t use conventional amplifier feedback to correct for non-linearities, every part of the stage must be inherently linear to preserve the signal,” Sells adds.

And as high currents (the Statement can deliver peaks of 9 kW for 1ms) cause electromagnetic interference and consequently distortion, every wire and conductor needs to be carefully positioned.

“The output stage was imagined in 3D, rather than laid out on a flat circuit board, allowing high current signals to be appropriately placed, such as power rails and speaker output running perpendicular to each other,” he says.

As for the NAC S1 preamp, Sells explains that it “had to sound great, maintain perfect channel balance, operate smoothly and be controllable via an app – and no single volume control technology met all these goals”.

“The solution was a hybrid approach. The preamp used a digitally controllable, pure analogue volume control. Reed relays switched between steps on a fixed resistor ladder, ensuring excellent sound and channel balance.

“Next, a side-chain volume control using CMOS technology was added. When the volume was adjusted, the CMOS control engaged temporarily. After one second, the relay-based analogue control switched back in, now set to the new level.”

5. Nait 50 amplifier: the pressure of retaining the magic

A fifth and final product highlight for Sells is the limited-edition Nait 50, a recent reimagining of the iconic, 1983-released original Nait 1, which, as Sells rightly recognises, “holds a special place in Naim folklore as one of the most magical amplifiers ever made”.

“Tampering with that reputation was not something to take lightly, and designing the Nait 50 came with responsibilities just as significant as those tied to high-end products,” he says.

Naturally, Naim couldn’t simply release a facsimile clone of the Nait 1 – compliance laws and consumer expectations have, after all, moved on since the ‘80s; Sells and his team had to deviate.

“The design process used modern tools, materials and circuits, and incorporated mandatory music sensing with 0.5W auto-off, quiet standby transitions, and soft-start circuits – all while keeping the system free of software,” says Sells.

They created miniaturised versions of amplifier stages from Naim’s classic range, borrowed the volume control foundations from the NAC 552 preamp (albeit without motorisation), and used modern semiconductors to give the Nait 50 extra power and sonic punch.

But there was also an opportunity to recapture the Nait 1’s spirit in more faithful ways. Sells gives one example: “The Nait 1 had a deliberate low-frequency hump in its RIAA curve, and though technically inaccurate, it gave the sound a pleasant aesthetic; we faithfully recreated that in the Nait 50.”

Another is in the input selection. “The Nait 50’s input switch was custom-made to replicate the original’s distinctive ‘clong’ sound when pressed, though behind the scenes the switch activates high-quality reed relays placed next to the input sockets, improving sound quality and minimising input-to-input crosstalk,” says Sells.

And then, perhaps surprisingly, the Nait 50 further aligns with the Nait 1 by also omitting RCA sockets and a remote control.

“Did we make the right decision by leaving them out? I’m not sure. Once nostalgia wears off, convenience tends to call,” Sells admits.

We guess even engineers with CVs as enviable as Steve Sells' can question their judgment at times.

MORE:

10 of the best Naim Audio products of all time

12 of the best British stereo amplifiers of all time

The best stereo amplifiers you can buy today

As live gigs become more ambitious to stage and expensive to attend, TV coverage is ramping up, meaning it could be time to give your home cinema a musical makeover instead.

MTV has returned to its roots with 24/7 music videos this week, the BBC and Sky Arts deliver wall-to-wall festival coverage, concerts can be downloaded in exceptional quality, and streaming giants are increasingly broadcasting artist tours and documentaries.

The music content we can now stream at home has evolved far beyond, and deserves far better than, basic TV speakers. It has created new demands for your home cinema setup, and positively demands an upgrade to a versatile all-in-one music system, or active stereo speakers with an HDMI eARC input.

Turning to TV

The catalyst for all this excellent content isn't nostalgia – it's economics. As anyone scrambling for Oasis tickets will tell you, concert tickets have become prohibitively expensive, while shows sell out instantly, only to reappear on extortionate reseller sites.

Jamie Tagg, Festival Director of Mighty Hoopla, reveals the harsh reality: “Our talent budget has well over doubled, if not even tripled, in the last few years. And that's for a whole host of reasons. Not only is top talent huge now, the numbers are just insane.”

“The market is so different to 10 or 15 years ago when touring was part of your campaign. Now it is your main driver of income, and we all want exclusivity on our lineups – so I’ve got to pay for that.”

Tagg also cites increasing customer expectations for the ticket price – bountiful hand sanitiser, glamping-style flushing toilets, and gourmet food choices. It’s an economic reality that has priced out countless music fans.

Matt Kaplan, UK & EU Director at ethical ticket reseller Tixel, which caps prices at 20 per cent above face value, says over 90 per cent of tickets on the platform are for last-minute gigs taking place that week. But if they can’t get one, music television can be the next best thing.

“I don’t think there’s ever going to be a substitute for the religious experience of going to the show. But if that’s supplemented by digital or virtual experiences for those who couldn’t be there or want to relive it, then that’s a good thing.

“Ultimately, shows have a certain capacity, and high-demand events are going to sell out, leaving many fans disappointed. But there are other ways artists and their management can offer access to the music.”

Gig-ready home cinema

Here's where most home cinema enthusiasts get it wrong. Traditional surround-sound systems, and even soundbars, are designed for dialogue-heavy films and explosive action sequences, and often disappoint when playing musical content.

Music demands stereo imaging, tonal balance, and rhythmic precision over directional effects – qualities many home cinema speakers (and especially most soundbars) prioritise less.

The solution lies in music-first audio equipment that combines streaming convenience with serious musical chops. Modern hi-fi streaming products, all-in-one systems and active speakers all prioritise stereo performance over surround effects, and take up less space than a 5.1 surround sound system.

Many of these stereo products now also include HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) connectivity, which allows your TV to send high-quality audio signals to dedicated music-first audio equipment.

So, your options are no longer limited to a traditional multi-box surround system or poor soundbars; for those who want a great-sounding and immersive music experience, the best TV sound setup for music streaming in 2025 is a seriously capable stereo product that embraces HDMI eARC connectivity for seamless TV integration, and recognises that musical and cinematic priorities often differ.

Here are our five-star suggestions below.

Best all-in-one systems with HDMI ARC connectivity

If you don't want multiple boxes and cables, then an all-in-one system is a great (and stylish) option. The Ruark Audio R410 combines classic British styling with modern connectivity. Its warm, musical character suits acoustic and vocal-heavy content particularly well.

Meanwhile, the Naim Mu-so 2 delivers the British manufacturer's characteristic rhythmic drive and punchy timing – qualities that make live concert streams feel more immediate and engaging. Its distinctive design also serves as a statement piece.

The Cambridge Audio Evo One makes it a clean sweep for the Brits, thanks to its broad, room-filling presentation and fluid handling of dynamics. It is ideal for spacious and immersive concerts and documentaries, coming across almost like a live living room performance.

Active stereo speakers for music streaming

The desktop speaker-sized KEF LSX II system represents the sweet spot for compact, all-in-one wireless speakers with HDMI eARC capability. These diminutive speakers deliver remarkable clarity and stereo separation that make studio recordings and live performances equally engaging.

For maximum musical impact, though, the bigger KEF LS50 Wireless II scales up that concept significantly. Larger drivers and more powerful amplification mean this speaker system can handle everything from intimate jazz recordings to full-scale concert broadcasts with finesse.

Budget-conscious buyers should consider the Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 powered speakers. While lacking built-in streaming (only Bluetooth), they offer excellent musical performance (and far better than any budget soundbar) when paired with your TV via HDMI.

Music streamers with HDMI eARC

For maximum flexibility, consider building around dedicated components. A music streamer is an increasingly popular source – just remember that you will have to provide amplification and speakers to complete the system.

The WiiM Ultra offers exceptional value as a music streamer, supporting as it does all major streaming services while providing the crucial HDMI eARC connection for TV integration.

Premium alternatives include the Eversolo DMP-A6 and Cambridge Audio EXN100. Each offers enhanced build quality and a more sophisticated DAC section for improved sound quality as you go up the price range.

Sonically sound streaming amplifiers

The WiiM Amp Pro represents remarkable value in the streaming amplifier category, combining as it does streaming capabilities with amplification – you just need to add speakers. Its compact form factor suits modern living spaces, too.

Mid-range to premium streaming amplifiers include the Ruark R610, NAD C 3050 and Naim Uniti Atom. Each offers distinct sonic characteristics and varying degrees of power output. Naim emphasises timing and rhythm, Ruark provides warmth and musicality, while NAD delivers power and control.

For those preferring entirely separate amplification, the high-end Cyrus 40 AMP offers audiophile-grade performance and an e-ARC input, though you will need to add a separate streamer (and speakers) to complete the system.

The psychology of music streaming at home

Jamie Tagg believes the key difference to watching music content at home lies in the storytelling. “We put Kate Nash and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra together and then thought we’ve got to document this. That’s going to be out soon, and it’s a really lovely thing to watch.

“We’re all walking behind the Beyoncé Coachella documentary, which was a performance, but it had insight, it had commentary, and it was interesting, so I do think there is a huge world of that coming.

“Blur’s To the End was excellent, as was The Stone Roses: Made of Stone. When you get to see the journey, that to me is much more fascinating than just watching a gig.”

As live music costs continue to rise, Matt Kaplan notes the likes of Viagogo and Stubhub employing something called speculative listings to assess demand, but the tickets don’t exist yet.

“That’s how prices are artificially inflated. They might think there’s a super hot show and decide to buy X amount of stock, put them up for £1,000 or whatever the mark-up might be, and they only need to sell a fraction.

“So with Beyoncé, her actual stadium shows weren’t sold out, but I’m sure the brokers had sold a lot of tickets. They don’t necessarily care about filling the room; they just care about offloading stock. It’s like an arbitrage game for them.”

Kaplan adds that most artists and managers aren’t making money; they are merely covering costs. So while Tixel supports the grassroots LIVE Trust with a £1 levy on every ticket sold, music TV and online content could be a vital revenue stream.

MORE:

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We asked Dolby all the big questions about Dolby Vision 2 – and we have good and bad news

I own a pair of Sennheiser HD650 headphones. Mine are an early pair, bought around 20 years ago. They don’t see much use these days since What Hi-Fi? tests so many headphones, and there is always something new to listen to. Regardless, I still dig out the Sennheisers every once in a while, just because I like the way they sound.

The last time I did that, I noticed that the earpads and cloth-covered headband pads felt soft and had lost their shape a little. I Googled these things, as you do, and was surprised at the sheer quantity of replacement options available. I could buy the official ones from Sennheiser, of course, but there were a huge number of cheaper alternatives from third-party companies.

Now, I know that the HD600 series of headphones has been a huge success for Sennheiser. They have become touchstone products in the headphone world since the original in the series, the HD600, broke cover in 1998. So, it isn’t all that surprising that spares remain available on the aftermarket, particularly as pretty much all versions of these headphones remain in production to this day. Even so, I still felt a lovely sense of satisfaction that the product I had bought decades ago was still being supported.

This got me thinking about how we have become used to replacing various categories of hi-fi and AV products after just a few years of use. Most in-ears, wired or wireless, tend to be seen as disposable. Once a wire breaks or the Bluetooth stability wavers, that's it, they’re replaced.

Many people don’t think twice about changing their smartphone every year or two. Others may wait longer, but even then, annual operating-system upgrades ultimately force any user to move to a newer model just to enjoy a stutter-free user experience. When it comes to phones and computers, it seems that obsolescence is baked in.

But beyond phones, tablets and computers, I see people throwing away older, though perfectly capable TVs rather than repair them, and the reason is either a lack of spare parts or – you’ve guessed it – progressively worse performance due to software issues. Quite often, the lack of smart features is the reason, but there are usually easy workarounds for this in most cases.

Similarly, CD players are dumped because parts for the transport are hard to get, and I suspect early streamers are likely to go the same way because they’ve been left behind by the incessant march of technology, no longer able to play the latest and greatest source material.

Some hi-fi and AV products aren’t so vulnerable, of course. Record players, being mostly mechanical, fare better, as do all-analogue valve and transistor amplifiers. Usually, any of these things can have a life that’s measured in decades, particularly if they are well-engineered to start with and you buy from a brand that values its existing customers.

There are a number of stand-out brands with highly respected service departments. I’m thinking about the likes of Quad, Naim, Cyrus, Burmester and Audio Research here, and they should be applauded.

Most hi-fi equipment isn’t cheap, but if it can be designed in a way that encourages a long life and fuss-free repair, then that initial outlay, no matter how high it is, can be more easily justified.

If the environment, and sustainability in general, is important to you, it is worth only buying from manufacturers that support their older products. My Sennheisers are good to go for another decade, and I’m chuffed about that.

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

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

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

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

Budget: Rotel A8

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mid-price: Arcam A15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Premium: Naim Nait XS3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Naim Mu-so 2 has been a go-to recommendation from us for quite some time now. It's still one of the best all-in-one music systems you can buy, combining the sonic talents of a class-leading wireless speaker with the modern capabilities of a streamer, all wrapped up in a sleek, stylish package.

Oh, and it's now £500 off. The Mu-so 2's original price when we tested it a few years back was £1299, though it tends to settle at £899 these days. For a limited time, however, it has dropped to just £799 at Peter Tyson, an even better price for a music system that continues to impress after all this time.

Best Naim Mu-so 2 music system deal

The Naim Mu-so 2 really is not a hard product to recommend. It's been a five star operator from day one, and our affections for it haven't dampened one bit since then. Even after all this time, we find ourselves drawn back to its do-it-all charms.

Quite aside from how nice it is to look at and use, the Naim does the lot, or certainly comes very close. Naim's comprehensive streaming platform grants UPnP streaming of hi-res music up to PCM 32-bit/384kHz, direct streaming from Spotify Connect and Tidal, Apple AirPlay 2, internet radio and Google Chromecast. Whether via ethernet, wireless or Bluetooth, the Mu-so 2 has you covered.

In terms of physical connections, you've got USB, optical and 3.5mm inputs, and there's also an HDMI ARC output for enhancing your TV's audio if you want to use the Mu-so 2 as a makeshift soundbar.

It's class-leading in terms of sound, too. The Mu-so 2 is absolutely excellent with dynamics, making for an involving, engaging unit that can handle playful melodies with ease while digging deep into more dramatic fare.

It's bassy and bold, yet never to the detriment of clarity or cohesion, not to mention the richness and tonality that gives tunes real bite. We've had many integrated systems pass through our doors since the Mu-so 2 launched, yet few have many to match it for sonic prowess .

We're big fans of the Mu-so 2, and we imagine you will be too. Check it out at Peter Tyson.

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6 test tracks we've been playing in the What Hi-Fi? listening rooms this month

We've seen a raft of announcements over the last month, ranging from powered stereo speakers, to flagship smartphones and even a new rival in the competitive noise cancelling headphones market. While there were quite a few products to choose from, we've whittled it down to the five we're most looking forward to testing.

So, in our second edition of On the Radar you'll find the latest flagship foldable phone from Samsung, which is slimmer and more powerful than its five-star predecessor, as well as the first-ever over ear headphones from the plucky British tech brand Nothing.

Cambridge Audio also unveiled its latest streaming amplifier, which is a follow up to a five-star amp from 2021 that boasts more power and an upgraded DAC.

Finally, we have two new pairs of powered speakers; one courtesy of Elac which sits at the more affordable side of the market, the other a super-premium pair from Focal and Naim with a price tag that rivals a brand new Mercedes Benz.

Elac Debut ConneX DCB61

Elac has launched a bigger and more powerful successor to one the best pairs of active speakers you can buy right now.

The Debut ConneX DCB61 follow up on the equally catchily named Debut Connex DCB41, this time with dedicated 60W Class D amplifiers in each speaker which power a new 16.5cm polypropylene mid/bass woofer.

Elac claims that this will create "deep, punchy bass", while the 19mm soft-dome tweeter (which is powered by its own 20W amplifier) is set to offer smoother and more accurate high end frequencies.

You’ll find a wide range of connectivity options on these speakers, including USB-B, optical, HDMI eARC, a moving magnet phono stage and Bluetooth.

Read our full Elac Debut ConneX DCB61 story

• Price: £699 / $899 / €799
• Release date: Available now

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Samsung’s latest foldable flagship smartphone is here, and it could be the portable AV champion that we’ve been waiting for.

With a 21:9 cover display that looks perfect for watching cinematic content, and a huge 8-inch interior screen (both displays are OLED, by the way) the Z Fold 7 has not one, but two displays which are primed for movie watching.

HDR10+ is supported, and so is Samsung’s ProScaler feature, which upscales video content to look sharp and detailed on the Quad HD displays.

These new AV upgrades come in a supremely slender new body which is an astounding 4.2mm when unfolded, and there are plenty of top notch smartphone features including a 200MP main camera and loads of AI-backed software features.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 story

• Price: £1799 / $2000 / AU$2899
• Release date: July 2025

Nothing Headphone (1)

British technology brand Nothing may still be in its infancy, but we can’t dispute its ambition. With countless smartphones and wireless earbuds under its belt, Nothing is expanding into a new product category: wireless over-ear active noise-cancelling headphones.

Nothing has called in a major name in British hi-fi to bring these wireless cans to market, as they’ve been tuned by Kef. Each earcup houses a precision-engineered custom 40mm driver, with polyethene surrounds that aim to deliver minimal distortion and better performance at low frequencies.

Elsewhere, you’ll find Nothing’s signature transparent design as well as a staggering claimed 35 hours of battery life with ANC turned on.

There’s some big competition to contend with from the likes of Sony, Bowers & Wilkins and Bose, so Nothing needs to bring its A-game with these new headphones.

Read our full Nothing Headphone (1) story

• Price: £299 / $299 / €299
• Release date: Available now

Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE

Cambridge Audio has upgraded one of our favourite streaming amplifiers; naturally we’re intrigued as to what’s new.

At the heart of this upgrade is a new ESS SABRE ES9018k2m DAC, which Cambridge Audio claims will deliver an “emotive sound with exceptional clarity, resolution and musicality”. This is paired with 150W of Class D amplification into 8 ohms via a new Hypex NCOREx module, meaning it should have no trouble powering larger and more demanding speakers.

Streaming is a core component of this amp, so you shouldn’t be surprised to see an extensive list of supported services, including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer, as well as Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast and aptX HD Bluetooth.

Physical connectivity also looks solid, with RCA line input and balanced XLR inputs for analogue sources, as well as two optical, a coaxial and USB inputs for digital sources. There is also HDMI ARC, a moving magnet phono stage and a subwoofer out connection.

Read our full Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE story

• Price: £1999 / $3299 / €2399
• Release date: Available now

Focal Diva Mezza

Focal’s Diva Utopia powered speakers proved to be a hit in our hi-fi testing room towards the end of last year, despite the hair-raising price tag of £29,999.

So, what if there were a bigger, more powerful, and more expensive version of these enthusiast speakers? Wonder no longer, as Focal has unveiled the Diva Mezza, complete with a "completely re-engineered" Naim Audio electronics system to power them.

Inside each stylish speaker unit are three Class A/B amplifiers powering the drivers: 90W to Focal's inverted 'M' beryllium tweeter, 130W to the 6.5in (16.5cm) mid drivers, and 280 watts for the 20.5cm W' cone bass drivers.

That adds up to a staggering 500W per speaker, up from the 400W peak offered on the Diva Utopia system.

However, with great power comes a great price increase, and with a price tag of £55,000, only serious audiophiles need apply.

Read our full Focal Diva Mezza story

• Price: £55,000 / $69,000 / €65,000
• Release date: Available now

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Read our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 hands-on review

And our Nothing Headphone (1) hands-on review

Amazon is a beast of an online shop, and is often the cheapest place to buy. But not always.

Case in point: the Award-winning Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation music streamer. It's currently £699 at Richer Sounds, Sevenoaks and Peter Tyson, but a whopping £1219 at Amazon.

Sorry Bezos, not this time.

Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation deal

The Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation looks pretty much unchanged from the first-gen model. But it's certainly an improvement on the inside, with 10 times as much processing power, Naim's newer streaming platform and plenty of streaming options like Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Roon Ready and internet radio.

You can play hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz from anywhere on your home network using the Naim app, which also lets you tweak your sound profile and equaliser settings.

It sounds superb.

"The overall presentation is muscular but lean," we wrote in our review. "There’s plenty of bass weight and low-end punch precisely delivered, but this Mu-so Qb never skews its balance this way or that."

The soundstage is wide open and airy, and full of more insight than the first-gen model. The timing and dynamic range are also improved.

Amazon's high price is no doubt down to a lack of stock – its unit is sold by Netbuy, which charges £65 for delivery, so it's safe to assume it's an import. So why not help an independent retailer this Prime Day, and save yourself a fortune into the bargain?

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Richer Sounds has many other great deals

As does Sevenoaks

Focal impressed us with the hugely talented, high-end Diva Utopia wireless active speakers, which packed streaming, amplification and great sound into a pair of distinctively styled stereo speakers. The Utopia all-in-one system cost £30,000 / $40,000.

Clearly, there has been enough interest in that luxurious system to have allowed Focal to go even bigger, more powerful and pricier with this concept.

Enter the Focal Diva Mezza Utopia, which builds upon the five-star success of the Diva Utopia and once again uses Naim Audio electronics as the brains and brawn behind the system.

Focal says the Mezza "represents a significant leap forward in Focal’s pursuit to redefine home hi-fi, where uncompromising sound meets intuitive ease of use."

These active floorstanding speakers have the same styling as the Diva Utopia, but are bigger: the cabinet volume is 62 litres compared with the Utopia's 50-litre volume. The speakers are able to work in rooms up to a mammoth 100m².

The Mezza system features a "completely re-engineered" Naim Audio electronics package. There is a dual-stage power supply for "exceptional dynamics and precision power management" across the frequency range.

There are three separate Class A/B amplifiers powering the drivers: 90W to Focal's inverted 'M' beryllium tweeter, 130W to the 6.5in (16.5cm) mid drivers, and 280 watts for the four bass drivers. These bass drivers are 8in (20.5cm) 'W' cone woofers that are in a push-pull configuration, with two on either side of each speaker.

That's a staggering 500W of power per speaker – a significant (25 per cent) step-up from the Utopia's 400W rating.

The heatsink on the Mezza is more substantial to deal with the increase in power and heat, too. As before, there is a downward-firing port and a rather substantial base.

The Diva Mezza use Focal & Naim's streaming platform, with all aspects controlled through the existing app. The Mezza also continues to use Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless technology to deliver up to 24-bit/96kHz streams in lossless quality over wireless, with no wired connection between the two speakers.

Those employing a wired connection can enjoy full-fat 24-bit/192kHz resolution quality.

The streaming module has been updated. It has greater bandwidth and more capability to be updated to account for new streaming features.

All the popular and major streaming apps and protocols that were supported in Utopia – Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Tidal Connect, UPnP – are also available in the bigger Mezza model.

I had an initial listen to the Diva Mezza Utopia during a preview launch event, and they certainly filled up a large space with a huge sense of scale, soaring dynamics and clear, detailed treble. The amount of bass on offer was immense; the impact and slam of each bass note sounded impressive in the demo. The overall sound was clear, fast-moving and gripping – with a sense of maturity and control that you normally hear from hi-fi separates.

In our five-star Utopia review, we said: "This system truly manages to deliver a proper high-end sound from a neat two-speaker form factor."

Let's hope the Mezza can deliver more of the same.

Like the Utopia, the Diva Mezza features swappable side panels that can be interchanged with other materials and finishes – the demo pair had "ivory" felt panels, but you can get wood panels and more to match your interiors.

The Focal Diva Mezza Utopia are yours for the hefty price tag of £55,000 / €65,000 / $69,000. That's a considerable jump up from the already rather expensive Utopia's price tag. But it's also a lot of kit you're getting in such a lifestyle-friendly streamlined system.

The new wireless active speaker system is available today, exclusively from authorised stores in the Focal Powered by Naim network.

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Streaming amplifiers are always a compromise. They have to combine amplification, DAC, preamp, multiple wireless streaming protocols and support for dozens of different music apps – all in one box. To make all these elements work seamlessly and deliver a great sound is a hard task.

Ruark Audio, however, has decades of experience in combining multiple functions in one box, to great success.

From powered desktop speakers with Bluetooth (MR1 Mk2), smart radios with streaming features (R1S, R2 Mk4) and all-in-one music systems (R410) – Ruark has already proven it can juggle multiple features while delivering great sound, stylish design and ease of use.

The Ruark Audio R610 streaming amplifier, then, should be a walk in the park, shouldn’t it?

Build & design

Unusually for a Ruark product, the R610 doesn’t include any speaker elements. It’s all electronics.

Inside, the R610 features Class D amplification with 75 watts of power per channel, and a Burr Brown DAC that supports hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz.

High-quality components are used, as well as a switch mode power supply that delivers efficient and optimised power to the system. It even sports a moving magnet phono stage, while the streaming platform is identical to the one we experienced in the five-star R410 all-in-one system.

Not unusually for a Ruark product, the R610 looks stunning. A classy design with a high standard of build quality, this “music console” (as Ruark calls it) wouldn’t look out of place in any interior.

The handcrafted slatted wood grilles and metal details on the front – also seen in fellow R100 series products, including the matching Sabre-R speakers – are elegant, and the whole unit is beautifully made.

The large, five-inch, full colour TFT display screen is gorgeous to behold – clear, informative, easy to read and use, with good contrast for displaying album covers.

It’s not a touchscreen interface, but it gives the R610 that harmonious balance of modern and retro aesthetics in either of its two finish options.

The compact footprint is also appealing. Coupled with the Sabre-R speakers that you can buy as a bundle, it is well-suited to smaller spaces.

The R610 is topped off with Ruark’s iconic RotoDial controller, a design which is also mimicked in the separate remote control you get in the box. This identical RotoDial handheld remote fits particularly neatly into our palms and is a well-designed, tactile way to use the R610.

Even better, it connects to the main unit via Bluetooth, not infrared, meaning you don’t need to have a direct line of sight to the unit to control it.

It takes a while to get used to all the icons and what each button does, but once you familiarise yourself with all the functions, it’s all plain sailing.

The buttons are swift and work smoothly, and the circular dial makes it very intuitive to scroll through all the sources and menu options.

Another great touch from Ruark is that a pair of 3m speaker cables are included in the box. This is unusual but wholly welcome – we don't normally see such premium-looking speaker cables included with a product.

It makes setting up your system, especially if this is your first hi-fi set-up and you aren’t au fait with traditional separates, quicker and easier as you don’t have to shop separately for speaker cables (which can start to get expensive).

The cables are nicely braided, are terminated with banana plugs and work well. This does also offer a good upgrade path as the R610’s performance did improve when we swapped them for a step-up set of speaker cables.

Features & connectivity

The R610 streaming amplifier is bursting at the seams with features. In terms of wireless streaming, all the popular protocols and latest apps are supported.

We started testing the R610 when Qobuz Connect launched in May, and the new feature worked without a hitch. Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect are also on the menu, as is support for Amazon Music and Deezer.

You can also opt to stream from your smart device using AirPlay 2, Chromecast or Bluetooth (connection is swift and simple), while DLNA and UPnP compatibility means you’ll be able to play through your digital music collection stored on media servers or NAS devices on the same network.

We tried both wi-fi and wired Ethernet connections, and they proved stable throughout our testing duration.

The Ruark R610 wears its radio heritage proudly, with FM and DAB/DAB+ radio tuners included alongside the usual internet radio stations. There is even built-in support for the BBC Sounds app.

You can save up to 20 presets on the R610, making your favourite playlists and stations easier to access.

It’s worth noting at this point that there is no dedicated app here. This is unusual for a streaming amplifier, but the Ruark R610 is perfectly usable without one.

If using Qobuz, Tidal, Apple Music or BBC Sounds, the native app serves as your natural playback controller, while the R610 auto-senses if you want to stream via the Connect mode or AirPlay, for instance.

It’s when dealing with large music libraries that a tablet or smartphone interface feels necessary, so a third-party app such as M-Connect is recommended.

The R610 also isn’t laden with myriad settings and customisation options, as offered on the BluOS or WiiM streaming platform – so there isn’t much need for an app, really.

The R610’s menu settings are simple and offer straightforward options that are easy to select with the physical control buttons.

Ruark has also confirmed to us that new features should be added in October, which include the ability to hide sources that you don’t use, alarm clock functionality, and support for Bluetooth headphones playback.

That’s it for the streaming side, but the R610 also packs plenty of physical connections. There is a rather good moving magnet phono stage for your turntable, an HDMI ARC input for connecting to TVs, along with digital optical and RCA analogue inputs.

There is also a UBC-C input that supports audio playback; this is also where you would plug in Ruark’s dedicated R-CD100 CD drive.

We didn’t have the R-CD100 at hand, but we used our reference Cyrus CDi CD player with both analogue and optical inputs, and our Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable was connected to the phono input as part of our listening.

The only hiccup we encountered during testing was when the two analogue inputs didn’t make a sound at first. A factory reset fixed this problem promptly, and we haven’t had any issues with the analogue section since.

Sound

We start our R610 testing by connecting it to our reference Epos ES-7N standmount speakers, and we're met with a smooth, spacious and open sound.

It’s a dynamic and detailed presentation, allowing high frequencies to soar while keeping basslines in check. There is ample punch and impact to the low end, while a taut and agile sense of rhythm gets us fully in the groove of the song being played.

The bite and shine in the sharper edges of Fontaines D.C.’s Starburster is crisp and full of attitude, but it never sounds thin or harsh.

There is textural depth and body to the cello and piano in Agnes Obel’s The Curse, while the soundscape is layered. The R610 delivers a pleasing breadth of scale as orchestral pieces ebb and flow, with the sense of build-up towards a rousing crescendo coming through with a good amount of drama and weight.

We play through a little bit of everything from ’60s Dusty Springfield to ’70s Bowie, ’90s grunge rock to modern shiny pop, and the R610 takes it all in stride.

Piano notes glide across fluidly but with enough intent when fingertips hit ivory; Outkast’s frenetic energy in B.O.B. is relayed with verve and propulsive momentum; voices are conveyed with clarity and dynamic subtlety.

In terms of speaker matching, we do get a sense that the R610 is holding back a touch with our reference pair; that it isn’t sounding quite as free and lively as we would expect.

We swap our Epos speakers for the mid-priced Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3 – all of the R610’s positive qualities still remain, but this combination still sounds rather reserved.

It isn’t until we plug in the Ruark Sabre-R speakers that the R610 truly shines.

The R610 comes to life now. There is a greater spring in its step, the mid to high frequencies have greater shine and sweetness, and we notice a clear step up in rhythmic agility and fluidity.

Vocals in particular sound far more immediate and natural – you can hear greater nuance in the emotion and inflections in voices when listening through the Sabre-R speakers.

Overall, it’s a more engaging and dynamic sound. The Sabre-R speakers are clearly tuned to match the R610, so it makes sense that they sound their best when paired together.

Our dedicated Sabre-R review goes into greater detail about these small speakers, but don’t be deterred by their four-star rating – they and the R610 fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. They flow together in perfect harmony, highlighting each other’s strengths and delivering a cohesive performance.

If you are considering buying the R610, then the Sabre-R should be considered its most natural pairing.

If space is tight and you need an even smaller pair of speakers, then the titchy Neat Iota II are a good fit – their energy and dynamism suit the R610 well, although they’re perhaps not quite as refined as the Ruark pairing.

Luckily, you can buy the Sabre-R and R610 as a bundle in the UK, while you can purchase them separately in other territories.

The Sabre-R speakers cost £699, so together with R610, the total system will set you back £1899. We just wish there was a little discount when you bought the pair as a bundle.

Elsewhere, the R610’s sound is consistent throughout the various source inputs. The built-in phono stage is of decent quality, which isn’t always a guarantee in streaming amplifiers. We would recommend the Rega Planar 2/Nd3 or Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 as good options for the R610.

The streaming amplifier is sympathetic to different recording qualities but doesn’t make too much of a fuss about it, either. It conveys hi-res albums streamed from our Naim server with the same care and attention as with lossy Bluetooth streams from an iPhone.

Regardless of how you listen, the R610 doesn’t rob you of experiencing the shifting mood and feel of a song. Ruark simply tries to deliver the music as authentically as possible, so we can enjoy the core intent of the music.

For this type of product, which juggles so many different jobs, it’s a very capable performer. The R610 is a clear step up in performance over the Award-winning Technics SA-C600 (now available for around £760).

There are many streaming amplifiers across the price ranges that get close to offering great performance alongside ample features and specifications, but can’t quite hit the spot in every aspect.

With the R610, Ruark makes it look – and sound – easy. There is an effortless quality with which it delivers music, especially when paired with the Ruark Sabre-R speakers, that is wonderfully pleasing to listen to.

Verdict

If you want a substantial step up that gets closer to the sound of separates hi-fi, we would recommend the pricier Naim Uniti Atom (£2300 / $3799 / AU$5750).

But the Ruark R610 streaming amplifier is a fine example of what can be accomplished in such a compact, multi-faceted form, and at this price.

The R610 is a gorgeous piece of design, it’s lovely to use and however you listen to music – vinyl, streaming, CD, radio – it delivers an engaging, convincing performance.

Review published: 27th June 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

MORE:

Read the Ruark Audio Sabre-R speakers review

Also consider the Technics SA-C600

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Best hi-fi systems 2025: CD, vinyl and streaming music players for the home

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

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

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

Price

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

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

Build & design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Compatibility

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

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

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

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

Sound

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verdict

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

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

Review published: 26th June 2025

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Compatibility 4

MORE:

Also consider the Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3

Read the Ruark Audio R610 review

Read our first impressions of the Ruark MR1 MK3 powered speakers

Best bookshelf speakers 2025: top standmounts for every budget tested

The annual High End Munich show is a place for brands to showcase the pinnacle of what hi-fi can achieve. That takes various forms. They can either be million pound/dollar speakers with wild designs, gigantic amplifiers built like a tank, or they can be ultra-modern and deliver cutting-edge technology, regardless of what form or price this takes.

High End Munich 2025 had a bit of everything this year, but there was one type of product that kept rearing its head as I covered the show: the streaming amplifier. A single box that combines amplifier, DAC, streaming, volume control and inputs; you just have to add speakers.

It’s a neat solution for those who don’t want the complication of separates and mess of wires. But these products have been around for a long while now – so what was different this year?

I think streaming amplifiers have levelled up: the sheer variety of streaming amps available today, packed with the latest streaming tech and DAC chips, and in more desirable shapes, sizes and designs simply appeal more to the modern hi-fi user. Not to mention there are more products with competitive specifications available across the price spectrum these days.

One common theme I saw that has elevated this new crop of streaming amps above its predecessors? A full-colour touchscreen display. This shouldn’t feel revolutionary, but it does prevent these products from feeling like yet another anonymous black rectangular box. These streaming amplifiers are more inviting and engaging – literally.

As I noted when reviewing the WiiM Ultra, the touchscreen display invites you to interact with the streamer, thus giving you a more tactile connection with your hi-fi. It’s also more accessible and quicker to use at times than firing up the app, too – always a bonus.

The new WiiM Amp Ultra, then, is the affordable streaming amplifier that heads my list of the best streaming amp launches from Munich. Whereas WiiM’s current streaming amps – WiiM Amp and step-up WiiM Amp Pro – are discreet, minimal designs, the screen-toting Amp Ultra design makes total sense for a modern streaming amplifier. It will make it easier to control playback and quickly access your presets in particular, if it follows the same blueprint as the Ultra.

This model combines the Ultra’s slick streaming platform with 100 watts per channel amplification in a tidy compact box. Pricing will be announced later this year, but we have to assume it will remain affordable and competitive, as WiiM has proven so far. £400 / $400 perhaps? A bargain.

Eversolo Play is another streaming amp that will be leveraging the brand’s excellent streaming interface and touchscreen display, both of which we praise highly in our DMP-A6 streamer review.

Like the WiiM, this is a compact, desktop-friendly design that doesn’t look like a traditional hi-fi product. The colourful screen dominates the product and offers extensive scope to access all your apps and features with a tap and swipe, in an experience akin to using your smartphone.

There is also a CD Edition of the Eversolo Play, which features an integrated CD-ROM drive to the design – which is hugely appealing for physical media fans, of which there remains many of us! Costing £599-£699 / $699-$799 depending on the model you get, this could be the sleeper hit of the year.

Going up the price ladder, we saw new streaming amplifiers launch from NAD, Lyngdorf and Cyrus Audio. NAD’s M33 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier is a feature-packed model, introducing MQA Labs' new FOQUS and QRONO technologies for a more accurate signal conversion, along with Gen 2 Purifi Eigentakt amplification modules and the popular Dirac Live Room Correction. This one is yours for a more premium £4999 / $5999 price tag, and is available in August.

Lyngdorf’s TDAI-2210 (£3499 / $4499) is the middle child of the Danish brand’s streaming amplifier range. Its USP is that it uses fully digital amplifiation (not Class D), with 105 watts per channel and RoomPerfect calibration to fine tune the sound to your room. Lyngdorf promises “best-in-class volume control” and the “most uncolored sound you have ever experienced”.

Possibly the most exciting model is the Cyrus 80 AMP. It has us interested for two reasons: it’s the first time Cyrus has gone full-width, a historic moment in the hi-fi world on par with Naim ditching olive green from its identity. And second, we have loved what Cyrus has done with the 40 Series – both visually and sonically – and the step-up 80 AMP looks the business.

I only saw a display model at the show, as it was just a preview, but it looks smart – the modern redesign makes even more sense in a full-width design, with the crisp and clear touchscreen display and illuminated dials and icons looking very enticing.

The 80 AMP also runs on the BluOS streaming platform, but features Class A/B amplification – 150W per channel – which is a departure from the dominant Class D usage in the products in this list. The Cyrus 80 AMP is out in November with price set to be in the £3000-£4000 region.

It should go without saying that all the products here support not just various streaming methods and apps (bar a few notable omissions depending on the brand/platform), but also ample physical analogue and digital connectivity, with an HDMI ARC input pretty much standard across all new streaming amps.

What's more, these are products that have the sense of being a bit more grown up, having learned lessons from previous generations and refined what is required of a modern streaming amp.

I haven't heard any of these new streaming amplifiers yet, but I can hope – and reasonably expect – that the sonic performance has also matured across the board, even accounting for the compromises made when combining all separate hi-fi elements under one roof.

I have reviewed and used various streaming amplifier over the years – from the premium Naim Uniti Atom to the Cambridge Audio Evo 75 to the more recent Roksan Attessa Streaming Amplifier – but this next generation of streaming amps is the one to get me properly excited.

I can’t wait to try them out.

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Die Hard 2, Once Upon A Time in Mexico and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are all examples of how a sequel can work by simply repackaging a successful recipe. The all-new Naim Mu-so 2nd Generation (or Mu-so 2) is a similar case of a tale twice-told.

Put it side-by-side with the original Mu-so and the two near-identical aluminium boxes may lead you to initially dismiss this as a soft update. But to judge the Mu-so 2 by its cover would be to undermine the progression it brings to the Mu-so line. According to Naim, 95 per cent of the Mu-so 2 is new: drive units, digital signal processing, connectivity and cabinet.

Five years ago, the Mu-so arrived to a chorus of praise. Such was the unique one-box offering of wireless network multi-room streaming, physical connectivity, amplification and speakers, we weren’t sure what to call it. An all-in-one hi-fi system? A streaming system? A wireless speaker?

Since then, there have been many similar products, yet the Mu-so has retained its relevance. As competition grows and new streaming platforms (such as AirPlay 2) arrive, an update does seem timely – even if Naim has boldly priced the Muso 2 at £400 more than the original.

