The World Cup is now officially in full swing, and you've likely had a taster of what your home cinema set-up can do when it comes to football.

But do you wish it could do a bit better? Well, we have you covered. This week has seen plenty more TV deals, from brand new RGB mini LEDs to budget 2026 OLEDs at head-turning prices.

Not that hi-fi has been left out – we've only just reviewed the stunning five-star Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i, but they've already got a tasty discount.

So what are you waiting for? We'll go into more detail on each product below, but for now, happy shopping!

The Hisense UR9 is one of the first mainstream RGB Mini LED TVs to hit the market, and the technology delivers an impressively controlled and consistent backlight performance. Enter the code RSTV100 at checkout to save £100, and you can also claim a 40-inch QLED TV absolutely free. Ts and Cs here.

The newly reviewed Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i replaces the Award-winning 12.3 model, offering a more exciting and dramatic listen as well as greater bass authority and punch. Excellent for beginners or those on a budget, especially with £30 off.

We haven't tested the LG B6, but we were impressed when we saw it in action and we're fans of previous B-series models. For £879 you'll get a brand new 2026 OLED, with superb gaming specs and plenty of features. Use the code LG20PERCENT to get this price.

The TCL C7K is mightily impressive, offering explosive brightness, contrast and colour as well as rich gaming support. What might be most impressive, however, is that it offers this picture quality and features for under £720. The code TCL10PERCENT gets you this deal price.

We've only just reviewed the Soundcore Nebula P1, and we were particularly impressed by the clean yet punchy sound. The code WS24D2431UK will get you a £51 saving, but bear in mind you'll have to cast from your phone or use a streaming stick to get BBC iPlayer.

If you're looking for the ideal blend of quality, portability, and affordability, then the recently discounted Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is a great choice. You'll get an abundance of features and a booming sound level for only £46.

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Wharfedale has revamped its top-of-the-range Elysian series of loudspeakers.

The Elysian Series R now replaces all of the five established models in the range, including the five-star Elysian 4 floorstanders, promising "elevated engineering and an even more captivating musical performance".

The new line-up consists of the Elysian 1R two-way standmounts, the Elysian 2R three-way standmounts, the Elysian 3R and 4R three-way floorstanders, and the Elysian CR centre channel.

Wharfedale describes the new R range as an evolution of the previous Elysian speakers rather than a full-scale reinvention, with components revisited and refined to deliver "greater accuracy, transparency and musical realism".

The Elysian R range deploys enhanced 'Air Motion Transfer' (AMT) tweeters, designed for greater sonic resolution and accuracy alongside ultra-low distortion. The AMT tweeters have been updated with a new "ultra-light" pleated diaphragm, with an "enlarged, high-specification design" combined with the acoustically damped rear chamber. This should result in a more open and effortless quality to the high frequency performance.

Apart from the smaller Elysian 1R, all of the new speakers house a 15cm midrange driver with a cone constructed using a woven glass fibre matrix, which Wharfedale promises results in "astonishing realism and tonal accuracy".

Depending on the model, either an 18cm or 22cm glass fibre matrix bass driver is used, which has also been refined alongside the motor system, in pursuit of better depth and control at the lower end of the frequency range.

Wharfedale's the Slot-Loaded Profiled Port returns to work alongside the bass drivers, while the brand has refined other areas of the speakers throughout. These include revised crossovers to improve transparency, and components and circuit board layouts chosen for the shortest signal path and less electromagnetic interference.

For the cabinets, all five Elysian R models feature Wharfedale’s latest Panel Resonance Optimisation System (PROS), whereby a multi-layer construction of woods of differing density is accompanied by strategic bracing for enhanced structural integrity and reduced panel resonance.

All five Wharfedale Elysian R Series speakers will be available from late June in a choice of matt black, matt grey or piano lacquered walnut wood veneer finishes. Prices are as follows:

- Elysian 1R standmounts: £3499 / $5995 / AU$7999 per pair (stands £399)
- Elysian 2R standmounts: £4999 / $8495 / AU$11,999 per pair (stands £449)
- Elysian 3R floorstanders: £5999 / $9995 / AU$13,999 per pair
- Elysian 4R floorstanders: £6999 / $11,995 / AU$15,999 per pair
- Elysian CR centre channel: £3499 / $5995 / AU$7999 (stand £449)

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For those putting together a budget hi-fi system, the Award-winning Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 floorstanders have long been our go-to recommendation.

Until now. They've now been replaced by the updated Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i, which we gave a full five stars to just over a week ago.

And these new Wharfedale floorstanders remain a class leader at this sub-£500 price, and are an excellent buy for hi-fi newbies or anyone shopping on a budget.

That price just got a little bit better, too. We may have only just reviewed them, but the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i are now down to £469 at Richer Sounds.

The 12.3i is the replacement of the original Wharfedale Diamond 12.3, which won multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards over the years – including at our most recent ceremony – and remained the class leaders at their price until they ceased production last year.

The new Diamond 12.3i floorstanders have a rather tall order to live up to then. Luckily, they're more than up to the task, with a change of port and internal damping resulting in a more exciting and dramatic listen than the original 12.3.

"The new “i” models are certainly bigger and bolder-sounding. Play a dramatic piece of music, such as the Indiana Jones theme by John Williams, and there is no denying that these new Diamonds produce more dramatic results," our Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i review reads.

"Dynamic shifts are a little more vivid, with the new-gen model going from quiet to loud and back again with greater conviction. The bass also kicks harder and, perhaps surprisingly given the identical specifications, seemingly a little deeper," we said.

Like their predecessors, the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i are reasonably sized for floorstanders at 97.5cm tall and just 18cm wide. They'll fit into most rooms without dominating and will benefit most from having space to breathe away from the wall.

The 12.3i also carries over a 2½ way design where the upper 13cm driver handles the midrange and bass, with the lower one adding a bit of muscle at the lowest frequencies. The cone material on the drivers is made of a mix of polypropylene and mica, for a nice balance of stiffness, damping and light weight.

The tweeter is an old favourite: a 25mm coated woven polyester soft dome that has appeared in various Diamond 12 models and has always impressed us with its detail and refinement.

If you're looking for reasonably-priced hi-fi floorstanders, the talented Wharfedale 12.3i are a superb buy. The build quality is top-notch for the relatively modest price tag, they're smooth and even-handed sonically, and now are an even better bargain with £30 off at Richer Sounds.

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Wharfedale seems to believe in the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach, if the new Diamond 12i range is anything to go by, and who can blame it? On paper, the highlights of this updated range aren’t particularly exciting: they include a revised set of finishes, redesigned reflex ports and a tweak of each speaker’s internal damping.

Nothing to get particularly excited about, although Wharfedale deserves praise for keeping the entire range’s pricing unchanged from its predecessors. In a world where every manufacturer is pushing up prices, this comes as a refreshing and pleasant surprise.

The original Diamond 12 series launched in late 2020 and quickly became our go-to recommendation for anyone looking for great value, affordable speakers, whether for stereo or home cinema use.

The original 12.3 floorstanders were a particular favourite of ours, offering an excellent all-round performance in a neat, easy-to-accommodate form. They won multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards over the years and remained the class leader right until it ended production in late 2025.

Design

Its replacement, the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3i, looks reassuringly familiar. In fact, you have to look hard to notice any substantial changes beyond the three new finishes (black, walnut and grey).

The revised rear firing port looks much the same from the outside, though we did notice a soft rubber ring mounted to the end on the inside, something the original never had.

The trio of drive units is essentially the same. That’s no problem, as they were hardly a weakness.

The 12.3i remains a 2½ way design where the upper 13cm driver handles the midrange and bass, leaving the lower one to add a bit of muscle only at the lowest frequencies.

Both of the larger drivers use Wharfedale’s Klarity diaphragm material. Klarity is the company’s marketing name for mica-loaded polypropylene, a material claimed to offer a good balance between stiffness, damping and light weight.

A 25mm textile dome tweeter takes responsibility above the 2.2kHz crossover frequency. We’ve heard this high-frequency unit in various Diamond 12 models and it has always impressed with its detail and refinement.

Build & compatibility

Take a look at the specifications and you will find nothing obvious has changed from the previous gen model. The 12.3i’s sensitivity is still 89dB/W/m and nominal impedance continues to be rated as 8 ohm compatible, with a minimum of 5 ohms.

These numbers imply that these floorstanders should be easy enough to drive for most price-compatible amplifiers. Certainly, the Arcam A5+ integrated amplifier we used for much of this test had no difficulty driving them.

We do notice that these speakers are now single-wired only. Is that a major loss? We don’t think so, and suspect most owners never took full advantage of the previous generation’s twin set of terminals.