• Ruark Audio R410 vs Naim Mu-so 2: which all-in-one music system is better?

Features

Naim has naturally carried its new comprehensive streaming platform – the beating heart of the brand’s latest streamers and systems, such as the ND5 XS 2 and Uniti Atom – into the Mu-so 2. This gives it UPnP streaming of hi-res music up to PCM 32-bit/384kHz, direct streaming from Spotify Connect and Tidal, Apple AirPlay 2, internet radio and Google Chromecast, which brings Deezer, Qobuz and Google Play Music to the table. Naim claims to have improved the wi-fi stability, although a wired ethernet connection is still a good option.

As with the original Mu-so, offline streaming is catered for with Bluetooth, while USB, optical and 3.5mm inputs offer the ability to connect another source, such as a CD transport, CD player or television. On the latter, Naim has also decided to add a HDMI ARC socket so you can hook the Mu-so 2 up to your telly or AV receiver to pass-through high-quality Blu-ray formats, such as Dolby TrueHD, and also use a single remote to control all connected components.

Control comes from the latest version of the neatly-designed Naim app (iOS and Android). The home screen offers a simple input selection and preset access, the display of our server’s library features the album art and is easy to browse through. Tidal is nicely integrated too, and the whole experience is responsive on the One Plus 7 Pro smartphone (Android) and Apple iPad (iOS).

The app is also your go-to for multi-room pairing and control. The backwards-compatible Mu-so 2 can be paired with other Mu-so 2, Mu-so and Mu-so Qb speakers, or other compatible Naim products, using the latest streaming platform in three ways: via AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast or Naim’s own software.

The first two are accessible on Apple device software and either through a Chromecast-enabled app or Google Home app. Streaming from your NAS drive in multi-room can be achieved via the Naim app’s ‘now playing’ interface. Connect, disconnect and change volumes independently by pressing the bottom-right four-square icon. You should be able to pair up to eight speakers, if you have the space.

A selection of settings allows you to do everything from naming and updating your Mu-so to setting a sleep timer or alarm clock. You can tailor the sound based on where the Mu-so 2 is positioned – choose from ‘Near Wall’, ‘Near Corner’ or, when out in the open ‘No Compensation’. Users of music player curation software Roon can control the Roon-Ready Mu-so 2nd Generation via Roon’s own app.

The flat handheld remote isn’t as nice as the rounded wand supplied with the original Mu-so, but it offers a more basic means of control if you want a break from your smartphone or tablet screen.

Build

On-unit controls rarely feature highly in our reviews, but the Mu-so 2’s off-centre dial is worth more than a passing mention. An improved touch control panel, ringed by a silky-smooth illuminated dial, allows you to change volume, switch sources and select preset music to play.

Up to five presets, such as albums, playlists or radio stations, can be set via the Naim app. Thanks to a proximity sensor, you can wake the display with your hand and illuminate the icons ready for use.

While the Mu-so 2’s stylish aesthetic heritage is obvious, there are tell-tale signs of its individuality next to the original. The aluminium chassis sports a new burnished grey finish and the front wave-like grille, available in black, terracotta, olive and peacock (blue), is now made of a new nylon and polyester knit fabric that Naim says improves sound sensitivity by around 1db in the midrange.

Sound

To improve performance, Naim has fitted new drivers – optimised in collaboration with Focal and collectively driven by 450W of amplification – and advanced the capability of its digital sound processing.

Each driver has been reconsidered: the bass unit has been given a longer voice coil and larger magnet to reduce distortion, while the midrange has a better-damped surround to improve its phase with the cone.

The new processing is capable of 13 times as many instructions as the original Mu-so, and all digitised analogue inputs and all digital inputs are upsampled or downsampled as necessary to a 24-bit/88kHz output. Naim has paid attention to digital timing too, extending the duties of the system’s Master Clock to the streaming card too, as is the case in Naim’s high-end ND555 streamer.

Those improvements combined have secured a calibre of sound that’s more next level than incremental. While there is the familiar richness, both in terms of tonality and quality, the Mu-so 2 walks all over its predecessor when it comes to detail, dynamics and rhythmic dexterity.

The Mu-so 2 effortlessly opens up The National’s Hey Rosey, and everything in that more spacious soundfield – the pitter-patter of piano, the slicing strings, the Gail Ann Dorsey accompaniment – is clearer and more nuanced. The chorus’s kaleidoscopic rhythm pattern sounds much more systematic, too.

The gentle dynamic build to Maribou State’s Turnmills is more obvious, there’s more euphoria to the playful melody, and the entrancing vocal traverses the electronica with greater presence.

To augment bass, Naim has re-engineered the physical structure of the system to increase the cabinet volume by 13 per cent. As the track’s drum loop kicks in, it’s clear that the bass has more control and conviction – the drum machine pattern in Twilight Sad’s It Never Was The Same sounds more sinister and stately than it does through the Mu-so.

Musicality is still at the heart of the Mu-so 2’s performance as a soundbar. There’s weight, insight and liveliness, and as we tune into the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the commentary is clear and coherent.

You don’t get the scale of sound you do from the best premium soundbars (such as the Dali Kubik One or Sony HT-ST5000), or the bass volume of those with external subwoofers. But there’s no question that the Naim does justice to soundtracks and dialogue alike, offering significant improvements over TV speakers.

Verdict

We’re surprised just how much sonic progression the Naim Mu-so 2 brings, however these advancements are necessary to justify the hefty price increase over the original.

At the time of writing, the first generation Mu-so can be bought for several hundreds of pounds less, but for the extra cost here, you get a better performance, extra sonic insight, better usability and the inclusion of an HDMI socket.

And, just as the best film sequels manage to add something to their franchise, the Mu-so 2nd Generation proves a worthy successor and a fine addition to the Mu-so range.

First reviewed: June 2019

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

MORE:

Also consider the Ruark Audio R410

Ruark Audio R410 vs Naim Mu-so 2: which all-in-one music system is better?

Read our Naim Uniti Star review

Check out the best hi-fi systems we've tested and recommend

Long-time readers of What Hi-Fi? will know that we are all about finding the best sound for your money. We have also, for the best part of half a century, extolled the virtues of separate components over jack-of-all-trades alternatives. Time and technology move on, though – and we are living in the real world; plenty of us want – need, even – a practical solution to getting quality sound at home. And there is now a serious argument for the convenience of a one-box hi-fi option that won’t require many unfortunate compromises.

Also in this issue, we have an excellent Group Test of floorstanding speakers where five heavy-hitters, costing between about £800 and £1000, are pitted one against the other.

And, if you ever wondered what our review team listen to when they are putting a new piece of equipment through our rigorous testing precedure, you will want to take a look at our favourite test albums. From Hans Zimmer to Nirvana – via Taylor Swift – there is something for everyone.

Best floorstanders £800-£1000

The five floorstanders we have gathered together here are all major players in the sub-£1000 price bracket. All are five-star products and several are multiple What Hi-Fi? Award winners. That means factors such as style and the particular requirements of your listening room are likely to carry more weight than usual.

As is often the case, there is a new kid in town. And this one is from a very good family. Fyne Audio hit the ground running when it was formed eight years ago by experienced personnel previously from veteran loudspeaker maker Tannoy; it has been picking up Awards left, right and centre ever since. Its latest offering is the F501E and, to prove it means business, the company has gifted its newborn technology from more expensive models in its range, yet kept the F501E’s price under £1000.

Bringing their formidable weapons of serious price advantage to fight off the challenge from Fyne are the Q Acoustics 5040 and the Dali Oberon 5. As well as being the least expensive models in this test, both are also well suited to smaller listening rooms, not least because of their modest (for a floorstander) dimensions.

Those with bigger listening rooms might find the Wharfedale Evo 4.4 or Triangle Borea BR08, both of which prioritise weight and scale, more worthy of close examination. So, can the newcomer from Fyne Audio topple the might of the established order or will the old guard hold the fort?

Premium hi-fi in a single box

It isn’t always easy to build a ‘separates’ hi-fi system, where every component (amplifier, speakers and at least one source) is housed in a separate box. You need space, a fair budget and the time to research what components go well together and how to best set them up. Understandably, then, the sort of time, cost and living space required for separates building means that it certainly isn’t for everyone! And that’s where all-in one hi-fi systems come in.

An all-in-one system, such as those we feature this month, offers network streaming, amplification and speakers, all in just the one box. Most offer physical connectivity, some offer wireless network multi-room, some have good old fashioned radio functionality. Crucially, of course, we wouldn’t recommend any of them unless they have great sound too.

The systems we have here are intended to take pride of place in your listening room. They feature designs that impress visually and mean they will happily serve as aesthetically pleasing pieces of furniture too.

We have seven such systems for your perusal this month, each one thoroughly tested by What Hi-Fi?’s experts, from Revo, Bowers & Wilkins, Naim, JBL, Ruark and Cambridge Audio. These marry lifestyle, convenience and sonic capabilities, meaning that you can be sure all boxes are ticked with these single box systems.

Technics vs Sony premium wireless earbuds

Sony’s WF-1000XM5 have been our favourite wireless earbuds since they launched in 2023, with their stunning sound quality standing head and shoulders above the competition. They are our current Award-winners and Best Buys in the £150-£300 bracket which, considering the volume of earbuds available in that price range, is no mean feat.

Many earbuds have tried to beat Sony’s blend of features, design and outright sound performance since then, and while some have come close (Bose’s ANC earbuds, for instance), none have dethroned them in our estimation. Technics might be about to change that. The brand has launched its flagship wireless earbuds for 2025, the EAH-AZ100, and their stellar performance across fit, features and sound has impressed us.

So, of course, we couldn't resist pitting them head-to-head. Find out how they fare against each other in this month's What Hi-Fi?

First with reviews

Once more, our First Tests section is filled to the brim with in-depth, impartial and expert verdicts on the very latest hi-fi and AV gear.

The launch of a new C-series OLED TV range from LG is big news. These popular OLEDs have won many Awards and five-star reviews from us, for their picture quality, features and gaming-friendly specs. So, it was exciting times in the What Hi-Fi? testing rooms this month as our experts got the 55-inch version of the brand new LG C5 in for review. Find out what we thought of it in May's What Hi-Fi?

Looking for a soundbar to go with your new (possibly C5) TV? We were interested to see how Sony's new Bravia Theatre Bar 8 would perform, as a much-needed replacement for a TV's usually inadequate built-in sound. See how it fared this month!

But that's not all. There was another TV in for review this month in the form of the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV. With different panel tech to the LG C5, and a lower price-tag, could this be the TV option for you?

Elsewhere, our experts formed in-depth opinions on the Beyerdynamic Aventho over-ear headphones, Lumin U2 Mini network transport (just add DAC), LG Xboom Go XG8T portable speaker, Sony LinkBuds Open earbuds and the Google TV Streamer.

See what our review team thought of all these products in May's What Hi-Fi?

Well, yes, it's expensive but...

Our Temptations section of the magazine is where you'll find the highest of the high-end of hi-fi and AV products.

This month's high-end treats include the Goldmund Telos 690 integrated amplifier. It's a mighty product with a price tag (£32,500) to match, but our review team found that "dynamic expression of both the large and low-level variety is superbly handled", and that "it can dance, too, delivering rhythm tracks with enthusiasm". Read more in the May issue of What Hi-Fi?

Then we come to a superb pair of floorstanding speakers in the form of ProAc's D20R. Our reviewers found that "large-scale dynamic shifts are delivered with a surprising degree of heft given the D20Rs' modest size". Find out more in this months' mag!

Finally, don't forget to check out our Buyer’s Guide, featuring a definitive and freshly updated list of all the best home entertainment kit you can buy – including winners of 2024's What Hi-Fi? Awards. If you’re looking to purchase anything from a pair of wireless headphones to a home cinema speaker system, this section will tell you where to spend your money wisely.

Whatever you do, don't miss the May 2025 issue of What Hi-Fi?. Grab a copy today, or simply download it onto your tablet or smartphone. Enjoy!

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What image comes to mind when you think of a ‘wireless speaker’? Some squareish, boombox-like unit, or maybe a chic dome or cylinder covered in fabric? Perhaps something small and battery-powered you can chuck in your weekend bag? If you own one yourself, it’s likely the very one sitting in your home.

In any case, chances are you are picturing some kind of single unit – albeit almost certainly not an uber-flashy one that costs the same as a modest second-hand car. They do exist, though: I’ve heard at least a handful of ‘tabletop’ one-box wireless speakers that cost around, or north of, £3000 / $3500 (one was nearly twice that); real statement, centrepiece designs whose sound quality goes beyond what you would expect from a one-box offering, courtesy of their multiple drivers and quality components and engineering.

I’m talking wireless speakers from the likes of Devialet, Bang & Olufsen, Linn and Marantz, to name a handful; those which make even what most people would deem ‘premium’ – the Naim Mu-so 2, Sonus Faber Omnia, Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition etc – look (and sound) fairly ordinary, as they jolly well should for their outlay.

Now, for this kind of money you can fix yourself up with a pretty decent system of hi-fi separates, but regardless of budget, those customers are not the same customers considering a wireless speaker. The latter don’t want to put in the legwork that building a separates system requires, and/or don’t like the look or have the space.

Indeed, the crowd considering spending close to £1000 / $1200 on a Naim Mu-so aren’t also considering a similarly priced set-up comprising a separate source, amplifier and pair of stereo speakers – and vice versa. In much the same way a Mini Cooper Convertible and similarly priced Ford Everest SUV don’t attract the same audience.

And that’s fine. There’s a lot to be said for having a music system as neat, compact and easy to use as the Naim, especially when the sound it produces will likely pleasantly surprise and satisfy most people. Indeed, in some areas of music performance, a one-box can be just as capable as a more complex alternative.

There’s no reason a one-box speaker can’t be as musically cohesive, bassy or detailed in the treble, for example, as a stereo pair – that’s more about the size and quality of the respective drivers and their implementation with and alongside every other speaker component.

But there’s one sonic element a single-box wireless speaker cannot – and will likely never – challenge a stereo speaker set-up for, and which I think becomes an issue when you get to those luxury statement designs: true stereo staging and imaging.

Sure, DSP (digital signal processing) has advanced to the point that the sound coming from wireless speakers convincingly seems like it’s being pushed wider than it would be otherwise from the drivers alone. Many offer modes that specifically work to increase this spatial effect, too. I’ve sat in front of several wireless speakers the size and scale of whose soundstage belie their physical size. It's very impressive.

However, even the priciest, biggest and most sonically talented models cannot replicate the soundstage possible from a pair of stereo speakers positioned as close as a metre apart (they will often be double that, though, depending on how far away your listening position is).

That’s completely logical considering the closer physical proximity of the drivers in one box, even in those horizontally generous speakers like the Zeppelin, as good as it is, with the latest version having a tweeter and midrange pairing at each extreme end of the 65cm-wide ovular unit, sandwiching a central subwoofer.

When you reach a certain performance level, where other sonic elements aren’t compromising the delivery, I believe true stereo separation is important. After all, a wider sonic canvas allows for more coherent imaging (that is, where everything within an audio mix is placed in the stereo presentation) and insight into the details. And it just feels ‘right’.

It’s one of the reasons I’m all for the advent and continuing rise of such 'all-in-one' (for want of a better phrase) wireless speakers in a true stereo two-box solution. The KEF LSX II LT and Focal Diva Utopia are examples of both price extremes in the flourishing market.

No, they aren’t as easy to house as a single box – of course, it’s an extra box and often at least one extra cable – and that alone will reasonably rule them out for some wireless speaker shoppers. But they get over the main limitation of traditional one-box wireless speakers without being nearly as demanding as a system of separates, and in my mind should be seriously considered by shoppers who have some room flexibility and care about sound quality enough to spend big in the first place.

For me, it’s a shame to experience true high-quality sound without a true stereo presentation.

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OK, so Dr Victor Frankenstein’s stitching together of various parts to create a new species for the betterment of humankind didn’t go so well, but what could possibly go wrong with mashing together the best bits of several music streamers to produce a perfect one?

We can heartily recommend as many as 15 hi-fi streamers to readers looking to make their systems streaming-savvy, all of which can be found in our best music streamer buying guide. But among the many talents of each are slight imperfections, or at least an aspect of their performance, design or feature set that is beaten by another's.

Indeed, the perfect hi-fi streamer only exists in our minds, so we’ve had some fun by selecting only the finest ingredients from our favourites to make the ultimate music streamer recipe – one that could surely only ever scare in how monstrously good it is!

Build quality: Eversolo DMP-A6

If you haven’t heard of, or don’t know much about, Eversolo, your first impressions of the Chinese-based manufacturer will likely be very positive after reading this article. Despite being relatively new to the music streamer market, it features more than once here, with several of the DMP-A6’s ingredients making it into our ideal music streamer recipe.

We reviewed the DMP-A6 18 months ago and were highly impressed with the package, whose solid foundation starts with its build quality. Despite being a pretty affordable machine at £759 / $859 / AU$1399, it proves it can play with the established big boys on both construction and aesthetic fronts.

For one, our test experts liked the shoebox size of its aluminium chassis, which is somewhere between the full-width design of the Cambridge Audio CXN (V2) and the half-width form of the Cyrus 40 ST. Those pretty compact dimensions strike a nice balance of fitting into any hi-fi rack both width- and depth-wise and being large enough to accommodate the size of LCD touchscreen you genuinely want to interact with (which we’ll get to shortly).

It's well-made and we like how its brushed aluminium finish, single dial and fascia-hogging display combine for a classy, minimal aesthetic. Music streamers aren’t inherently the most physically attractive hi-fi components – their app-heavy nature means they don’t really need to be – but Eversolo’s efforts here pay off. It’s little wonder the company has stuck to the same blueprint for its new DMP-A6 Gen 2.

Ease of set-up: WiiM Pro Plus

WiiM is another Chinese brand to have made a huge impact on the music streamer market, with its What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Pro Plus demonstrating that you can get decent sound, features and usability from a unit as affordable as £219 / $219 / AU$339. Pretty much everything about WiiM’s disruptor is fantastic for the price (bar its plasticky, non-descript build), but the part we like most for our streamer paragon is its set-up process.

The WiiM Home App is its crowning glory, facilitating an intuitive and fuss-free set-up that takes no time at all, is essentially foolproof, and is representative of how comprehensive and slick it is for daily operation.

As we said in our five-star WiiM Pro Plus review, the app is “a cut or two above what you might be expecting from such a modestly priced product (and even better than the apps accompanying rival products with more hi-fi pedigree)”.

User experience: Eversolo DMP-A6

We haven’t encountered any music streamer that betters the Eversolo DMP-A6’s user experience. While it starts with a fuss-free set-up that rivals WiiM’s (in a matter of minutes, our reviews team had hopped onto our network, accessed our various NAS units and logged into our Tidal streaming account – no problem), it’s the unit’s everyday user experience that sets it apart. “An absolute joy to use,” reads our DMP-A6 review.

Unusually for a dedicated hi-fi product, its wonderfully crisp full-colour 6-inch touchscreen display works as well as any current smartphone: it’s smooth, responsive and stutter-free, with neat graphics that are informative without looking cluttered. It is all powered by Android 11 software running on a capable quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor; the result is impressively slick. It’s so good, in fact, that we often found ourselves operating the Eversolo from its front panel rather than waiting for our iPad to boot up – and there aren’t many streamers we’ve come across at all that we actually want to directly interact with that way.

Features & app control: Eversolo DMP-A6

Of course, unless your hi-fi system is set up within easy reaching distance, right in front of you or by your side, remote control via a dedicated app on a phone or tablet is how you’ll most often interact with a music streamer. The third and final aspect of Eversolo’s DMP-A6 that we’re borrowing for our ideal music streamer creation is indeed its app.

Available for both iOS and Android, EverSolo Control is intuitive and logically arranged. Streamers are inherently complicated components that have a great deal of functionality, but somehow Eversolo has managed to make its app easy to navigate, even for those not comfortable with such things.