Overall, the Diamond 12.3i’s build quality is good for the money. We have a pair of the originals for comparison, and notice that the finish on the new ones’ metal feet isn’t quite as neat, but to be fair this is something that you would never see once the speakers are installed.

There is little to complain about elsewhere. The cabinets feel solid and are finished neatly. Our review sample is in the new black finish and looks understated but still classy.

At 97.5cm tall and just 18cm wide, these Diamond floorstanders are compact enough to fit into most rooms without dominating, and in the UK at least, that’s a big positive.

We do find that the 12.3i is a little fussier about room positioning than its predecessor. Its revised porting arrangement has resulted in a more muscular bass performance, which many will prefer, but it also makes the speakers less forgiving about their proximity to a wall.

In our 3 x 7 x 5m listening room, the 12.3i sound most comfortable around 70cm into the room, and slightly angled towards the listening position to solidify their stereo imaging. The previous generation model could be placed closer and still sound balanced.

Sound

A floorstanding speaker at this price has a difficult balancing act to perform. It has to be forgiving with budget separates and streaming systems, yet still shine with more ambitious electronics. The original 12.3 did that superbly, and so does this new version.

The change of port and internal damping may seem slight on paper, but they have changed the Diamond 12.3’s character a little. The new “i” models are certainly bigger and bolder-sounding. Play a dramatic piece of music, such as the Indiana Jones theme by John Williams, and there is no denying that these new Diamonds produce more dramatic results.

Dynamic shifts are a little more vivid with the new-gen model going from quiet to loud and back again with greater conviction. The bass also kicks harder and, perhaps surprisingly given the identical specifications, seemingly a little deeper.

The tweeter is unchanged, so we’re surprised to find that the treble is now a little more forward than before. It adds to the sense of space in the recording and makes low-level details a touch more apparent. But don’t worry, things aren’t overdone, as the Diamond 12.3i still sounds refined and well-behaved by class standards.

As we work our way through the likes of De La Soul’s Cabin In The Sky set and Jill Scott’s To Whom This May Concern album, it becomes clear that the 12.3i floorstanders should still be considered class leaders. It is hard to argue against the fact that their combination of insight, dynamic expression and control is hard to beat at the money.

Given a song like De La Soul’s YUHDONTSTOP, the 12.3i are a fun listen, rendering the group's vocal flow with enthusiasm and clarity. Vocal and instrumental textures come through well, certainly better than any rival floorstander we’ve heard.

Rhythmically, these Diamonds are surefooted rather than enthusiastic, but they convey the music’s momentum and energy well enough. We’re having fun and these Wharfedale floorstanders are playing their part in that.

However, as good as these new speakers are, there are areas where we feel the older model edges things. In side-by-side comparisons, the original 12.3 sounds a little more cohesive and conveys musical momentum a touch more emphatically. Its bass is a little better integrated too, though clearly less powerful.

Verdict

Given that this “i” model replaces the original, perhaps the comparisons don’t matter so much. It is how the Diamond 12.3i compares to its price rivals that is more important.

In this respect, there is little out there to worry these Wharfedale floorstanders. They remain a cut above the competition, and that makes them an excellent buy at the money.

Review published: 1st June 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Compatibility 4

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With a bank holiday weekend coming up, there is now plenty of time to decide on that all-important World Cup TV.

Luckily, this week has seen some stellar deals on all sorts of great TVs. Whether you’re after a new-release OLED or a budget LCD, we’ve got those and everything in between.

Hi-fi hasn’t been left out either: the Award-winning Cyrus 40 ST music streamer is on offer again; and Sonos is running a sale that includes its five-star spatial-audio Era 300 speaker.

As always, these are products that we have tested ourselves. And they have to have received at least four stars to receive our coveted recommendation here.

We’ll go a bit more in-depth on why we like these products so much below, but for now, happy shopping!

The LG C6 is the latest in LG’s hugely popular OLED C-series, and has the brightest, richest and most refined picture quality yet. We only reviewed it in March, but you can get 20% off with the code ‘LG20TV’ – you have to be a My John Lewis member, but it’s free to sign up.

The Cyrus 40 ST may not be cheap even with this discount, but it’s worth every single penny. The What Hi-Fi? Award Winner is the top dog out of the high-end music streamers and an incredible piece of kit.

We reviewed the TCL Q6C just two days ago, and we call it “ridiculously good value for money”. Well, the 65-inch version of this Mini LED set is already on sale – and it offers far more than a TV at this price has any right to.

If you want to go big-screen on a budget for the World Cup, then the 65-inch Samsung U8000F is an excellent choice. The Standard mode is enjoyably punchy and bright, with lots of smart TV content available in one great value package.

The Sonos Era 300 is a former What Hi-Fi? Award winner, and offers an immensely immersive experience thanks to its engaging sound and convincing spatial-audio effects. And now it can be yours with a rare £90 discount.

The 48-inch Samsung S90F made headlines for its low prices over Black Friday, but now it’s available for even less. The five-star OLED can be yours for only £764, but first you’ll have to use the code ‘RSTV100’ at checkout and then claim 10 per cent back directly from Samsung. Full T&Cs can be found here.

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Flares, sideburns, the mullet... the 1970s must carry the can for some truly terrible style trends. But it also birthed some pretty great-looking speakers, like the Wharfedale Denton 1. Launched in 1974, it was a real landmark in Wharefdale's evolution. And now it's back, with a modern makeover.

The Denton 1S is the latest in Wharfedale's Heritage Series, which are all inspired by its models from yesteryear. But this is the first inspired by a specific model, the Denton 1. With an unusual full-range coaxial drive unit with two cones mounted on the same axis, it could be positioned either vertically or horizontally. It also broke away from the classic wood-panelled look that Wharfedale was known for in favour of a moulded polyurethane (plastic polymer) enclosure with curved edges. Which is a very modern look.

The new model keeps these trademark elements but packages them within a new design, with a "vastly elevated sound".

It's small enough to fit on a desk, but can be wall-mounted, situated close to a wall or placed on a stand. Inside is a new two-way coaxial driver developed especially for this model. A 25mm silk-dome tweeter sits within a 165mm enhanced polypropylene mid/bass cone, allowing both drivers to radiate from a single acoustic centre to produce sound that's time-aligned and phase coherent.

The cone should deliver a wide and balanced frequency response thanks to its enhanced rigidity and critical damping, while the 44mm voice coil allows for power handling up to 100W.

The result? Natural tone balance, excellent transient accuracy and reduced colouration across the midrange, according to Wharfedale. Bass should be warm and full of texture, while high frequencies come with smooth yet crisply rendered detail.

It should also deliver a wide soundstage to entertain you regardless of where you're sitting.

The Denton 1S's crossover network is mapped to Linkwitz-Riley 4th order acoustic slopes at 2.6kHz, and works with a form of EQ that Wharefdale has dubbed the 'Brilliance Switch', which is one of the best names we've heard for a long time. This has two positions: 'norm', or 'max', which raises the response by 1.5dB to between 2 and 4kHz, adjusting the sound for positioning the speaker close to a wall. So you shouldn't suffer acoustically just because you're short of space.

While it might look similar to the original Denton 1, the 1S's cabinet has a whole new construction. It's made of a thicker, denser combination of woods to scatter panel resonances, while differing-thickness fibreboard panels are bonded and braced to control critical resonance modes. The front baffle is also recessed for better structural integrity.

The rear bass port is double-flared with a soft rubber on the inner flare to reduce turbulence and avoid chuffing while also enhancing the bass response. It offers bass extension down to 45Hz (-6dB), and it should match with lots of different amplifiers thanks to its 88dB sensitivity and an impedance averaging 8 ohms, with a minimum of 4.5 ohms.

The Denton 1S comes in the same white matt finish as its progenitor, along with black and blue colour schemes. It's out in late May for £649 / $999 / AU$1799 per pair.

Wharfedale's other Heritage speakers, like the Denton and Linton, have reviewed well, picking up four and five stars respectively. You can read about them below.

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This week, we updated our best OLED TV buying advice, replacing the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B with the 42-inch LG C5 as our main recommendation for people tight on space.

Normally that would be a cause for celebration. In most instances, we only ever add a new set to our buying guides when we have found something better to recommend, after all.

That’s a key reason so many of our advice pages have entries that have been there for months, or even years in some very rare cases. If it’s still the best, regardless of its age, we’ll keep recommending it.