Perhaps most importantly, the app proves stable and reliable in use. In our time with the DMP-A6, it never drops out or freezes, which is almost unheard of. Both the product and the app just work, and that’s something the rest of the streaming industry would do well to emulate.

And while there’s greater parity in terms of streaming features in the hi-fi streamer market than ever before, the DMP-A6 remains, to borrow a quote from our review, “as feature-packed a streamer as we’ve encountered”. You can tick the usual boxes – UPnP, AirPlay 2 and support for popular music streaming services such as Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect, Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music and internet radio. It’s Roon Ready certified and has Bluetooth 5.0 (with aptX HD codec). It even has Chromecast built-in (less of a given than the others), while its proprietary sampling-rate audio engine means you can download the Apple Music Android app and stream its lossless hi-res catalogue without Apple’s famously closed ecosystem being a barrier.

Detail resolution & dynamics: Cyrus 40 ST

There are so many different aspects to sound performance that we often find ourselves wishing that even the best all-round hi-fi performers had a little bit more of this or a larger helping of that. For example, while one component may prioritise space and scale and the coherence that often comes with that, another may not be quite so open but instead have the compelling rhythmic flow of a ribbon gymnast.

It makes sense, then, that we have chosen the sonic highlights of three music streamers that, blended together, would create a flawless audio presentation. And it should probably come as no surprise that we have picked fairly premium propositions here. While feature count, app design, set-up ease and, to a lesser extent, build quality aren’t all that price-dependent in the music streamer market, sound performance is.

The Cyrus 40 ST (£2995 / $3995 / AU$4999) would in our minds be the best contributor of detail resolution and dynamic subtlety, getting one over on its biggest rival, the Audiolab 9000N, which won our What Hi-Fi? Award last year (and which features below). Our reviews team notes how in comparison it finds an extra layer of textural detail in instruments and voices.

“Dynamically, it is impressively expressive,” reads the 40 ST review, “rendering low-level shifts in intensity elegantly, and delivering large-scale orchestral crescendos with real conviction, leaving the Audiolab sounding a little subdued in comparison.” It’s as clear and precise a performer as we’ve come across at this aspirational level.

Rhythmic drive & punch: Naim ND5 XS

While the Cyrus is far, far from a musical slouch, arguably only one of its competitors can just better its rhythmic drive and outright punch. The Naim ND5 XS2 (£2499 / $3399 / AU$5750) brings the company’s long-held musical understanding very much to the fore, able to get right underneath any genre of music to convey not only the ebb and flow of its rhythmic pattern but also its intensity.

“It remains a pleasant surprise when a streamer displays any kind of aptitude for timing, but the clock here is admirably precise, while an abundance of punch and terrific dynamic range make for an entertaining, exciting listen,” reads our ND5 XS2 review. Combine the Cyrus’s class-leading analysis and the Naim’s effortless melodiousness and you have renditions that are as informative as they are enjoyable. But there’s another sonic aspect we want to throw into the mix too…

Tonal balance & soundstaging: Audiolab 9000N

Our current Award winner can still reply to the Cyrus and Naim when it comes to tonality and soundstaging, though. Compared to its rivals’ more condensed soundstage, the Audiolab 9000N (£2499 / $3499 / AU$5499) delivers an expansive sonic canvas that is big on both scale and space. It’s stable and packed with sharply focused and precisely plotted instruments and sounds, deftly organised so that its presentation is clean and coherent, never muddled.

It doesn’t even flirt with putting its own sonic character on the music, too, going straight down the tonal middle to offer impressive neutrality.

Both are familiar strengths (neither can be overstated) of Audiolab, which has impressed at the more modest end of the streamer market for years and whose latest 9000N shows it is just as adept at the more sophisticated end too.

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Focal's Utopia series of loudspeakers is the French audio brand's most high-end range of passive speakers, with price tags usually in the high six figures. This luxurious, esoteric range now has a new addition: the Focal Diva Utopia.

The Diva Utopia is Focal's first foray into the world of active wireless speakers, joining a category dominated by similar speaker systems from KEF, such as the Award-winning LS50 Wireless II, LS60 Wireless, as well as strong contenders from JBL, Triangle and now Technics. 

The Diva, however, has a considerably higher price tag than these speaker systems available on the market. The Focal Diva Utopia cost £29,999 / $39,999 / AU$60,000 per pair – a significant amount! The other headline is that the Focal Diva's electronics are all powered by sister brand Naim Audio.

The Diva are floorstanding models with a three-way design with a bass reflex system. The speakers feature Focal's signature 27mm inverted dome beryllium tweeter, a 16.5cm sandwich midrange driver and four 16.5cm woofers that combine to deliver powerful sound that should fill rooms as big as 80sqm, the brand claims. There are three dedicated A/B amplifiers for each driver section (250W for bass, 75W each for tweeter and midrange) adding up to 400W per speaker – that's 800 watts of total power output from the full system.

According to the press release, "Naim Audio has designed the electronics especially to guarantee the faithful reproduction of every musical nuance." We were told by a Focal representative during an early preview in the summer that elements of Naim's latest Classic 200 and 300 hi-fi series have made their way into these active wireless speakers.

Interestingly, the Diva uses a "unique" Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless technology developed to deliver "high-definition audio transmission with no losses, compression or latency". Focal claims this allows for wireless playback of audio "surpassing" CD quality and "approaching" the high-resolution audio of that in a professional studio. There is no wire connection between the speakers; the UWB wireless method is used to transmit lossless, hi-res audio between the speakers. 

There is a new streaming architecture inside that can handle up to 32-bit/384kHz hi-res quality across a variety of file formats. A dive into the specifications shows that the UWB wireless link between the speakers allows for 24-bit/96kHz streaming, while swapping to a physical wired link (using RJ45 sockets and cable) bumps that up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution. DSD64 and DSD128 files are also supported, but not MQA.

The Diva is chock-full of the usual streaming methods and services you'd expect from a modern wireless system of its ilk. There's support for Bluetooth aptX Adaptive, AirPlay, Google Cast, Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect, while you can access a host of other streaming services and internet radio through the Focal & Naim app. Thanks to UPnP support, you can also stream music over your home network from a connected storage device such as a NAS drive. Physical connections include an HDMI eARC, optical, USB type A and RCA line-level inputs, so you can connect other sources such as a TV, CD player or turntable to the Diva Utopia should you wish. Focal has confirmed to us that the Diva will not be Roon Ready.

Focal's aim is for the Diva to be easy to set up and accommodate in your home (provided you can afford them, of course!). You can control all aspects of the new speaker system with the existing Focal & Naim app, along with a provided remote control and voice assistants. The Diva can also slot into an existing Naim or Focal ecosystem that uses the same app and wireless network.

Visually, the Diva look impressive. They are a small tower, with floating side panels covered in grey felt material and crafted using premium materials and clever design touches that befits the high price tag. With five years in development and available exclusively in approved stores in the Focal Powered by Naim network, the Focal Diva Utopia promises an "outstanding digital listening experience" – we can't wait to hear them in person.

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Roksan has always done things a little differently. From the Xerxes to the Caspian, the brand’s products have been defined by bold design, strong engineering and hugely entertaining sound. The new Attessa range hopes to capture that Roksan flair across its sonic and visual characteristics – can it succeed?

The Roksan Attessa Streaming Amplifier (tested at £1499 / $3199 / AU$3499) we have on test here is very much a modern hi-fi product that combines amplification, DAC, streaming, preamplifier and even a phono stage into just one box – you just have to add speakers. 

Streaming amplifiers (or all-in-one just-add-speaker systems, but that’s too much of a mouthful) of this kind have been rising in popularity recently as a lifestyle-friendly alternative to a traditional separates system, and we’ve heard great examples from the likes of Cambridge Audio, NAD, Bluesound, Marantz, Naim and more. It’s a lot of components to cram into one box, but can Roksan make a dent and stand out from the crowd?

Build & design

In looks alone, the Roksan is one of the more stylish one-box streaming amplifiers we’ve come across. The steel and aluminium body is understated, sleek and well made, but it’s the central control dial and minimal OLED display across the unit that gives it visual interest. 

It’s a lovely thing to use, too. The dial controls the unit’s volume, with red bars appearing on the right hand side to show the level. The subtly glowing bars are clear but not blinding in a dark room; overall, it looks striking against the black finish of our review sample. A silver finish is available too.

On the left of the dial you’ll see icons for the input chosen, and you can select the inputs by pushing that main dial and scrolling. The turning action is nicely weighted and smooth, and there is a pleasing haptic feedback when cycling through the various inputs. There are many other hi-fi units that use multi-function-dials, but we think Roksan’s implementation is one of the more elegant designs. 

Even more pleasing is the ability to assign different logos to each input. So instead of just A1 or D1, you can choose pictorial icons of a TV, CD disc, vinyl record or games console to indicate the different sources you’ve connected the Attessa to. It’s a nice touch that makes the Attessa feel more customised to you, giving it a bit of personality otherwise missing from many other hi-fi products of this type. It also means you don’t have to remember which input is connected to which source, making it easier to choose exactly the source you want on the fly.

Some might prefer a large, colourful screen that shows off album artwork – such as in the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 and the Naim Uniti Atom – but we find the Attessa’s minimal display to be a clever alternative that’s informative and sophisticated.

Inside, the Attessa Streaming Amplifier is powered by 80 watts per channel (into 8 ohms) of class A/B amplification, while the tried-and-tested third-party BluOS platform handles all things streaming.

You do need to download Roksan’s own MaestroUnite app to initially set up the Attessa – this is an additional step but it’s worthwhile keeping the app saved as you’ll get firmware updates through here. If you have a full Roksan Attessa system (including the series’ matching CD player, turntable or standalone integrated amplifier), this app will come in handy.

For day-to-day use, however, it’s the BluOS app you’ll need to control all your streaming sources, music playback and more. There are small buttons on the unit itself to control music playback, but we find the included remote control (small but perfectly functional and responsive) and BluOS app the best ways to control the Attessa and your music. 

Features & connectivity

Set-up is swift and painless, even with using two apps – that’s not always a given with streaming products, and the network connection remains blissfully stable and stutter-free throughout our weeks of testing the Attessa. 

You can connect the streaming amp to your home network using wired Ethernet or wi-fi, while the unit also supports AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth. The one gaping omission is Google Chromecast, which may be a deal breaker for non-Apple households who prefer this easy casting method. On the other hand, you get access to a huge number of popular music streaming services and internet radio options through the BluOS app, but the essentials of Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music and Deezer are there. 

If you have music stored on NAS devices or laptops, the Roksan Attessa will be able to read these when connected to the same network, although bear in mind that the BluOS platform doesn’t support the easy-access DLNA or UPnP protocols, so you’ll need to input your drive’s file name/path into the app. It’s a little fiddly, but once you’re up and running it’s all plain sailing. We managed to connect both our Naim and Melco drives with no hiccups.

There is a decent spread of physical connections, including two inputs apiece for optical, coaxial and line level RCA. You can directly connect a turntable to the phono MM input, and there is a 3.5mm headphone jack on the front panel. There’s no HDMI input, as we’ve increasingly started to see (and see oft-requested) on such products, but you can add a subwoofer if you need extra oomph for your movies. 

In terms of high-resolution file support, the Attessa’s internal DAC (a Burr Brown chip) can handle files up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and it can decode MQA files. Those with a large DSD file library will be disappointed to know that it doesn’t support DSD natively, but it can play converted DSD files via the BluOS desktop app only. There are rival just-add-speaker systems – including cheaper models – that have wider file support, so it’s worth thinking carefully about whether the Attessa meets your digital library requirements. As most hi-res files you can download are available within the Rokan’s parameters, however, we think it will suit most but the very dedicated digital music users.

Sound

The Attessa plays nicely with all sources we plug into it during testing. We connect our two NAS drives, our reference Cyrus CDi CD player and Technics SL-1000R turntable, and stream from an iPhone/iPad, and the unit switches between all inputs smoothly. We plug the Roksan into our reference speakers, the ATC SCM50, but also use the more price-appropriate KEF LS50 Meta speakers for the majority of our testing. To try the headphone stage, we use the Beyerdynamic Amiron over-ears.

The Roksan Attessa is a wonderfully genial performer no matter what you play. It has such a likeable sonic personality from the get-go, that we find ourselves happily playing song after song through the unit. There is a decent amount of body and solidity to the sound, ample detail and clarity – all good hallmarks for when you’re listening to a wide variety of music, from John Williams to Yard Act, Taylor Swift to Eminem. 

The Attessa’s greatest strength is that it has a lively sense of agility and rhythm. Eminem’s rapid-fire lyrics on Godzilla (feat. Juice WRLD) are delivered with a level of speed and nimble footing that’s admirable, while the strings and woodwind in Schindler’s List and Catch Me If You Can soundtracks are undulating, fluid and musically cohesive. The Roksan Attessa doesn’t get too hung up on analysing every drop of detail from a track, preferring to prioritise communicating the essence of a song. A sweet midrange and healthy low-level dynamics make voices sound particularly appealing, as we hear with Justin Vernon’s deep, earthy vocals on Exile. It may not be the most transparent piece of hi-fi equipment, but we find ourselves drawn to the Attessa’s pizzazz and energy. 

Dynamically, we wish the Attessa would offer greater contrast and reach when it comes to expressing orchestral sweeps and subtler interplay of instruments. Play Duel Of The Fates from Star Wars Episode 1 or Massive Attack’s Angel, and we yearn for a greater sense of momentum and more expressive large-scale dynamics to fully convey the hair-raising choral arrangements and brooding sense of tension in the respective songs. Simpler piano compositions such as Whist by Chilly Gonzales sound sweet and flowing, but we’d love for the Attessa to eke out subtler textures and deeper resonances so the piano sounds more realistic. There’s a good sense of space and organisation, and nothing sticks out unduly at either side of the frequency range. Compared with rivals at this price level, the Marantz Model 40n will offer a bigger, bolder and more powerful soundstage, but it isn’t quite as engaging or rhythmically adept as the Roksan.

The Roksan’s affable approach works especially well when handling various sources. You do get the expected drop in sound quality when switching from hi-res files to a Bluetooth stream, but the Roksan’s friendly manner and agile footing remain present through all. The phono stage’s performance is decent for its type and retains the same character, although it loses a touch of precision and clarity around the leading edges of notes – as does the headphone stage – but it continues to perform with good-natured zeal and appealing musicality.

Verdict

It may not be an all-rounder but, despite the chinks in its sonic armour, we find the Roksan Attessa streaming amplifier to be very likeable and enjoyable. You can tap your foot along to the music and, if so inclined, sing along to your playlists, which isn’t always the case with products we test. It’s a stylish, well-featured system that is lovely to use, and we find it has a dash of that distinct personality that we have long liked about Roksan’s products. Paired with a good pair of speakers that complements its sonic style, the Attessa streaming amplifier is a modern hi-fi system that is worth considering. 

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Features 4

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June’s in the rear-view mirror which means it’s time for yet another entry into our Pick of the Month column, where we celebrate the latest batch of products to earn perfect marks from our team of reviewers.

And what a month June was, with everything from luxurious hi-fi amps to affordable over-ear headphones passing through our dedicated listening and viewing rooms. In the sea of products we tested, only five impressed our reviewers enough to earn five star ratings, however.

Here’s what you need to know about them.

LG G4 

The G4 is LG’s latest flagship OLED and it brings with it two key big upgrades on its predecessor, the LG G3.

For starters, it’s the first TV we’ve tested with a second generation Micro Lens Array (MLA) panel. This is a refined version of the tech that aims to let the G4 offer even higher peak brightness levels. Second, it's powered by a more advanced Alpha 11 processor that has more impressive AI smarts designed to improve everything from motion handling to colour accuracy and audio quality.

While our reviewers found audio is still a key let-down, the G4 otherwise proved to be an excellent upgrade and one of the best premium OLEDS on the market. Highlights include significantly improved motion handling, wonderfully immersive picture quality and excellent gaming features. Hence our reviewers’ conclusion: “The LG G4 is a fantastic OLED TV that easily competes with Samsung and Sony’s best.”

Read our LG G4 (OLED65G4) review

Audiolab 9000N 

The 9000N is a big product from Audiolab. This is because its the first premium option from a brand that’s usually associated with the more affordable end of the streaming market. Designed to take on big name competition from the likes of Naim, this gives it some big shoes to fill if it hopes to compete in an increasingly full segment of the hi-fi market.

Thankfully, having thoroughly put it through its paces in our listening rooms, we’re pleased to confirm it is an excellent option for serious music fans looking to add streaming smarts to their hi-fi set-up.

Built on the established Lumin streaming platform, the 9000N has all the functionality you’d expect from a modern streamer. At a basic level you can stream tracks from all the usual services including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz and Tunein Radio. The platform is also Roon Ready and Plex compatible. 

But what earned it top marks was its performance. Paired with price-compatible products including the Naim Nait XS3 and Arcam A15 integrated amplifiers and PMC’s Prodigy 5 floorstanders, the unit delivered impressively even and insightful audio. This led our reviewers to conclude:

“The 9000N proves that Audiolab is capable of scaling its streaming expertise to more premium price points. This is a strong performer that ticks pretty much every box as far as sound quality is concerned.”

Read our Audiolab 9000N review

Fyne Vintage Five 

We’ve long championed the need for more small, good sounding hi-fi and in June Fyne delivered just that with its five-star Vintage Five speakers.

The smallest option in the firm’s Vintage range, the Five are dinky little units that feature Fyne’s unique, wonderfully retro wood design. Despite looking retro, they feature some impressive modern upgrades including a 12.5cm mid/bass driver with an Isoflare arrangement where the tweeter sits at the centre of the unit. The tweeter also features Fyne’s custom cone design. 

Paired with our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and Technics SL-1000R record player sources, results were excellent, especially considering their small dimensions.

Across a variety of genres the Vintage Five delivered impressive levels of clarity, wonderfully precise stereo imaging and foot tapping levels of dynamism. This led our reviewers to conclude:

“The Vintage Five are easy speakers to underestimate. The retro appearance suggests that they are for those who yearn for the past, and their dinky size makes them harder to take seriously, especially at what looks to be a high price. But consider the exceptional build, quality of engineering and, when used in an appropriate system, terrific sound, and it is hard not to be won over. We certainly are.”

Read our Fyne Vintage Five review

Samsung HW-Q990D 

The Samsung HW-Q990D is the latest Dolby Atmos system in a box we’ve reviewed. For your money you get a large soundbar, coupled with a wireless pair of satellite speakers and subwoofer.

Comparing it to stiff competition, including its predecessor the Q990C, in our listening and viewing rooms we found it is a very competent package and excellent option for any buyer that wants Dolby Atmos, without having to install speakers in their ceiling. 

During testing we found its impressive 11.1.4 channel count delivers significantly improved audio compared to the C. Whether it was the booming jet engines of Top Gun: Maverick, incredibly difficult bass-heavy second scene of Blade Runner 2049 or the whimsical melody of I'm Just Ken in Barbie, results were fantastic.

In each test we threw at it the Q990D delivered a large, immersive and three dimensional sound that truly elevated our home cinema experience. This led our reviewers to conclude:

“It’s a hugely compelling package overall, and while it’s certainly not cheap, it is good value compared with alternative systems that offer similar specs and features. If you want something approaching ‘proper’ Atmos sound without buying an AV amplifier and twelve individual speakers, it has to be on your shortlist.”

Read our Samsung HW-Q990D review

Chord Ultima Integrated 

The Chord Ultima Integrated is a premium amplifier aimed squarely at hi-fi purists. The amp unashamedly does just one thing exceptionally well, having a no frills feature set that at first glance could make it look a little basic, especially compared to its main rival, the Luxman L-509Z.

If you want an amp with things like in-built streaming smarts, a phono stage or even a basic headphone output, then the Ultima Integrated won’t be for you. But, if all you care about is getting the best audio quality possible, then we’d thoroughly recommend checking it out. 

Featuring a unique, unashamedly 'Chord' design, the Ultimate Integrated delivered excellent audio when paired with suitably high-end sources and speakers. Whether it was Holst’s Planet Suite, xx’s Angels, or DJ Denz The Rooster’s Triumphant Winning! the Ultima Integrated delivered astonishing levels of agility, precision and clarity.

This makes it an easy recommendation for its target market and led our reviewers to conclude: 

“This integrated amplifier succeeds in delivering a large dose of the pricier Ultima pre/power’s performance in a more convenient and affordable package. It is a refreshingly straightforward product to use, and when partnered with a similarly talented system is capable of weaving a wonderfully spellbinding sound.”

Read our Chord Ultima Integrated review

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I’ve just had our first glimpse of Marantz’s latest streaming amplifier at the Masimo European Dealer Conference, where future product launches from Marantz, Denon and Bowers & Wilkins were shown under strict embargo. 

The one product I can talk about, however, is one that I’ve been most intrigued by ever since the news launched last month: the Marantz Model M1. It’s a 2.1-channel amplifier with HEOS-powered network streaming, physical connections including HDMI eARC and, comes with an appealing price and form factor that could be exactly what I’ve been waiting to see from an established hi-fi brand.

It’s no secret that multi-functional products such as streaming amplifiers that combine amplification, DAC, streaming modules, connectivity and preamp/headphone amp into one convenient box have risen in popularity in recent years, from Naim’s premium Uniti Atom to the Cambridge Audio Evo to the ultra-affordable WiiM Amp. 

While we’ve heard some excellent products from this category over the years, I’ve long felt that many of these options fall into a few different camps: they’re too expensive (costing over a grand), they are still fairly sizeable units or follow the traditional full-length hi-fi separates design that needs ample space to accommodate, or they just don’t sound very good under a certain level.

What intrigues me about the Marantz Model M1 is its potential to address all these issues; all of which I’ve experienced with streaming amps. It comes in an appealingly compact size (ideal for those who want a space-saving music system), it has a rich hi-fi heritage thanks to Marantz’s expert audio tuning (and the brand already has form in this category with the superb five-star PM7000N), and a more palatable price. Now, £900 / $1000 isn’t by any means ‘affordable’ but the standard launch price for streaming amplifiers tends to be £1500 / $2200 or higher – see the Audiolab Omnia (£1599 / $2299), Cambridge Audio Evo 75 (£1799 / $2250), Marantz Model 40n (£1899 / $2499), Naim Uniti Atom (£2300 / $3799) and more. Arcam’s upcoming models are even more high-end, starting at £2999.

For under a grand, your options are more sparse: the £599 / $649 Bluesound Powernode Edge (compact, competent performer, powered by excellent BluOS platform) and the £319 / $299 WiiM Amp (feature-packed, ultra-affordable, lacklustre sound). The Marantz Model M1 coming in just under a grand could usher in a new level for streaming amps and bring them in reach of a larger audience, which can only be a good thing for the hi-fi industry, whose traditional separates hi-fi appeal (as much as I still love separates) is getting smaller and nicher. 

We've seen the explosion of interest and popularity that newcomer WiiM’s compact products have made in the last year alone, and the Marantz Model M1 coming in a similarly diminutive shape and size is, I think, cleverly judged. I can see the M1 easily taking up the same space that the WiiM Pro Plus does in my TV/hi-fi cabinet at home. 

Seeing it and holding it in person, the Model M1 feels even higher quality than it appears in the press images. The sleek, minimal design with rounded edges and a substantial weight, all add up to deliver a luxury feel, especially compared with the more lightweight, plastic feel of its WiiM and Bluesound rivals. I particularly love the wavy, textured weave of the top panel’s vent mesh – it adds a visual style that is otherwise lacking in the rather functional boxes of rivals. 

The M1’s dimensions (8.4 x 24 x 21.7cm) are a few centimetres bigger than the WiiM Amp/Pro Plus but the square-ish, robust design is compact enough to fit into most small spaces – seeing the product placed on the hotel conference room’s furniture shows how easily you could accommodate it on a sideboard, TV cabinet, shelf or even desktop. 

Marantz emphasises that the M1 is built in the same Shirakawa Audio Works factory in Japan as its high-end hi-fi models (such as the excellent Marantz SA-10 SACD player), hence the high-quality build and audiophile heritage that exudes from the little unit, which has been tuned to deliver the “characteristic warmth and musicality of any Marantz product”. 

Of course, a big part of the appeal of streaming amplifier products such as this is just how much you can pack into one box: inside the Model M1 you get 100W of amplification per channel and hi-res audio support up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD128. It uses the HEOS platform which gives you access to a host of streaming services and talents, including AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect and more (Tidal Connect and Roon Ready are incoming).

Physical connections cover the essentials: RCA stereo line level input, optical input, a USB type A input for flash drives, a subwoofer output to create a 2.1 system and, more importantly, an HDMI eARC input that supports Dolby Digital+ decoding, making the Model M1 a viable (and rather more appealing, to my mind) soundbar alternative for a TV audio system.

Specs-wise, it’s roughly on par with the Bluesound and WiiM models, but does boast a more powerful output than either. I wasn’t able to test out all the various connections or the strength of the streaming signals, nor was the M1 hooked up to a TV in the demo, but they’re all features we’ll be testing out thoroughly when we get a sample in for review. 

The Model M1 demo unit I saw and heard was flanked by a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 speakers, both placed on a nice bit of wooden furniture, and it was an immediate visual representation of just how streamlined and modern a compact just-add-speakers system like this can be. 

With songs played over Tidal using an iPad during the demo, a couple of things became clear to me. One is that a hotel conference room is a pretty terrible place for an audio demo and to judge a product's true sound quality. The room was a bit too large, there was no acoustic treatment of any kind, and the sound would regularly set off bits of furniture in the room when it hit certain frequencies and boomed.

Despite all that, the Marantz and B&W combo did sound pretty good. Even in a not-so-perfect setting and with a brief listen, songs were delivered with a good dose of rhythm, drive and engaging dynamics. It sounded pretty clear and organised, and it certainly went loud. I've tested the Award-winning B&W 607 S3 speakers (£599 / $900) and know them pretty well, so their fun, energetic sonic signature was easy to pick out, and they seemed to pair well with the Model M1, which sounded powerful enough to drive the speakers with ease and oomph. Most of all, the combo sounded interesting – at least to my ears, it sounded more musically interesting and fun than when we tested the Bluesound and WiiM Amp alternatives. 

Of course, the demo conditions weren't ideal for any critical listening, but even that brief snippet was enough to pique my interest. I'm hopeful that the Model M1 can offer the engaging, articulate and fun-sounding performance I'm after in any hi-fi equipment, and complete the trifecta of things I want on my wishlist for a modern streaming amplifier. 

It may not be enough to drag me away from my beloved hi-fi separates system but the Marantz Model M1's compact and stylish design, relatively affordable price, thorough feature set and potential for great sound quality could be just the thing for many people. I'm certainly excited to hear how the Marantz Model M1 truly performs once we get a unit in for testing in our dedicated listening rooms and to see how it fares against its rivals in this category. Stay tuned.

MORE:

Should you buy a streaming amplifier? Here are 3 key pros and 2 cons to consider

Buying a music streamer? Avoid these 10 easy mistakes

Separates vs systems: the pros and cons of each path to hi-fi nirvana

Welcome to the latest entry of What Hi-Fi?’s weekly Rewind column, where we detail all the biggest hi-fi and home cinema news to break over the past seven days.

What a week it was, with fresh news from Samsung, Marantz, Triangle and more hitting the headlines. 

Here’s what you need to know.

Marantz has a new dinky streaming amp

Streaming amps are a hot commodity at the moment, with everyone from breakout brand WiiM to established hi-fi powerhouses such as Naim, Cambridge Audio and Arcam releasing new models in the past 12 months. Last week Marantz got in on the action, unveiling its new Model M1 streaming amp. 

Marketed as a “magical music box”, the M1 has a pretty impressive feature-set despite its small size. The box uses the HEOS streaming platform which, along with multi-room, will support hi-res streaming and key services including AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer, Pandora and internet radio at launch. Tidal is confirmed to come at an unspecified later date. 

Read the full story: Marantz's compact streaming amplifier is a "magical music box" ideal for small spaces

Samsung’s flagship Mini LED TV impressed

Last week our reviews team delivered its final verdict on Samsung’s flagship Mini-LED TV, the QN95D. The set is interesting as it’s one of the most direct comparisons we have had between OLED and Mini LED. This is because, apart from its use of a Mini LED panel, it is largely identical to the Samsung S95D we tested earlier this year, which uses a QD-OLED panel. The results were impressive with the QN95D doing a stellar job showing how far Mini-LED has come in recent years, with it delivering a sharp, clear picture with surprising amounts of shadow detail during our checks. 

Read our Samsung QN95D (QE65QN95D) review

We built an awesome home cinema system around the LG C4 OLED  TV

It is no secret, our reviewers are big fans of the 65-inch LG C4, having awarded it a perfect five-stars when we tested it earlier this year. In fact, we like it so much that last week we took the time to build a cutting-edge home cinema system around it! For a modest, by top-end home cinema standards, £5175 / $5224 / AU$9569 you can get a current generation Xbox, Blu-Ray player, fully stacked surround sound package and AVR alongside the C4 – every single one of which has been reviewed and recommended by our team.

Read the full story: We've built a cutting-edge home cinema system around LG's superb C4 OLED TV

Guitar-amp juggernaut Orange continued its expansion into hi-fi

Guitar-amp heavyweight Orange has been making gradual inroads into mainstream audio for a while now, releasing a steady stream of Bluetooth speakers. Last week it took things a step further by unveiling its new Pyramid audio system. Aimed squarely at hi-fi fans, the system includes a pyramid-shaped amplifier and pair of “Voice of the World” bookshelf speakers. Featuring cabled as well as wireless streaming connectivity, the package, Orange claims, will deliver the same “clean, warm sound” as its iconic guitar amps.

Read the full story: Orange's amp-and-speakers Pyramid system strives for sound that's fit for the pharaohs

We reminisced about Plasma TV’s glory days

Looking at our forums and social media pages, we know many of you, our lovely readers, not only have fond memories of Plasma TVs, some of you even still own them. Which is why we took a retrospective look at the iconic TV tech, remembering what made it so popular and why it gradually went the way of the dodo. Cliff Notes: a cheaper, in some ways better, panel technology that is still in use today took its place.

Read the full story: What was Plasma TV, and why did it succumb to LCD?

We reviewed Triangle’s latest heavyweight floorstanders

Last week our reviewers had the joy of testing Triangle’s BR10 floorstanding speakers. The BR10 are the largest option in Triangle’s current Borea range, which also includes the five-star BR03 standmounts and the Award-winning BR08 floorstanders. During testing we found they make use of their increased heft and size to deliver a loud, vibrant sound that will easily fill even the largest of spaces. Our only minor quibbles are that you really do need a large space to get the best performance out of them.

Read our full Triangle Borea BR10 review

READ MORE:

These are the best floorstanding speakers we have reviewed

Check out our picks of the best bookshelf speakers

These are the best hi-fi systems money can buy

Just-add-speakers streaming amplifiers are all the rage right now, from budget mini-boxes like the WiiM Amp Pro to premium models from Arcam, Cambridge Audio and Naim.

Marantz is another such brand and its new, compact Model M1 all-in-one system is designed to be a "magical musical box" that can be hooked up to a TV, turntable, CD player or simply breathe new, wireless life into a hi-fi system – all you need is a pair of speakers and you're good to go.

It's equipped with the HEOS streaming platform, meaning you get a host of wireless streaming features. Along with multi-room, there's support for AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer, Pandora, internet radio and more. While not quite ready at launch, Tidal and Roon Ready support will be available following a "soon-to-be-released" update. The M1 can handle high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM files over network, streaming and USB, while DSD64 and DSD128 file playback is also supported.

Bluetooth 5 is also on the menu, while you can stream music from anywhere in your house thanks to wi-fi or wired ethernet connection. On the amplification side, the Model M1 is packing 100 watts of power per channel (into 8 ohms) with claimed super low distortion levels, and there are EQ, bass and treble controls.

On the physical inputs side, you get one pair of line-level RCA inputs, one digital optical input, a USB type A port and a subwoofer output. The icing on the cake is an HDMI eARC input for your TV connection. Not only that, but the M1 also supports Dolby Digital+ and features a Dialogue Enhancer, a Night Mode, and a Virtual mode that uses "Dolby processing to generate a large, three-dimensional sound field from stereo-only content", thus making this a tempting soundbar alternative.

Its compact dimensions (21.7 x 24 x 8.4cm) and broad features support are ideal for those wanting a jack-of-all-trades solution in a smaller space, with the maker promising that the Model M1 will have the "characteristic warmth and musicality of any Marantz product" thanks to reference-grade Marantz Music Digital Filtering DSP technology.

The Marantz Model M1 is available now in a sleek black finish for a rather competitive retail price of £900 / $1000.

MORE:

Read our guide to the best music streamers currently available

Check out the best hi-fi systems for streaming, CD, turntables and more

Read our review of the more premium Marantz Model 40n

Arcam created a bit of a stir when its new-look Radia Series of hi-fi separates launched in October last year. The range brought a fresh new design language for the brand and it got off to an absolute flyer with the A5 and A15 amplifiers and CD5 CD player all getting five stars at the hands of our review team.

And now at High End Munich 2024, the British company has taken the wraps of not one but three new additions to the range.

First up we have a pair of premium all-in-one music streaming systems set to give Naim’s Uniti range a run for its money. Both the Arcam SA45 (pictured above, £4499 / €4999) and SA35 (£2999 / €3499) feature Class G amplification, high-res audio support and run off Arcam’s latest streaming platform. They also include a switchable MC/MM phono stage for connecting a turntable and an HDMI ARC socket for hooking up a compatible TV.

You can even take advantage of a two-way aptX Adaptive Bluetooth module which allows you to stream music directly to the system or from the system to compatible wireless headphones.

The SA45 is the more powerful of the two streamers (180 watts vs 120 watts per channel into 8 ohms) and has a larger 8.8in high-resolution display versus the 6.5in display found on the SA35 (above). Both models support Bluetooth 5.2 and Dirac Live Room Correction; you get a mic and remote in the box to help with room calibration.

Not content with two new launches, the third new product to surface at High End Munich is the company’s flagship standalone music streamer, the ST25 (£1499 / €1799). Arcam claims it builds on the success of its ST60 model (which we gave five stars) and adds a new platform for digital audio and streaming, a redesigned power supply and an upgraded user interface.

The ST25 (above) features a 6.5in high-resolution display and connects to your home network via Arcam’s Radia set-up app. And you can take your pick from streaming options that include Apple Airplay, Google Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and Roon.

Interested? Well, the only bad news is that you’ve got a slight wait ahead as the Arcam SA45, SA35 and ST25 only go on sale in September. The plus side, of course, is it gives you more time to start saving!

MORE:

Read all about our High End Munich 2024 news and highlights

Our pick of the best music streamers

The High End Munich 2024 show is underway and delighting our eyes and ears right through to the weekend, so prepare yourself for an onslaught of new product announcements and hands-on impressions brought to you by the on-ground What Hi-Fi? team. (Between currywurst and stein consumption, you understand.)

Europe's biggest hi-fi show this year has already blessed us with product launches from Focal, NAD, Chord Electronics, Q Acoustics, Pro-Ject, Elac, Sonus Faber, WiiM and Luxman, while brands such as Tannoy, Mission, Quad, Audiolab, Epos and many more have teased what they will be launching later in the year.

Last year's High End Munich 2023 show was the biggest yet, celebrating its 40th year and showcasing more brands than ever before. The High End Society is set to smash those records once more, with 1000 brands exhibiting (check out the full list of exhibitors here) and even more visitors estimated to stroll through the halls and atriums, looking in awe at the latest designs and technological marvels from the world's finest hi-fi brands.

Speaking of, let's get to some hot-off-the-press news, shall we?

High End Munich 2024 highlights

• Hands-on review of the Q Acoustics 3000c speaker series
• I heard a Burmester hi-fi system bring Elvis back to life, and it blew me away
• 7 of the best hi-fi separates at High End Munich 2024
• 7 weird and wonderful pieces of hi-fi we saw at High End Munich 2024
• 9 of the best stereo speakers at High End Munich 2024
• Hands-on review of the open-back Focal Hadenys headphones
• PMC's 21-speaker Dolby Atmos system is the ultimate argument for spatial audio
• I listened to the £1900 Meridian Ellipse wireless speaker – and you should too
• We found 5 surprisingly affordable hi-fi gems at High End Munich

High End Munich 2024 news

High End Munich 2024: all the news

Arcam takes the fight to Naim with two new all-in-one music streaming systems
The Radia range expands with the premium SA45 and SA35 all-in-one streaming systems featuring Class G amplification, HDMI ARC and MM/MC phono stage, and hi-res full-colour displays.
Read the full Arcam streaming system news

Vertere Acoustics introduces its high-end Calon phono stage
The Calon is an exquisitely engineered MM/MC phono stage from Vertere Acoustics, a brand that brings a fresh approach to the phono design in every aspect.
Read the full Vertere Calon news

Mission's 778 series CD transport and music streamer could be half-width hi-fi heroes
We got our first look at the upcoming 778CDT and 778S hi-fi separates to join the excellent, five-star 778X amp, and we are loving the compact, half-width chassis design. Read the full Mission 778 news

Q Acoustics 3000c is the entry-level speaker range we've been waiting six years for
New driver technology, refined cabinet bracing designs, new finishes and rather reasonable price tags are the highlights of the latest generation of Q Acoustics' 3000 speaker series. Read the full Q Acoustics 3000c news

Elac updates its Award-winning Debut range with seven new speakers
The new Debut 3.0 series promises improvements with a brand new tweeter design, increased efficiency and compatibility and a sleeker finish. Read the full Elac Debut 3.0 news

Fyne's Special Production speakers promise class-leading technologies in a more affordable package
The new series bridges the price gap between the Vintage and Classic series, while the high-end SuperTrax tweeter module is designed to sit atop (most) speakers. Read the full Fyne Audio news

Fiio's fully automatic Bluetooth turntable promises a modern, fun design
The new TT13 deck features large buttons for automatic operation, aptX HD Bluetooth streaming, built-in phono stage and LED lighting. Read the full Fiio TT13 news

Pro-Ject's eye-catching deck is here to put the colour back into your records
The updated Debut Evo 2 turntable is a belt-drive design with Evo MM cartridge and an 8.6-inch carbon tonearm, aiming to bring unparalleled value and quality to a reasonable price point, says Pro-Ject. Read the full Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 news

Meze's trio of new headphones includes affordable in-ears with USB-C adaptor
The new Alba wired in-ears are the brand's new entry-level offering, boasting a custom-designed 3.5mm to USB-C headphone adapter with a DAC built in, while new open-back 105 AER over-ear headphones are also unveiled. Read the full Meze Audio news

Dali’s new Rubikore speaker range packs flagship tech in five new models
Using trickle-down tech from the epic Kore and Epikore flagship speakers, the new Rubikore range brings new driver technology to a less high-end price bracket. Read the full Dali Rubikore news

Sonus Faber brings flagship driver technology to stylish Sonetto G2 speakers
The Sonetto G2 series consists of seven models and features new driver technology derived from the flagship, £/$700k Suprema speaker system along with updated concrete base, reflect duct tech and a sleek new design. Read the full Sonus Faber Sonetto G2 news

WiiM Ultra and WiiM Amp Pro are updated, versatile, multi-tasking streaming units
Boasting new DACs, new features, extensive streaming and connectivity and still remaining affordable, the WiiM Ultra streamer (with a new design and touchscreen display) and Amp Pro streaming system are sure to be popular yet again.
Read the full WiiM Ultra and Amp Pro news