And to be clear, the 42-inch LG C5 is an excellent small OLED TV. That’s why we gave it a five-star rating and What Hi-Fi? Award last year. If you want a Cliff Notes summary, here’s the verdict from our review:

“The 42-inch LG C5 is the best small OLED TV we’ve tested this year. Like its predecessors, it offers a near-flawless feature set and solid, sharp, immersive picture quality, neatly packaged in a small room-friendly frame. The only minor issue remains its audio, which, while fine for casual viewing, isn’t powerful or precise enough for immersive movie watching. Plan for a soundbar in your budget, if you don’t already have one.”

The issue is, despite all its perks, it’s not the best small OLED we have tested in the past 12 months. That honour went to the also Award-winning, slightly larger 48-inch Panasonic Z90B.

We confirmed that when we ran all the small OLED TVs we had head-to-head during last year’s Awards season. The reason is simple: at the time, it offered the best picture quality of all the TVs in the room.

Though it wasn’t the brightest, it offered the most even-handed performance, with colours and movements looking wonderfully natural. So, unless you were a gamer with numerous consoles and PCs requiring multiple HDMI 2.1 sockets, it was our main recommendation.

As we said in our 48-inch Panasonic Z90B review:

“From sparkling desert dunes in sci-fi epics to cars thundering across a race track and heated conversations behind closed doors, every scene we threw at this set looked wonderfully authentic and weighty. If you want a 48-inch OLED TV and value cinematic authenticity, the Panasonic Z90B is currently the one to get.”

The only reason we have stopped recommending it is that stock appears to have evaporated atypically early, making it near impossible to buy, unless you’re willing to grab a second-hand or display set.

We have asked retailers and Panasonic if any new stock will appear, and why it has sold out so fast, and we will keep you updated on what we find out.

Either way, while we think the 42-inch LG C5 is still more than enough OLED for most movie fans tight on space, its ascension to our buying guide isn’t the same cause for unbridled celebration it might normally be. And the early loss of the Z90B isn't a good thing for buyers in general. There are very few good, small OLED TVs around in general, after all.

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Ryan Gosling is really in his element right now. Following the success of the sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary, every other piece of content on my social media is a slickly edited video of the handsome devil.

Much of his back catalogue regularly appears in our AV test room. Barbie and Drive, for instance, are both excellent test discs, and the eagle-eyed among you will have spotted us using them in our reviews.

But there's another film featuring Gosling that is a brilliant way to test your home cinema hardware, and it is celebrating its 10th birthday. Damien Chazelle's La La Land leapt onto the screen back in 2017, and blew critics and audiences away with its show-stopping score and captivating performances from Gosling and Emma Stone in the leading roles.

If you have somehow never seen the modern classic, let us fill you in. It follows Sebastian, a struggling pianist, and Mia, an aspiring actress, who fall in love. When their careers start to take off, they find themselves having to make some tough decisions.

It's a film that we see used time and time again in demos for a range of AV kit, but over the years we have not used it in our own test room as much as we would like to. So this anniversary seems like the best time to revisit the best scenes to challenge your home cinema system, and also to bring it back to the top of our shelf where it belongs.

Opening sequence

From the off, La La Land really starts all guns blazing. On a hot summer's day, a seemingly endless queue of cars stretches to the Los Angeles horizon during rush hour. And what would any of us do in this scenario? That's right, open up your car door and break into a synchronised song and dance number.

The six-minute scene is dynamic and energetic with near constant movement that challenges a TV or projector's motion handling. With the crowd weaving around the cars and dancing in every direction, keep your eyes peeled for motion blur or juddering.

On top of that, the scene puts your audio system to the test. As dancers clamber about on the roof of the cars and horns blare around the soundfield, the precision of your audio set-up will be challenged. With a convincing Dolby Atmos system, you should hear the various sounds all around the space with a sense of accuracy and immersion.

"A Lovely Night"

Even if you haven't seen the film, you will almost certainly recognise the classic iconography of this scene. After running into each other at a party, Sebastian and Mia find themselves at the top of a beautiful hill but, despite obviously having feelings, lament that they are wasting this romantic view by spending it with each other.

As the pair move from the shade under a tree to a colourful night sky, it is a good test of how your screen handles the subtle detail in the crinkles of Sebastian's white shirt and the darker areas of Mia's yellow dress.

This beautiful sky also delivers a great test on its own. It starts at the top of the screen with a bright violet, before merging to pink and then ending in a darker red. On many screens, this may reveal an issue with colour banding, which is where smooth colour gradients are instead divided into stark lines.

A dance under the stars

After admitting their feelings for each other, Sebastian and Mia take a romantic trip to the Griffith Observatory which makes for another excellent test scene.

As the scene takes a magical realist turn and the pair floats into the night sky, note the contrast between the bright twinkle of the stars and the dark of the sky. There is a danger of the deep black looking more like a dark grey, or the stars not standing out against the more cavernous black backdrop.

On top of that, the twinkling stars can go the other way to create an unwanted "halo effect" where light spills out too much. That is particularly prevalent with Mini LED TVs because they rely on a backlight with local dimming zones. This all means it is particularly useful if you want to challenge your own Mini LED screen.

What's your favourite scene in La La Land? Drop it in the comments below.

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Looking for a small-ish OLED at a great price?

You'll struggle to do better than the LG C5. With its successor, the LG C6, now out in the wild, there are some serious savings to be had on 2025’s C5 model, which has become a firm What Hi-Fi? favourite over the past year.

And the 48-inch size is seeing one of the best discounts of all – you can now get this LG C5 for only £807 at Peter Tyson, the lowest price we've seen so far.

You'll have to add the TV to your cart for this saving to apply, however, as the listed price still states £949. You might want to hurry, though: this is advertised as a limited-time offer!

We found the 48-inch LG C5 to be a stellar five-star set when we reviewed it at £1399. This offer then, with nearly £600 off, is remarkable value in our eyes.

48-inch OLEDs were quite rare until recently, and the C5 is about as premium as TVs this size get. It's a perfect option for smaller living rooms or those after OLED on a budget.

We found the TV to be impressively bright and detailed, with the best performance found in Filmmaker Mode.

“Set up accordingly, the desert retains its sparkle, with the brightest part of the sky shining in a way OLEDs this price from even a few years ago can’t, but with significantly more detail,” our LG OLED48C5 review reads.

“Bright shading is strong, too, with a wonderful hue of blue transitioning to orange across the image.”

As we have come to expect from LG TVs, the C5 is packed out feature-wise. Gamers in particular are treated to four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets capable of handling 4K/165Hz signals, as well as VRR and ALLM. There is also support for Dolby Vision gaming and a peerless HGiG setting.

LG’s trusty webOS 25 runs the show here once more, with app support including Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and ITVX. New additions include an Xbox app and the ability to pair a controller over Bluetooth.

Sound is a bit of a disappointment, however, with the C5 rocking the same 2.2-channel 40W speaker system seen on the previous C4. Even when switching to Cinema mode, the audio lacks definition, so serious movie fans will want to invest in a soundbar pretty quickly.

Overall, though this is a solid option, whether this is your first OLED plunge or a secondary bedroom set.

And with 42 per cent off at Peter Tyson, this is a package bursting with features and excellent value.

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Read our full 48-inch LG C5 review

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Wharfedale's Heritage range is – as the name suggests – a celebration of the brand's history. And now there's a centre channel to go with the pairs of stereo speakers.

The Heritage Centre will transform your Linton or Denton speakers from a stereo setup to a 3.1 or 5.1 home cinema system. It's purpose-built to work with the existing Heritage models, and designed to look right at home doing so.

Like the Linton, Super Linton, Super Denton and Dovedale, the Heritage Centre is a three-way design: the midrange driver works alongside twin bass drivers and a treble unit. Its drivers are derived from those inside the Super Denton.

The midrange driver’s 50mm fabric dome claims to enhance vocal projection and dialogue clarity, which is exactly what you want from a centre channel. It also claims wide dispersion, with seamless transitioning across the frequency range.

Inside the treble unit are a ceramic magnet motor system with a 25mm fabric dome of its own, and a damped rear chamber that absorbs output from the diaphragm, reducing the resonant frequency. This should eliminate harshness.

Overall, the Centre promises “the same full-bodied sonic scale, richly expressive midrange and sweetly articulated high frequencies” as the rest of the Heritage Series. These models have reviewed well: the Denton scored four stars from us back in 2012, while the Linton notched up the full five stars.

A lot of thought went into the Centre's design, too. Like every other Heritage model, it was overseen by Peter Comeau, Wharfedale’s Director of Acoustic Design. It's built to contain all four drivers with enough space inside to sonically match the other Heritage speakers for consistency in performance. Its combination of woods was incorporated in order to scatter panel resonances. And the internal bracing – combined with the damping material – keeps cabinet resonances below the level of the audio signal to eliminate interference.