Sennheiser's HD 600 range of audiophile headphones gets a surprise new addition The new closed-back HD 620S cans feature custom-tuned 42mm drivers and aim to offer isolation while also mimicking the airy nature of open-back designs. Read the full Sennheiser HS 620S news

Audio-Technica’s limited-edition wood headphones should sound like music to your ears
These ATH-WBLTD cans are encased in three layers of hardwood that are typically used in musical instruments, with only 300 pairs being made. Read the full Audio-Technica ATH-WBLTD news

Wheels of steel! Technics partners with Lamborghini for a special-edition SL-1200 turntable
The SL-1200M7B is a special-edition model based on the popular SL-1200 turntable decks, available in three finishes and comes with a picture disc record of the V12-engine sounds of six Lamborghini super sports cars. Read the full Technics x Lamborghini news

Final's flagship D7000 planar magnetic headphones promise to bring the bass
After spending some time developing its range of wireless headphones, Final has returned its attention to its high-end roots with a new addition to its flagship line. Read the full Final D7000 news

Focal's nature-inspired headphones follow in the Bathys' footsteps
Promising to make the "purity of high fidelity sound accessible to as many people as possible", the new open-backed Hadenys are arriving alongside the closed-back Azurys. Read the full Focal Hadenys and Azurys news

Chord teases Suzi pre/power amplifier concept that's like Lego for your hi-fi
Designed by Chord’s founder and owner John Franks, the new Chord Suzi modular concept includes a preamplifier and a power amplifier that boasts Ultima-derived technology. Read the full Chord Suzi news

Tannoy Autograph 12 speakers pay tribute to iconic driver 70 years on
The original Tannoy Autograph launched in 1954, seven years after the dual concentric driver was invented, and now a modern-day version is coming.
Read the full Tannoy Autograph 12 news

Astell & Kern takes on the Sony Walkman with new Activo P1 player
Astell & Kern is relaunching the presumably budget-conscious Activo sub-brand with an all-new player, the P1. Read the full Activo P1 news

High End Munich 2024 preview: what else to expect

High End Munich 2024 preview: what else to expect

Astell & Kern
A brand new high-end flagship hi-res player, the A&ultima SP3000T, and its second collaboration with Empire Ears – the Novus in-ear wired monitors – are on the agenda for Munich this year. Also being unveiled is a new Activo P1 digital audio player, which looks like a more slimline music player and it features 32-bit hi-res audio support, 20-hour battery life, 64GB built-in storage with 1.5TB microSD card slot, two ESS Sabre DACs, and a sleek white finish with rounded edges rather than A&K's typically sharp-edged designs. Pricing and availability are TBC.
Hall 1, B10a/B10/C05/B10b

Audiolab
Audiolab will be taking the wraps off a new flagship pre/power amplifier – the 9000Q and 9000P – and the speaker pairing for the demo will be the Leak 250 Sandwich speakers, which made their debut earlier in the year.
Atrium 4.2, E223/E224

Audiovector
The Danish brand has unveiled the Trapeze Reimagined floorstanding speakers just recently and we expect these new, nifty-looking high-end models to have their first public showing at Munich.
Atrium 4.2, F203

Burmester
It wouldn't be the High End Show without a press conference showcasing new products from the established German brand, and this is taking place at 2.30pm CET on Thursday 9th.
Atrium 3.1, C119

Cambridge Audio
Cambridge Audio turned heads last year when they set up camp right outside the MOC exhibition doors in a bright red London double decker bus. Will the bus (full of the British brand's latest audio products) return this year? Cambridge has already started the year with two hi-fi launches – the five-star CXN100 music streamer and the just-launched CXA81 MkII stereo amplifier, the latter of which we're hoping to see in the flesh for the first time at High End. We're also hoping to have a peek at the special Evo 150 Delorean Edition...
Hall 4 entrance

Chord Electronics
The British brand always has a shiny new product or two to reveal (last year's Ultima Integrated amp certainly caught our eye) and we're told there will be three new products unveiled this year. Two new analogue products – the Suzi pre/power amplifiers – are confirmed, while a "groundbreaking" new digital product will be shown in its pre-production prototype form, with five FPGAs (field programmable gate array DAC architecture) at its core, we're teased. Founder John Franks and digital design consultant Rob Watts will both be at hand throughout the show to give insight into the products, too.
Atrium 3.1, C122 & Atrium 4.1, F107

Dali
Dali has treated us to high-end product launches such as the towering Kore and Epikore speakers, along with premium wireless IO-12 headphones, in the last few years – could we see more of the same or something completely new? We don't know yet, but we're excited to find out.
Atrium 3.1, D107/D108

Epos
After launching the Epos ES-7N bookshelf speakers at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, Epos are set to launch a full floorstanding model at Munich, called the ES-28N. No details yet, but the teaser photo shows it could be a three-way design with a tweeter (most likely the same as in the ES-7N and existing ES-14N), a midrange driver, two bass drivers, spiked feet propping up the tall speaker and the same angular design as the excellent ES-14N speakers.
Atrium 4.1, Room E121

Fiio
Visitors will be treated to a whole bunch of new products from Fiio, which includes a turntable! From the teaser press image, the TT13 looks like it has a metal plinth with various shiny buttons and a remote control – so it may well have automatic operation and Bluetooth features. Also being revealed are flagship £999 / $999 FA19 in-ear wired monitors, a new SR11 music streamer with a large display screen, and SP5 desktop active speakers.
Hall 1, B05

Fyne Audio
Get your retro fix as Scottish brand Fyne will likely be bringing its fine line of Classic and Vintage speakers, as well as its latest (and more modern looking) SP (Special Production) models.
Atrium 4.1, E116 & Hall 3, L04/M03

HiFi Rose
Products from emerging brands like HiFi Rose have cut through the established hi-fi separates fare and stood out with their stunningly crafted design and smart streaming tech. Last year we saw the debut of the RS130 streaming transport, but perhaps we'll see the new RA280 – the more streamlined but still stylish sibling to the flagship RA180 amplifier – this year at Munich.
Hall 2, G04/J03

iFi Audio
The Zen DAC 3, Zen Phono 3 and Diablo 2 are just some of the recent DACs/headphone amps/phono stages from iFi that will be on show this year. Visitors will also get to see the iCAN Phantom electrostatic headphone amp from last year and the five-star hip-dac 3 amongst many other models when they head to iFi's multiple stands.
Atrium 4.1, E109 and Hall 1, B12/C09/C11/D01

Lumin
High end streaming brand Lumin will be launching the P1 Mini – a scaled-down version of its $10k P1 streamer/DAC that boasts versatile connectivity including HDMI inputs.
Hall 3, M13

Luxman
High-end Japanese brand Luxman will be showing off its first-ever NT-07 network music streamer, alongside a new matching DA-07X DAC that will launch in the summer. There is also a new reference-level E-07 phono preamp that will launch in the autumn
Atrium 4.2, F229

Meze Audio
Meze has teased that a white version of The Empyrean flagship headphones will be unveiled, alongside previews of future new additions to its line-up, which include a new pair of "Alba" in-ear wired headphones and a pair of "105 ARE" over-ear, open-back headphones.
Hall 1, B04 & Hall 1, B10a/B10/C05/B10b

Mission
We've been teased that products to match the five-star 778X amplifier will be shown, including the 778S network audio streamer and 778CDT CD transport. All products will launch in the autumn.
Atrium 4.2, E223/E224

Moon
Canadian brand Moon will be demoing the flagship pairing of its North Collection, the 891 streaming preamp powered by two 861 mighty power amps, throughout the show. The 861/891 combo (each costing £25,000) will be plugged into a pair of Dynaudio Confidence 60 loudspeakers, and Moon promises a "relaxing environment" so people can sit down and just enjoy the music.
Atrium 3.1, C120

Naim/Focal
A mainstay at any hi-fi show, we expect to see the Naim/Focal partnership out in full force. Naim celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with the Naim Nait 50 limited edition amp and the new 300 series. This year, maybe we'll see the Uniti Nova Power Edition? Focal has already revealed it will be showing two new wired luxury headphones, the open-back Hadenys and closed-back Azurys.
Atrium 4.1, F105

NAD
The Canadian brand has already revealed its Munich launch and it's a new addition to its C/Classis series: the NAD C 379 Class D amplifier, which boasts ample digital and analogue connectivity, including HDMI eARC and a moving magnet phono stage. The amp is designed to be future-proofed and modular, allowing users to add extension modules – such as BluOS network streaming with Dirac room correction or emerging AV tech – if they wish. Not bad for £899 / $1099.
Atrium 3.1, D107/D108 

Perlisten/Trinnov
AV fans will be glad to hear it's not all two-channel. Perlisten and Trinnov are joining forces for an 11.1.6-channel AV system that promises an "unprecedented acoustic level of immersive audio" in an 18-seat cinema. The system will feature Trinnov's WaveForming technology with Perlisten's THX Certified Dominus surround system. and there will be eight 15-inch active subwoofers used. Mighty. Demos are by appointment only.
Atrium 3.1, room D112

PMC
PMC will be flexing its pro and hi-fi muscles together with an ambitious large-scale Dolby Atmos speaker system to play prog legend Steve Wilson's latest album, The Harmony Code, in full. Wilson himself will be there on all four show days at Room K1, Foyer 1 to showcase how he uses and mixes reference-level audio, using the PMC set-up to demonstrate the capabilities of Dolby Atmos and spatial mixing. Also on show will be PMC's new Twenty5i Active speaker range that was launched at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show earlier this year.
Atrium 3.1, D106 & Room K1, Foyer 1

Pro-Ject
We've become accustomed to seeing Pro-Ject reveal special edition turntables with artist collaborations – who can forget the snazzy Metallica turntable, or the beautiful Pink Floyd one, or the delightful Yellow Submarine deck? – but we also tend to see innovations like the T2 W wireless turntable. Could we see even more turntables, please?
Hall 3, M04/N03/N04/P05 

Q Acoustics
Q Acoustics launched the new 5000 series of speakers last year, one of which (5040) became a What Hi-Fi? Award winner, while another (5050) just made their official global debut – read our full review here.
Atrium 4.1, F110

Quad
On demo throughout the show will be the Quad ESL 2912X, the first update to the iconic ESL electrostatic speakers in 12 years. The new model will feature technical and aesthetic enhancements, we're told. Also on display will be revived and evolved versions of a 1967 classic, the Quad 33 and 303 pre/power amps. We're told they will be "wrapped in an industrial design that echoes the past and embraces the future". All new Quad products are set to be available in the autumn.
Atrium 4.2, E223/E224

Ruark Audio
Ruark's retro-styled products are always a delight to see and experience, and last year the brand revealed the excellent all-in-one R410 music player. Could we see the flagship R810 (the modern-day successor to the radiogram) at the show? The brand has teased they will be showing two new products, and we're very excited to find out what they are.
Hall 3, L05/M03

Sennheiser
The German headphone brand will be launching "a new addition to its audiophile profile" – that could mean anything, but we have our fingers crossed for a new wired headphone in the vein of the HD 800S range, perhaps? It's a wild guess for now.
Hall 1, B14

Sonus Faber/McIntosh
We were treated to the exquisite Suprema speaker system earlier this year at CES 2024 to kick off its 40th birthday celebrations, and we fully expect the Suprema/McIntosh demo to happen again. This ambitious project consists of two main speakers, two subwoofers and an electronic crossover, priced at a whopping £695,000 / $750,000. Also on demo will be the stunning Stradivari speakers, all powered by McIntosh amps.
Atrium 4, F109

SVS
US brand SVS will be demoing its new flagship Ultra Evolution series of speakers, with seven models in the range including three floorstanding speakers, two bookshelf models, a centre channel speaker and a home cinema speaker with multi-angle mounting bracket. All models boast improvements to driver design, cabinet architecture and components, with SVS claiming the Ultra Evolution will usher in a "new era of reference-quality sound". There will be two-channel and home theatre system demos throughout the show.
Hall 3, P02/R03

T+A
T+A will be showcasing its new Criterion S 240 floorstanding speakers with transmission line technology (prices start from $16,490) with the R 2500 R multi-source receiver/amplifier that features a CD player, Bluetooth, streaming (via AirPlay, wi-fi etc) and DAB/FM radio.
Atrium 3.1, D102/D103/D104

TAD Labs
The Japanese brand will be displaying the latest addition to its flagship Reference Series, the TAD-C700 preamplifier, costing a cool $68,000. The hefty unit comes with balanced and unbalanced inputs, has a dedicated separate power supply and aims to deliver "near-perfect stereophonic sound reproduction".
Atrium 3.1, C113

Tannoy
Tannoy's 100th anniversary is looming in 2026, but the Scottish-based brand is celebrating another milestone. It will unveil the Autograph 12 speakers, which pay homage to the 70th anniversary of its Autograph speaker series, along with new technological developments made to its iconic dual concentric driver.
Hall 4, S06-1/S06-2/S06-3 

Vivid Audio
This is one we can't miss: we are very much looking forward to seeing and hearing the behemoth (and near half-million quid) 13-driver Vivid Moya 1 speakers from Laurence Dickie's brand in person.
Hall 3, K16

WiiM
The wildly popular affordable brand will be launching two new products at Munich, one of which is the WiiM Ultra, which seems to be an advanced version of the superb WiiM Pro Plus music streamer with an improved DAC and full-colour touchscreen. The other launch is still under wraps, but we'll bring you the latest news as soon as we have it.
Hall 2, F07

Yamaha
We loved listening to the HA-L7A headphone amplifier at last year's show with the exceptional YH-5000SE headphones. We're not sure what Yamaha has in store for us this year, but we will be sure to share the news once we know.
Atrium 4.2, F207

YG Acoustics
We don't know what the high-end American speaker brand has in store for us either, but it has announced a press conference on Friday 10th, at 1pm CET, so we're expecting something new.
Atrium 4.2, E218

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We often base our systems on the source we want to use, and add appropriate equipment from there. This time, though, we are looking at things from the other end of the sonic production line, and using the speakers as our kick-off point.

What if, for example, your listening environment is a little smaller than average, and you simply cannot accommodate a large pair of floorstanders? Or, perhaps, you have no desire to have your room dominated by a couple of large speakers, whether you can house them comfortably or not? Your best option then – without going stupidly expensive and burying things in walls – is to go for some smaller speakers that outperform the promise of their dimensions by a considerable margin...

The system

• Standmount speakers: Neat Petite Classic (£1995 / $2500 approx / AU$3999)
• Turntable: Rega Planar 8 + Rega Exact (£1870 + £295 / $3495 + $675 / AU$3999 + AU$650)
• Music streamer: Naim Nait ND5 XS 2 (£2499/ $3999 / AU$5750)
• Integrated amplifier: Naim Nait XS 3 (£2499 / $3999 / AU$5250)
• Total price: £9158 / $14,668 approx / AU$19,647

Standmount speakers: Neat Petite Classic

So here we are. Neat’s Petite Classic, as their name should tell you, are small speakers – a foot (30cm) tall. Don’t make the mistake, though, of thinking that their bijou size means they aren’t real hi-fi. Very far from it. These are serious speakers; which, as it turns out, is a somewhat ironic descriptor, as the sounds they produce are anything but “serious”. These little boxes will provide you with some of the most fun, toe-tapping, downright enjoyable listening experiences you are likely to hear. Which is why, along with the space advantages they provide, we think it’s appropriate to build the system you see here around them.

Clearly, when you are starting with a pair of speakers costing this much, you need to look at a fairly costly, ‘proper’ two-channel hi-fi set-up to match them with. We marry the Neat Petites here with a trio of electronics that nicely complement the speakers for ability as well as cost.

Integrated amplifier: Naim Nait XS3

And, when you have that amount of money to invest, it pays to take your time to make sure all the components in your system gel together perfectly. (Or, of course, allow us to do that for you.) That vital requirement for synergy, though, is why we have two Naim products in the system. At around the two to two-and-a-half grand price point (or three in the US, four in Australia), Naim tends to hit pretty hard as far as performance per pound goes; hence the Naim Nait XS 3 amplifier, and the ND5 XS2 network streamer below.

The Naim amp might not be the most feature-packed product on the market, but it is sufficiently well endowed to serve our purposes beautifully here. It has a good moving-magnet phono stage to bring the turntable into the set-up, and will connect to its brother streamer using the company's favoured Din connection or more conventional RCA connectors, allowing the ND5 XS 2 to take care of all source duties. 

Our review of this amplifier sums things up pretty efficiently: “The Nait XS 3 is a fit-and-forget product in the best sense. It slots into your system and does exactly what you want it to, and that’s deliver the music with emotional impact intact.” Can’t really say fairer than that – especially when it fits in so wonderfully with its streaming sibling.

Music streamer: Naim ND5 XS 2

The ND5 XS 2 is Naim’s “entry level” streamer (i.e. its least expensive). Which, for our purposes, means it has exactly what we need: excellent sound performance without any unnecessary bells and whistles. There isn’t a great deal of need, for instance, for a display on the unit, when all controlling and selection of music and so on will be done on a smart device, via the rather good Naim app. 

All the important stuff, as far as a fine hi-fi streamer goes, is present and correct. Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast are all catered for, and the UPnP-enabled ND5 XS 2 can stream files up to 32-bit/384kHz from any outboard NAS device or home computer. 

And, like its amplifier sibling, the ND5 XS2 does its thing without fuss, yet really impressively. Tonally it is even, with the ability to dig deep into bass frequencies with ease and tempering that with rich and insightful mids and treble. It possesses that neutrality required to paint an honest picture of a track, refusing to force its own presentation simply to catch the listener’s ear. 

And let’s not ignore the impressive detail on offer here. The ND5 XS 2 is as masterful at conveying timbre as anything you could hope to find for this kind of money.

We say in our review: “It is clear in the way the ND5 XS 2 handles rhythmic patterns, conveying intensity as a track ebbs and flows, and also in the subtleties of a performance that bestow upon it an element of humanity. Naim has proven again the possibility to provide truly great sound irrespective of genre.”

Turntable: Rega Planar 8

And when you add the stunning Rega Planar 8 into the mix, you are edging towards as perfect a set-up as you can buy for ten grand. 

The Planar deck delivers a level of clarity and insight more reminiscent of far more expensive high-end turntables – probably because Rega has built this deck inspired by the limited edition £30,000 Naiad turntable, rather than build up from the Planar 6 turntable below it in the Rega hierarchy. The impressively out-there looks, with its angular shape and aggressive cutouts, are there with the intention of minimising plinth mass while increasing rigidity. And the concept clearly works. 

Once up and running, with a Rega Exact moving magnet (£295 / $675), the Planar 8 puts clear air between itself and the less expensive decks in Rega’s catalogue. The Planar 8 usually ships with one of Rega’s moving coil cartridges but as the Naim’s phono stage is moving magnet-only, we would suggest going for the Planar 8 (£1870 / $3495) on its own and then adding the Exact. We’re sure the selling dealer would be happy to fit the cartridge.

As we say in our review verdict, “In being so ambitious with this record player’s engineering, Rega has pushed the boundaries of performance at this level and has given premium rivals positioned above it plenty to worry about.” If there is such a thing as value for money in a product at this price, the Rega Planar 8 is it.

Indeed, the same could be said for the other products that make up this hugely impressive quartet. When it comes to music reproduction, this considerable amount of money cannot really be better spent.

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Cards on the table, we’ve been using Naim’s music streamers in our reference systems for around a decade now. It’s not just because they sound good, which they do, but also because the company has continued to develop its streaming platform in a way most premium rivals haven’t. That they have proved reliable seals the deal.

This fully committed approach means that Naim’s streaming products tend to be up-to-date with features and operate with a slickness that makes most rivals seem half-baked in comparison. The new NSS 333 music streamer we have on test here reinforces that positive impression.