It also has the same walnut, mahogany and black-oak veneers as the Linton and Denton speakers, to look of a piece with them.

The Wharfedale Heritage Centre will be available in late May for £649 (around $880 / AU$1200).

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Looking for a superb 'small' TV for your home? Our guide to the best 42-inch TVs on the market right now will tell you that we're pretty big fans of the LG C5, that proves it's now possible to buy a properly impressive TV in this size bracket.

And here's the really good news. The LG C5 has been enjoying discounts with its successor, the LG C6, due for release soon – and we've just found the best price yet.

For just £699 at Richer Sounds, the 42-inch LG C5 can be yours for its lowest-ever price. All you have to do is enter 'RSTV200' at the checkout. It's really as easy as that!

Right now, the LG C5 is the best 42-inch OLED we've ever tested. Yes, the LG C6 is on the way, but we've only tested the 65-inch model so far (though its preorder price is £1299 at Richer Sounds).

For just under £700 though, you can pick up the LG C5 with all the OLED magic – including truly inky blacks and pixel-level contrast control.

We'd recommend tweaking the image settings, opting for Filmmaker Mode with judder reduction off and tone mapping on to achieve a beautifully balanced picture.

Our expert testers said when running our 4K Blu-ray of Dune: Part 2: "Once done, the picture looks fantastic, with the Fremen and Harkonnen fighters looking wonderfully sharp and three-dimensional. The TV’s slightly warm colours and solid peak brightness levels create a truly immersive experience despite the screen’s small size."

On smart TV features, the C5 achieves close to top marks. The latest webOS offers the full suite of streaming apps, including Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV, and even BBC iPlayer, ITVX and many more.

And if you're thinking about gaming on this TV, well, the offering is abundant. With four HDMI 2.1 ports that support up to 4K/144Hz signals, VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision Game Mode, there's a full suite of gaming features to enjoy.

But, no TV is perfect, and there are some small flaws our expert testers picked up on during their review. Notably, colour volume takes a slight hit in very dark scenes and the built-in speakers aren't the best.

The 2.0-channel, 20W sound system is serviceable for TV and casual viewing, but we'd recommend investing in a soundbar to improve the audio.

These caveats aside, the 42-inch LG C5 is a mighty impressive TV, boasting a compact size while still achieving cinematic results. Hitting just £699 at Richer Sounds is the best saving we've ever seen, and all you have to do is type 'RSTV200' in at the checkout. Simple!

MORE:

Read our full 42-inch LG C5 review

Check out the best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

And the best OLED TV: 5 incredible sets for serious movie fans reviewed by our experts

What Hi-Fi? turns 50 in 2026 and we're looking back on some of the most important hi-fi and home cinema products in our lifetime – and beyond!

We're going back further than 1976 in this article as we look back on a series of debut speakers from hi-fi brands that went on to great things.

Our list details the first-ever models from some of the most renowned loudspeaker brands in history, including Bang & Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins, KEF and Quad, some (but not all) of which started life long before What Hi-Fi?.

Wharfedale Bronze 2 (1932)

Wharfedale’s first speaker was built in the cellar of founder Gilbert Briggs' llkley home in 1932.

The Bronze was purely a drive unit (in those days, radio enthusiasts assembled their own cabinets). A year later, it was housed in a wooden cabinet for those who wanted an ‘extension’ speaker. Shortly after came the ‘Nubian’ cabinet speaker in 1934.

But it was a whole decade before Wharfedale marked the first of many milestones: the invention of the first two-way loudspeaker.

In 1945, the company combined a 30cm bass driver with a 25cm full-range ‘treble’ unit, using a crossover at 1kHz. And in the years after the company’s introduction of ceramic magnets to moving coil drive units led to the company’s much-celebrated Diamond series.

• That Was Then... Wharfedale Diamond review

Bang & Olufsen Hyperbo (1934)

Not uniquely, Bang & Olufsen came to the speaker market through radio manufacturing. In 1925, Peter Bang & Svend Olufsen’s first commercial radio – the modest production of which began in Olufsen’s attic – was the Eliminator, a radio component that allowed the connection of a radio directly to the mains, eliminating the need for batteries.

Having moved to a factory in Struer just two years later (B&O remain at that same site today), the Hyperbo – a radio, gramophone and integrated loudspeaker – arrived in 1934.