Build & features

This streamer is part of the company’s new 300 series, which also includes the NAC 332 preamp (£8500 / $10,999 / AU$17,999), NPX 300 outboard power supply (£5900 / $8999 / AU$13,500 ) and NAP 350 mono power amplifier (£12,999 / $17,000 / AU$25,000). The NSS 333 sits above the almost as new NSC 222 streaming preamp (£6200 / $8999 / AU$13,500) in Naim’s hierarchy and justifies its price premium with even better sound quality. There is a downside though, and that’s the loss of the junior sibling's analogue preamp functionality.

The NSS 333 still packs plenty in its solid and well-finished all-new casework. The company’s well-proven NP800 streaming platform covers all important bases. It is a UPnP streamer and file compatibility is good, though not class-leading, with the unit able to play up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM files and DSD128. It has access to streaming services – Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple Music and Qobuz – plus the thousands of stations available through internet radio. As expected, network protocols such as Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2 are included, as is the ability to read music files from attached USB storage. This Naim is also certified as Roon Ready. 

Take a look inside and you will find that the company’s engineers haven’t followed fashion in their choice of DAC chips. The NSS 333 uses a relatively old design in the form of Burr Brown’s PCM1791A on the grounds of sound quality. The digital filters in the Burr Brown chips are bypassed for circuits of Naim’s own design to improve performance. As expected at this level, it is obvious that a great deal of thought has been given to the overall circuit layout and the power supply arrangement to get optimal results from the electronics.

Connectivity is decent with a pair of optical digital inputs augmented by a duo of coaxs (RCA and BNC). It is something of a surprise to find a USB (Type B) not included, but given that the NSS 333 can play pretty much every music file your computer can, this isn’t a deal breaker.  

You can connect to your home network through wi-fi or ethernet cable, and to your preamp through stereo RCA, balanced XLR as well as Naim’s usual DIN output. We try all three analogue output options and prefer the sound using the DIN. In our system, this delivers slightly crisper and more articulate results than the alternatives. Note though that the differences are relatively small, so don’t worry if you need to use one of the other options, as this is not a ‘make or break’ decision. Interestingly, the signal level out of the balanced XLR sockets (2.1V) is the same as the single-ended connections rather than double, as it usually is. If you are comparing this Naim to one of its rivals using the balanced output this is something to keep in mind and needs to be compensated for with a volume level adjustment.

Staying on the back panel, you will notice that there are two Burndy connector sockets (one to feed the digital circuits and the other for analogue). As standard, these are occupied by dedicated shorting plugs supplied with the product. However, if the upgrade bug strikes, those shorting plugs are removed and the NPX 300 outboard power supply can be connected. This isn’t a cheap upgrade, but in our experience the addition of an NPX 300 will make a significant improvement to the sound in terms of scale, authority, dynamics and detail resolution. In a system that justifies such an expense, it is certainly a box we would tick.

We’ve found Naim streamers among the best in terms of general usability. The streaming platform is stable and capable of dealing with all file types with ease. The company’s control app is good by industry standards and generally works in a slick and stutter-free way. If you don’t always want to use the app, this streamer also comes with a physical remote and can also be operated (in a basic way) with its front panel controls. The 5.5-inch front panel full-colour display is crisp and easy to read from a distance.

Any product at this level positively demands a top-class partnering system. We use our usual reference set-up of Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers. Our reference music streamer and the NSS 333’s bigger brother, the two-box Naim ND 555/555 PS DR, is on hand to set a benchmark. Recent experience with Moon’s similarly priced 681 is fresh in our memories and we’ve tested the likes of dCS’s pricier Lina Network DAC and the Linn Selekt DSM: Edition Hub in the recent past.

Sound

The NSS 333 sounds reassuringly familiar once given time to settle. As expected, it sits comfortably between the NSC 222 and ND 555/555 PS DR in terms of performance, retaining the balanced but entertaining presentation we’ve come to appreciate from the brand.

There is an intrinsic rightness to the sound of Naim’s recent streamers that stems from them getting the structural elements of music right. The NSS 333 is expert at delivering rhythmic drive, and so can communicate the changing momentum in a piece of music like Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring brilliantly. This skill is vital in delivering the music’s energy, but so is the articulate way this streamer renders dynamic shifts. This Naim goes from quiet to loud and back again effortlessly. It is also superb at communicating the smaller shifts in intensity that generate the ebb and flow of the tension in the music. In our view, these are the qualities, more than things like absolute detail resolution, tonal neutrality or stereo imaging, that hold the listener’s attention over time. 

A sense of organisation is important too, and the Naim is great at pulling together all the instrumental strands in this frantic Stravinsky piece so making it sound like a cohesive whole. Every sound pulls in the same direction, helping the music hit its emotional mark. You can add muscularity to the NSS 333’s plus points with the streamer able to deliver the full force of the orchestra with ease and thump out the music’s crescendos with venom. There is little sense of strain even in the symphony’s more demanding sections.

This streamer’s tonality is even and full-bodied. It doesn’t sound that way from cold though, with a sense of hardness and constriction taking a little time to fade. But once past that point, the NSS 333 sounds well balanced if a little forward in how it presents music. Stereo imaging is good too. It isn’t the most spacious we’ve heard, Moon’s 681 produces more in terms of soundstage width, but the Naim still manages to deliver admirable precision and stability in the way it places instruments and sounds. More importantly, it can believably render concert hall acoustics, placing the orchestra within the environment convincingly.

The NSS 333 is equally at home when we switch musical genres to Outkast’s ATLiens set. Here the Naim delivers the lows with punch, power and agility. We’re impressed at the bass grip on offer and the streamer’s authoritative nature. Moving up the frequency range we find the midrange equally appealing. The group’s distinctive rapping style comes through with clarity, and there is little to criticise when it comes to hearing exactly what is being said in their sometimes frantic vocal delivery. Voices are rendered with expression and fluidity, leaving the listener in no doubt as to the intended message.

We note the streamer’s excellent sense of organisation and control again, and also the way it manages to communicate the excitement of the music. The more laidback tracks, such as Elevators (Me & You) prove that the NSS 333 is capable of slowing down where necessary, giving the track a suitably chilled-out feel. There is plenty of refinement here, though if you present this Naim with an aggressive recording it won’t work particularly hard to make the results more palatable. This is a revealing and insightful performer, and it will put a spotlight on any shortcomings in the source material. Importantly, it won’t go out of its way to make things sound worse than they are.

Bluetooth works well, with the NSS 333 connecting to our iPhone 12 Pro Max swiftly and without issue. This input sounds decent enough but should never be the connection of choice when sound quality matters most. Still, it remains a convenient and useful way to integrate phones or tablets into your hi-fi. Some rivals don’t include Bluetooth, so we’re glad that Naim has gone to the trouble of doing so.

Next, we try the physical digital inputs and are pleased to report that the results are impressive. They mirror the positives we hear when using the NSS 333 as a streamer. Across Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions (DSD64), Hans Zimmer’s The Dark Knight Rises OST  (24-bit/192kHz PCM) and A Retrospective by the folk group The Unthanks (24-bit/44.1kHz) the Naim produces results that thrill and enthral, and occasionally make us feel sad (because that's what the music intended). Despite using what would now be considered dated DAC chips, the NSS 333’s DAC section is good enough to give many higher-end stand-alone units a bloody nose.

Verdict

It should be clear by now that we rate the Naim NSS 333 very highly. It delivers a significant chunk of the ND555/555 PS DR’s performance at a fraction of the price. Sure, it still costs big money, but in the world of high-end hi-fi, we feel it still represents terrific value. Highly recommended.  

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

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British Hi-Fi Week is all about the here and now – it's a celebration of what's going on in the British hi-fi industry. But it's worth remembering that many of today's products have a long and illustrious history.

Plenty of brands make a virtue of this fact, releasing products with a nod to their past. Whether it's speakers that are a wholesale revamp of a classic model, or radios packed with modern tech with retro-inspired designs, these devices combine contemporary performance and smarts with a look that's decidedly nostalgic.

Here are five of the best retro-modern hi-fi products. And they're all British!

Naim Nait 50

Naim was founded in 1973, but didn't launch its first integrated stereo amp until a decade later, in 1983. The Nait 1 (originally called the NAIT) left plenty puzzled with its low power rating, but went on to become a bona fide hi-fi classic. The Nait 50 pays homage to it, and launched in 2023 as part of Naim's 50th anniversary celebrations – only 1973 units were made.

In our hands-on review, we found it utterly charming. It looks just like the Nait 1 – with the same shoebox chassis and chrome bumper – yet the half-width design somehow seems quite modern. 

The insides have had a complete overhaul too, with more power (25W per channel into 8 ohms) and an all-new moving magnet phono stage. As a result, it sounds terrifically fun, with the same enthusiasm of the original but added punch. A must for fans of classic and modern hi-fi alike.

Read our Naim Nait 50 hands-on review

Mission 770

With the 770, Mission founder Farad Azima looked to improved upon the Spendor BC-1 loudspeaker by boosting the bass response. He launched his rival in 1977 for £357 – 46 years later, the modern-day 770 won a What Hi-Fi? Award.

As you can see from the photo at the top of this article, Mission has remained very faithful to the original design, right down to the white front baffle with its distinctive branding. But there are plenty of improvements.

The cabinet walls are more rigidly damped than the rather thin chipboard of the original. The polypropylene mid/bass cone is the same size as the original, but uses an open, rigid die-cast chassis and carefully honed motor system, while the 28mm microfibre Polyester dome tweeter has a modern vented design that’s linked to the mid/bass via a more complex crossover than before. Dedicated stands are also included in the box.

It all adds up to a superb package, with a beautifully finessed bass performance. Every inch the Award winner.

Read our Mission 770 review

And more background on the Mission 770 story

Ruark Audio R2 Mk4

Perhaps no brand embodies the retro-modern aesthetic better than Ruark. It has long championed the 'throwback, no go-back' style, creating devices that are eminently capable and visually appealing. And the Award-winning R2 Mk4 is one of its finest.

To call it a radio would be underselling it somewhat. Because while it offers FM/DAB/DAB+ tuners, internet radio and alarms, it's also capable of streaming over Bluetooth and various music apps and connecting using wired connections, making it a multi-talented modern music system. It also costs £479.

It looks sophisticated and stylish, with enough of a nod to its heritage without veering into kitsch territory. The tactile RotoDial is a joy to use, and there's built-in support for Spotify Connect, Amazon Music and Deezer.

One listen and you're sold. Retro meets modern in a thoroughly appealing package.

Read our Ruark Audio R2 Mk4 review

Music Fidelity A1

This is a remake of Musical Fidelity's most iconic product – the original A1 amplifier from the mid 1980s. But it's as faithful a recreation as it's possible to make while still adhering to modern standards. That means (mostly) the same circuit and same output of 25W per channel, though it does have new output devices and an improved power supply arrangement. It's more forgiving of partner speakers than you would think, and the unique sound holds its own, even against modern rivals – it's expressive and more fluid than most amps today. A fun listen, from a very fun product.

Read the Musical Fidelity A1 review

Robert Revival Uno BT

One glance and you know this is a Roberts product – the leather surround, the bronze grille, the foldable antenna and leather carry handle are all hallmarks of the firm's range of retro radios (as is the Roberts logo on the front, of course). But it has modern comforts like Bluetooth for wireless playback and an impressive 25-hour battery life (using four AAs).

Sound quality is very good for piano- and vocal-based arrangements, though it struggles to convey the full energy of some pop or rock tracks. Still, it's a solid performance for a small radio, and a great choice for fans of retro British design. 

Read the full Roberts Revival Uno BT review

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Naim has announced its first range for the custom install market, designed to complement all integrated audio systems, but particularly those with Focal integrated loudspeakers.

The new CI Series range consists of three products and marks a new era for Naim and Focal, as the partnered brands offer a complete solution for the custom integration market for the very first time.

The CI-Uniti 102 is an all-in-one streamer and amplifier, which Naim says is the “brain” of the series. Capable of 150W at 8 ohms, it’ll fit into any indoor or outdoor space and provide versatile connectivity for all manner of digital, analogue and wireless sources.

This includes RCA, HDMI and S/PDIF inputs, Bluetooth connectivity and streaming via AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, UPnP and Chromecast to name a few.

There are also two independent RCA outputs for hooking up subwoofers or sub-zones.

Its integrated DSP provides full-system calibration too, so it can connect seamlessly with the other components in the series, along with Speaker Profiles for each loudspeaker in the CI Focal catalogue.

This means that when pairing the two brands together, installers can customise the DSP entirely to the system's requirements, for the very best results.

Next up, the CI-NAP 108 is a rack-mountable 8-channel power amplifier. When paired with the CI-Uniti 102, multiroom capability for up to 32 rooms is unlocked, as well as the ability to amplify up to eight separate audio streams with local inputs for each amplified channel.

Naim also pitches the CI-NAP 108 as a good option for pairing with audio-video processors to deliver a combination of sound quality and power. 

This is joined by the CI-NAP 101, a rack-mountable mono power amplifier capable of operating in low- or high-impedance modes. It is specifically intended for use with subwoofers or speakers on a 70/100V line, while maintaining a top-notch sound performance.

With the ability to operate an output load of 2 ohms, it’s a great solution for amplifying large power-hungry systems, including Focal’s flagship 1000 Series system.

The three components will be available in Spring 2024, with the CI-Uniti 102 costing £1299 / $1499 / €1499, the CI-NAP 101 priced at £1299 / $1499 / €1499 and the CI-NAP 108 setting you back £2599 / $2999 / €2999.

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If you’ve ever eyed up the Naim Uniti range but found it coming up short when it comes to power output, the brand has just announced its most powerful streaming player to date. 

Almost doubling the power of the regular 80W-per-channel Uniti Nova, the Uniti Nova PE (which stands for "Power Edition") is a convenient just-add-speakers music streaming system that packs 150W of power per channel (into 8 Ohms). 

That means it should be able to drive even the most demanding of speakers, to fill the largest of rooms. However, there is something of a twist – and audio purists might want to look away now.

The big news here is that Naim's general preference for Class AB amplification has been swapped out for Class D amplification instead. Of course, the brand does have some experience here, having used it with the Mu-So family and in its Naim for Bentley in-car amplifier, but this is perhaps one of its most notable inclusions yet. 

Naim says the resulting sound will be punchier and expressive, but still as eloquent and considered as we’ve come to expect from this five-star range. 

Just as the original Nova does, the Uniti Nova PE offers a plethora of connectivity options for music playback.

For digital sources, that includes two lots of optical (up to 24-bit/96kHz), and coaxial (up to 24-bit/192kHz, DSD 64) inputs, and one each of BNC (up to 24-bit/192kHz, DSD 64) and HDMI ins. There’s also a USB-A input both front and back for attaching external drives, and a headphone output for private listening up front too.

For analogue, you have the choice of RCA and 5-pin DIN inputs, plus you’ll also find a second set of RCA outputs for bi-amping your speakers or adding a subwoofer, should you wish. 

Wi-fi is on board (802.11 b/g/n/ac) for direct access to internet radio stations and music streaming services, including Tidal Connect, Qobuz, Spotify Connect and Apple Music, plus there is support for AirPlay 2, Chromecast, UPnP and it’s Roon Ready to boot.

You’ll also get aptX Adaptive Bluetooth built-in, plus the ability to stream multi-room with other Naim players.

This is all wrapped up in a familiar brushed aluminium casing with a 5-inch colour screen and surely the best volume dial known to man. There are a handful of quick-access buttons next to the display, but further controls can be found on the included remote, which handily doesn’t require line of sight to work.

The Naim Uniti Nova PE will be available in mid-February for £8,600/$10,000/€10,000.

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Read our Naim Uniti Nova review

Or the Award-winning Naim Uniti Atom review

Now we are the first to admit that, on the face of it, this lovely premium streaming system is a little unconventional. Why not pair the Naim streamer with a Naim amplifier, we hear you ask? After all, it’s well-known that we are huge fans of the Salisbury-based company’s products.

Well, you wouldn’t go wrong with that match-up, it’s true; but in this instance, besides attempting to show that there are more answers to a conundrum than purely the most transparent solution, we decided to go with an amp that will match up brilliantly with the speakers in this system, rather than simply the source. It’s a bit horses for courses, perhaps, but this quirky set-up does a brilliant job while being a little less than obvious. Which we rather enjoy.

The system

• Music streamer: Naim ND5 XS 2 (£2499 / $3999)
• Integrated amplifier: Roksan Blak (£2499 / $5499)
• Stereo speakers: KEF R3 Meta (£1900 / $2200)
• Total price: £6898 / $11,698

What is undeniable, whatever your thoughts about the make up of the system, is that all three of these components are stellar performers in their own right. 

Music streamer: Naim ND5 XS 2

Starting with the source, despite its relatively advanced years now, the Naim ND5 XS 2 remains simply the best-sounding streamer we have heard at this level by a mile. It’s a back-to-basics model that just sounds really good. Naim calls it its “entry-level” streamer, which is true in the respect that it is the least expensive dedicated streamer from the company that you can buy; but it’s still two and a half grand, so the description isn’t necessarily the most conventionally accurate there could be. 

There are four digital inputs – a pair of optical, one coaxial RCA and a coaxial BNC – and RCA and five-pin DIN analogue audio outputs, alongside another USB Type-A socket and terminals for Ethernet cable, Bluetooth and dual-band wi-fi aerials. 

Of course, there is plenty else built-in for your streaming needs, including Chromecast, AirPlay, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. The ND5 XS 2 is UPnP enabled, so it can stream files up to 32-bit/384kHz from any outboard NAS device or home computer stored on the same network.

Naim products have a tendency to take some time before really sounding their best, so we urge you to give the ND5 XS 2 a fair chance of getting up to speed; while a day or two of running in will iron out any creases, the sound can continue improving over a number of months, with initially subtle enhancements eventually leading to noticeable sonic gains.

You’re unlikely to be disappointed with this streamer even straight from the box, but be aware you might not experience its full potential for some time after its purchase. 

It is unmistakeably a Naim product: tonally it is even, with the ability to dig deep into bass frequencies with ease and tempering that with rich and insightful mids and treble. It possesses that neutrality required to paint an honest picture of a track, refusing to force its own presentation simply to catch the listener’s ear. The ND5 XS 2 is as masterful at conveying timbre as anything you could hope to find for this kind of money. 

Naim has proven again the possibility of providing truly great sound irrespective of genre.

Integrated amplifier: Roksan Blak

Now we come to that, on the face of it, vaguely controversial amplifier choice. The Roksan Blak – a former What Hi-Fi? Award-winner at this price – is a fully equipped unit that can connect to your computer, smartphone, turntable and headphones. Balanced XLR and three RCA line level inputs join a USB Type B digital input that will cope with 24-bit/192kHz PCM as well as DSD music files. A moving magnet phono stage is included, while the Blak has embraced aptX Bluetooth connectivity, too.

It’s a hefty amplifier in every respect, weighing in at 14kg and rated at 150W per channel into an 8-ohm load. 

And, in keeping with those beefy numbers, it delivers a large-scale sound positively brimming with authority and power. Those big numbers for power delivery mean the Blak is never particularly flustered and sounds completely at ease even when music becomes particularly demanding. At the top end, there’s plenty of bite, but enough in the way of refinement to stop things from getting too aggressive; while low frequencies are punched out with textured ease. 

In our review of the Roksan, we conclude: “The Blak amplifier is superbly judged. It has a powerful and energetic sound, with enough in the way of insight, subtlety and refinement to keep us happy.” Which makes it perfect for the speakers in this wonderful system.

Stereo speakers: KEF R3 Meta

We were big fans of the original R3, but the addition of KEF’s innovative metamaterial absorption technology (MAT) has taken all those strengths and turned them up to 11. KEF claims that the puck-sized MAT (made up of 30 tubes, each designed to absorb a particular high frequency) absorbs 99 per cent of the distorting sound waves that come from the back of the speaker’s tweeter. The result? Less distortion, clearer highs. And it works better than, on paper, it has any right to, making a huge difference to the sound. 

The R3 Meta speakers simply flow with every type of music thrown at them. The even tonal balance and insight we liked so much in the also-excellent LS50 Meta (and the older R3s) are present here, but with an additional layer of refinement, weight and openness that is instantly apparent.

The KEF speakers don’t simply grab your attention from the start, they keep the momentum going over long periods of listening. The soundstage is wide open, giving breathing space to complex arrangements as well as, say, sparser piano pieces, where you can get lost in the meditative, melancholy composition. What is remarkable is the amount of detail and texture the R3 Meta manage to eke out of every song. As we say in our review: “Agnes Obel’s intimate, otherworldly vocals on her Aventine album come through crystal clear and beautifully nuanced. It’s an elegant, affecting performance.

“The initial pluckings of the violin and cello strings in Obel’s The Curse, the weight of the bow across the strings – there’s a convincing sense of depth and richness to each instrument, rendering them so three-dimensional in our listening room.”

KEF’s traditional Uni-Q driver array design, with the tweeter placed at the centre of the midrange driver, means that the acoustic centre is the same for the tweeter and midrange; which in turn means the sound seems to be coming from the same point. That integration is key to the R3 Meta’s musically cohesive performance, and it is further bolstered by the dedicated bass driver that adds a whole extra layer of spaciousness and deeper bass. 

That results in a sound that has authority, solidity and sounds of a piece, but is also dynamic and agile. Every note is etched with precision and the timing is spot on. 

But, most importantly, as well as being so impressive with their refinement and precision, the KEFs also sound so much fun. Songs we have not played in a long while win us over with an energy and playfulness that’s infectious. 

The verdict

That all-round sonic ability blends perfectly with the Roksan amplifier, which makes the very most of the speakers’ bass scale and authority. 

Combine that synergy with the all-round brilliance of the Naim source, and here you have a sublime premium streaming system that, while not a conventional pairing of kit, has to be heard to be appreciated.

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33 debut products that defined hi-fi history

Naim is just one of the handful of venerated audio brands celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023. Along with Rega, QED and Linn, Naim Audio has been a fixture in the British hi-fi landscape ever since Julian Vereker founded the company in 1973.

Of the many amplifiers that Naim has manufactured since, the original Naim NAIT (retroactively called the Nait 1) holds a special place in hi-fi history. The Naim Nait integrated amplifier didn’t come about until 1983, and despite its now iconic status, it was a bit of an oddity when it launched. Along with a low power rating that befuddled many, it was Naim’s first-ever integrated stereo amplifier (combining power and preamp into one unit), which was a departure from its usual separates approach. 

The Naim Nait 50 we have here is a limited edition product, paying homage to 1983’s original Nait 1 and released in conjunction with Naim’s 50th anniversary. How limited? Only 1973 units are being made (in honour of Naim’s founding year) and the amp is yours for a cool £2699. If only it had been priced at £1973 as well – the symmetry would have been neat. 

Price

That price tag might raise your eyebrows (it did ours, both of them) as the original Nait 1 cost between £179 and £199 in 1984, according to our What Hi-Fi? archives. In today’s money, that would be equivalent to roughly £600 – a price point occupied by today’s Arcam A5 and Cambridge Audio CXA61 amplifiers. 

The original Nait was one of the six contenders for the ‘Best amplifier under £250’ gong in the 1985 What Hi-Fi? Awards (Nov 1984 issue, which cost just 95p), and we noted that: “The Naim NAIT is a little upmarket from the NAD and Creek. Used in conjunction with a rather famous turntable, the NAIT has deserved its reputation as a smooth, powerful and expensive amplifier. Selling for £199 it’s a truly good-quality, sub-£200 model.”

That £2699 price tag is indicative of the Nait 50 amp’s special, limited edition status (it isn’t alone in pricing up limited edition models, and there are genuine reasons to justify that additional outlay), but if we were to give this Naim amp the full What Hi-Fi? review treatment, it would be going head-to-head against its Nait XS 3 (£2499) sibling, a current and excellent Award-winning integrated that can also draw its lineage straight through from the original Nait. We don’t give a star-rated review to limited edition products, however, with the Nait 50 instead getting a more extensive hands-on treatment and deep dive here as we explore its history and give it a thorough listen.

Unlike Musical Fidelity, who delivered a mostly faithful reimagining of its iconic A1 Class A amplifier this year (and made it available as a full production model), Naim has gone in a different direction. The Nait 50 may be a limited edition model, but it’s infused with more new engineering than you’d think at first glance. It’s actually a modern amplifier designed as a tribute to the original; it mirrors the original's appearance and replicates its sonic flavour, but there is an entirely new amplifier design inside. 

Yes, £2699 is quite a lot to pay even for a limited edition amplifier, and there are strong rivals today that can compete with it on a sound-per-pound value. But that’s not the point of this Nait 50. It’s a chance to own an homage to Naim’s history, and that kind of sentimentality has its own charm and is, for many, priceless… 

Design & build quality

We know the retro-modern design trend is popular at the moment, but there is something utterly charming and timeless about the Nait 50. 

Yes, it looks exactly like the old Nait 1. It features the same compact “shoebox” chassis with a chrome bumper design as the original. The half-width design is rare to see in mainstream hi-fi, but it is favourably viewed by many members of the What Hi-Fi? review team. Cyrus Audio and Rega have form in manufacturing half-width amps, for instance, while brands like Cambridge Audio and Eversolo are increasingly making new products with a small footprint (but no less mighty performance).

Even if you’re a fan of the ‘olive’ Naim amplifiers, prefer a full-width design or would rather have something more shiny and sleek, we think you’ll still find there is just something so appealing about the Nait 50. We had it living on our listening room’s racks for a good few weeks and it looked absolutely at home with products both old and new. It is a lovely little thing. The build quality is solid: it’s well made and finished, and Naim has stayed faithful to the aesthetics, even down to the non-centred old Naim logo on the front panel. 

There are plenty of products that look “of their time” and fall out of fashion once they enter the next decade, but for the sheer simplicity of this design, the Nait 50 looks – there’s no other way to put it – cool. It isn’t just nostalgia speaking, either. 

In our sister title New Hi-Fi Sound’s June 1984 review, they grumbled about the original Nait’s “rather poorly fitting front fascia” – you’ll be pleased to know that the front and rear panels of this Nait 50 model are now made of high-quality anodised aluminium and there’s no issue with the fit and finish. The balance control spindle of the original has been replaced by a 6.3mm headphone socket (more on this later), and the row of buttons to select the three inputs are now labelled accordingly: phono, stream and aux (updated from phono, tuner and tape). The once-grey volume dial (still rather unusually situated on the left-hand side) is now machined from solid aluminium and is finished in black to match the rest of the amp.

It’s even simpler around the back: a pair of phono inputs with ground, two analogue DIN-connector inputs, and one pair of speaker terminals. And that’s it.

The Nait’s simplicity was praised in the September 1984 issue of What Hi-Fi?: “The Naim Nait epitomises the ‘straight-through’ approach… a British speciality where there is an absolute minimum of switches and extra circuitry in the way of the signal, and facilities are few as a result. All the emphasis is on sound quality.”

It’s not all rose-tinted...

We do have some quibbles with the Nait 50 while using it, however. To start with, there’s no remote control. Even the new Musical Fidelity A1 threw us modern hi-fi listeners a bone by adding a small remote control when the original one didn’t. We like using the Naim unit’s volume dial, but found it’s harder to make subtle changes in volume than it should be. It goes from quiet to loud too quickly; we’d have liked more travel in between to allow us to fine-tune the volume level we want. 

Secondly, the mains button is identical to the input buttons and, rather confusingly, the corresponding power status LED emits light (albeit less strongly) even in standby mode. It’s not always obvious to see at a glance if the amp is turned on or not by that semi-glowing LED, so if you’re not hearing music playing when you’ve plugged in your sources and speakers, just press the mains button to see if it’s actually fully powered on. If the LED glows brighter, that means it’s now on and music will flow. The Nait 50 has an auto standby mode by default, which activates at exactly 19 minutes – you can deactivate this by ensuring the “Instant On” switch at the back is on. 

And finally, Naim uses DIN connectors for the line-level analogue inputs; there are no standard RCA connectors to be seen. So if you have a source that uses connections other than DIN and you don’t already have the right cable, then you’ll have to buy one for yourself. Does Naim include a DIN cable in the box with the Nait 50? It does not, which feels rather mean for a limited edition product and the relatively high asking price. However, you can easily buy the right DIN-to-RCA (or your connection of choice) cable from Naim and various other cable manufacturers. We used both a Naim-supplied cable as well as a higher-end Vertere Acoustics Redline DIN-to-RCA cable during our listening period.

Internally, an entirely modern amplifier design

Naim could easily have left it at that, but the brand has actually given a full overhaul of the amplifier’s insides. 

Let’s talk power first. The original Nait 1 was met with derision at first launch because of its low power rating. Early reports weren’t firm about the exact power rating (some claiming as low 'about 8 watts') but we can confirm that the original was rated at 15W per channel into 8 ohms (thanks to Jason Gould of Naim for confirming this at the High-End Munich Show 2023).

In the new Nait 50, that’s gone up to 25W per channel into 8 ohms. That’s a decent step up, but even if it still won’t shake your floorboards, don’t be deceived into thinking that means the Nait 50 is some feeble performer. More power isn’t always the solution, we find. Some of our favourite amplifiers quote a low power rating, from the current Rega io (rated at 30W into 8 ohms) to the Pathos InpolRemix (a Class A design rated at just 10W!)

The Nait 50’s moving magnet phono stage is “all new”, says Naim, while the power amplifier design is based on the latest incarnation of the excellent NAP 250 (another 2023 launch, now in its sixth generation). The headphone amplifier section is entirely new, too – there wasn’t one in the original Nait at all – and this circuit has borrowed from another 2023 launch, the five-star NSC 222 streaming preamp. We tip our hats to Naim for offering a way to plug in our trusty wired headphones to listen to music more privately, especially as headphones have increasingly become a more common way of listening, and not just in the middle of the night. Additionally, the input switching is now done electrically, rather than mechanically, which results in shorter signal paths. 

In practice, the Class A/B design of the Naim Nait amp (both the original and this limited edition 2023 version) has more than ample grunt to drive a wide variety of speakers. Back in the Jan 1984 issue of New Hi-Fi Sound (pictured above), in answer to a reader’s query that “...the low power rating of the Nait leads me to consider speakers of a medium or high efficiency”, the magazine replied: “First and foremost, the Naim Nait, in spite of its seemingly poor theoretical performance, is capable of driving far more difficult speaker loads than amplifiers with much higher outputs. Consequently, do not feel that the Nait is a limiting factor in your choice of loudspeakers.” We happily echo that statement here. Sure, the Nait 50 may struggle to drive grossly inefficient speakers or deliver concert hall scales of sound, but for your average-sized listening room with typical speakers, the Nait 50 is more than capable.

During our time with the Nait 50, we plugged the amp into a variety of speakers we had at hand in our listening rooms. From our reference ATC SCM50 and Epos ES14N speakers to the more modest Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 and 606 S3 standmounts, along with the PMC Prodigy 5 towers to the similarly retro Musical Fidelity LS3/5A speakers – we found that the power or sensitivity handling wasn’t an issue at all when finding the right speaker pair to suit the Nait 50’s talents. It’s far more about compatibility; about matching the sonic signatures between products to get the best results.

Sound quality

So how does this limited edition Nait 50 amp actually sound? Incredibly fun. While it has been redesigned to modern standards, Naim’s engineers have done a great job of ensuring that this Nait 50 retains the enthusiastic sonic character of the original Nait 1 that was so liked. During listening, our technical editor Ketan Bharadia kept referring it to as having a “puppy dog-like” character – it’s zippy, energetic and inherently likeable. 

There’s ample detail and clarity, with bags of punch. The amount of energy and drive that keeps a song’s momentum going – whether it’s Eminem’s The Way I Am, Alt-J’s Breezeblocks, Circling by Four Tet or Whatta Man by Salt-N-Pepa/En Vogue – is what stands out most with the Nait 50.

Regardless of genre, songs are handled with terrific agility and dynamic expression, with an innate understanding of the rhythmic interplay between instruments to make it musically enjoyable. There’s a good amount of weight and power to the proceedings too, keeping us satisfied as the brooding basslines in Massive Attack’s Angel and Paradise Circus hit with impact.

In New Hi-Fi Sound’s June 1984 review (you can read the full review, pictured below), David Präkel states that “the NAIT has an immediately distinctive sound” which is “coloured” – the same can be said about the Nait 50 and as a result, you are always aware of the amp itself. But Prakel also says, “the NAIT is an exceptional communicator of the ‘message’ of music, namely the pitch, shapes and independence of the notes.” We agree. Despite the Nait 50’s obvious flavour, it doesn’t take away from how precise the edges of notes are, how cleanly the vocals come through or how there’s a richness to the instruments when listening to Agnes Obel’s beautiful Aventine album. 

We used various sources during our time listening to the amp, including our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, a Cyrus CDi CD player and our reference Technics SL-1000R turntable. The amp’s general character is consistent across all inputs. When listening through the analogue DIN inputs (connected to the Naim streamer), the amp’s energetic character is applied to every song. While this means it doesn’t make a meal out of any poor recordings, it is clear that the Nait 50 isn’t quite as transparent when relaying the differences in recording qualities as the best of the competition at this price.

Moving on to playing albums on the Technics turntable, and the Nait 50 remains an enthusiastic performer, but still manages to convey the lo-fi and intimate feel of Elliott Smith’s Either/Or.

The headphone amplifier, on the other hand, is decent but not the Nait 50’s strongest point. We listened with the Grado SR325x open-backs plugged in, and there’s a pleasing immediacy to the delivery. But it’s not quite as clear or detailed compared with the other inputs.

Other amplifiers at this level today – such as Rega’s Elicit Mk5 and Naim’s own Nait XS 3 – are able to deliver a larger-scale performance with more detail and lower-end heft. But the Nait 50 is such a likeable performer that we can’t stop grinning when we listen to it.

Nait 50 vs Nait XS 3: sibling rivalry

The comparison with the current Nait XS 3 proves to be fascinating, as it’s a completely different proposition and sonic character. To our surprise, it’s not quite as punchy, clean, precise or as lively as the limited edition Nait 50. Bass performance isn’t as impactful, with the very same Massive Attack basslines sounding a touch hazy. But the Nait XS 3 is subtler, with more layers of texture unearthed around instruments and voices. 

It’s a more relaxed and transparent performer compared to the Nait 50’s endless enthusiasm. The Nait XS 3 is more attuned to the differences in recording qualities and era, being able to communicate the feel and mood of a song more deftly and with more nuance. One thing we always look out for when testing hi-fi kit is “Does this sad song make us feel sad?”, and the regular XS 3 amp fits this brief better. Nick Cave sounds appropriately bittersweet and contemplative in Into My Arms.

The Nait 50 certainly offers more punch and crisper edges, and the sense of lively, fun attack is infectious – if not always necessarily authentic. It’s not a laidback performer at all, and we even find the phono stage performance sounds better here than on the XS 3. But the Nait XS 3 does offer a more mature balance that many will prefer.

Compatibility: matching products is key 

Whichever balance you prefer, what’s of most importance is what you pair the amplifier with. In the Nait 50’s case, as it’s capable of dealing with a wide range of sources, it’s the speaker combination that proves to be the trickier match. The key takeaway is to avoid pairing the amp with any speakers that sound too bright or lively, as you’ll need something to counterbalance the Nait 50’s energy without losing any of that infectiously likeable charm. 

The new B&W 607 S3 (£599), for instance, is too excitable – combined with the Nait 50, the top end is too aggressive to our ears and the overall effect doesn’t let you relax. The bigger, spacious-sounding B&W 606 S3 (£749) is a nicer combination thanks to its more deliberate, slightly more relaxed presentation. The Nait 50 in turn adds a bit of zest to the 606 S3’s mature sound, and you end up with a performance that’s open, composed, solid and detailed.

Go up the chain to something more price-appropriate, and we have the equally special Musical Fidelity LS3/5A speakers (£2349), which are designed to BBC RD1976/29 specifications. Visually, the two retro products look absolutely fabulous together. Sonically, it’s not quite as good a match as it is aesthetically – the Musical Fidelity’s smaller-scaled sound and lack of bass authority don’t quite gel with the Nait 50’s punchy nature. But they flow and glide through music in a lovely way when it comes to voices and piano (anything in the midrange, essentially). These speakers don’t have the required punch and timing talents to match the demands of the Nait 50 amp, though. Our reference Epos ES14N speakers (£3750) deliver a more measured performance but are a little too out of the Nait’s league.

Verdict

Overall, while not perfect, this is a hugely entertaining and musical amp to listen to. It’s an obviously flavoured sound, but that’s the point of this amplifier: to capture the spirit of the original, iconic Nait 1 integrated amplifier. 

Even months after our time with the Nait 50, we still can’t forget just how fun this amp was to listen to. Would we pick it over the Nait XS 3? We’re in two minds; if we could have both powering two different systems, we’d be very happy indeed. 

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I've heard over 150 products this year, and these are my 5 hi-fi highlights

2023 is all but over, but what a year it’s been for hi-fi and home cinema fans. Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen everything from cutting-edge new TV screen technologies, like the award-winning Micro Lens Array (MLA), to revivals of classic amps, like the Naim Nait 50, arrive.

In fact, the sheer volume of great new products to arrive and pass through dedicated testing rooms made judging the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 one of the toughest to date.

Here to help send 2023 out with a bang, our team of expert reviewers has created this list detailing their personal product highlights for the year.

Sony A95L 

Musical Fidelity A1

TCL C845K

Sony WF-C700N

Eversolo DMP-A6

Cambridge Audio MXN10

PMC Prodigy 1

Sony TA-AN1000

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I've heard over 150 products this year, and these are my 5 hi-fi highlights

Looking to build a simple, streaming-savvy system that looks and sounds good You're in luck: the five-star Cambridge Audio Evo 75 streaming amplifier is down to only £1099 at Richer Sounds and the official Cambridge Audio UK site.

This fantastic £700 saving on the just-add-speaker system arrived for the Black Friday 2023 sales, but we're pleased to see this terrific deal price still very much live and ongoing the week after. Just in time for Christmas shopping...

The Evo 75 landed in our listening rooms a couple of years ago, originally priced at £1799, and won us over with its excellent sound, vast streaming smarts and good looks, giving us no choice but to call it "the best system of its kind to spend quality time with" in our five-star review.

At its current deal price, it's a real steal. Partner it with a good pair of speakers (like the five-star Dali Oberon 5 or the 2023 Award-winning Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3) and you've got an excellent-value modern streaming system.

Streaming amplifiers are becoming increasingly popular and for good reason. Combining an integrated amplifier and music streamer in one box, they simply need a pair of speakers connected to them. Easy.

The Cambridge Evo 75 is among the best of that kind, particularly at this price level. If you can't stretch your budget to the £2299 Naim Uniti Atom or Cambridge Audio's next-model-up, £1999 Evo 150 (which packs more power and an MM phono stage, balanced XLR and second pair of speaker terminals compared to the Evo 75), this is the streaming amp for you.

At the core of the Evo 75 lies Cambridge Audio's StreamMagic platform, which provides access to all the popular music streaming services and comes with a companion control app that is easy to get along with. AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and aptX HD Bluetooth are also on board, as is DLNA compatibility so you can stream hi-res files from your digital music library stored on a connected laptop, NAS, or music server. 

And if you want to go beyond streaming, optical, coaxial, RCA and HDMI ARC inputs allow you to hook up other audio sources such as a CD player or (phono stage-toting) turntable as well as a TV.

To quote our Cambridge Audio Evo 75 review, "Cambridge’s efforts to tick boxes and create a satisfying user experience haven’t gone to waste. The Evo 75 is the sonic success its spec sheet deserves." It's insightful, open and musical, delivering plenty of power while exhibiting dynamic prowess and a knack for digging up detail. 

At this £1099 deal price, it is certainly tempting in every respect.

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