Like every B&O product produced since, the Hyperbo was heavily influenced by the emerging Bauhaus style in the early 1900s: a design attitude that has consistently manifested itself in the artistic craft behind the company's many speakers and TVs.

Acoustic Research AR-1 (1954)

Acoustic Research was founded in 1952 by inventor Edgar Villchur and his student Henry Kloss. Based on the acoustic suspension principle patented by Villchur in 1956, its first model, the AR-1, sold for $185 (over £1000 in today’s money).

The AR-1's woofer trapped air in the speaker’s sealed enclosure to provide a spring for the diaphragm, enabling it to move back and forth – doing the same job as the more conventional mechanical spring.

This was followed quickly by the AR-2 but it was the AR-3, released in 1958, that became Acoustic Research's landmark speaker, borrowing the AR-1's acoustic suspension technology but bringing onboard newly designed drivers.

Quad ESL-57 (1957)

Quad founder Peter Walker was the first to implement electrostatic technology in loudspeakers, waving goodbye to traditional driver cones and cumbersome cabinets.

In their place he put a thinly-stretched, electrically-charged diaphragm between two metal grilles, which received the music signal from the amplifier.

The first in what has become a brand-defining range of electrostatic speakers, the ESL-57, was in production for nearly 30 years, while the ESL-63 continued Quad’s electrostatic legacy until 1999. Quad continues to manufacture electrostatic speakers to this day.

KEF K1 Slimline (1961)

KEF’s oldest speaker was born out of founder Raymond Cooke’s desire to achieve outstanding sound quality from a slim, living room-friendly enclosure.

At 12.5cm deep, the K1 Slimline incorporated the same driver innovations as the Monitor versions that arrived in the K1 series: the B1814 woofer with its flat rectangular diaphragm of aluminium skinned polystyrene, the M64 elliptical midrange unit with a similar diaphragm construction, and the T15 tweeter with its hemispherical Melinex diaphragm.

To minimise colouration, the wall panels of the braced cabinet were dampened with bituminous pads. And, lounge-friendly in their aesthetic as well as their size, the K1 Slimlines were finished in walnut with 'coffee' fleck grilles – a far cry from some of the designs it employs today.

• That Was Then… KEF Reference Model 101/3

B&W P1 (1966)

Beginnings don’t get much more humble than B&W’s. The year after founder John Bowers started hand-assembling speaker systems in the electrical store he ran with Roy Wilkins in Worthing, Bowers & Wilkins (then B&W Electronics Ltd) released its first loudspeaker: the P1.

The cabinet and filter were B&W's own, but the drivers came from EMI and Celestion – this was in the decade before the company started using the bright-yellow Kevlar woven composite.

The profits from the P1 allowed Bowers to purchase a Radiometer Oscillator and Pen Recorder, meaning that every speaker the company sold could have calibration certificates.

• That Was Then… B&W 602 S3 review

Spendor BC1 (late ’60s)

Bextrene was the material of choice for the speaker diaphragms in Spendor’s first pair of speakers, the BC1.

A product of BBC engineer Spencer Hughes (co-founder with Dorothy Hughes, hence the Spendor name) and co-designer Dudley Harwood, the BC1 speakers had a three-way design: the only commercial 8in Bextrene mid-bass driver, a Celestion HF 1300 tweeter and a Coles 4001 G supertweeter.

They were fed by a nine-element crossover comprised of film capacitors for frequency and temperature stability, and radio metal cored chokes that allowed for high transients and low resonances.

The BC1s hit the market in the late ‘60s and found their way into broadcast and recording studios before eventually being available to buy for consumers. Some 600 pairs were supposedly in operation at the BBC at one time.

• That Was Then… Spendor SP2/3E review

Harbeth HL Monitor Mk1 (1977)

British speaker brand Harbeth came about due to the discovery, by founder H.D. Harwood, of a potential new film plastic for speaker cones.

Towards the end of his career in the BBC’s Research Department, and during investigation into bextrene plastic as a cone material for BBC monitors in the ‘60s, Harwood proposed that polypropylene would make a good cone material.

And so, upon his formal retirement, he set up Harbeth to make a speaker with his patented polypropylene-coned driver. The HL Monitor was released in 1977, and four versions subsequently followed over the next decade.

Dynaudio P-series (1977/78)

We have to pedal back almost 50 years to find Danish brand's first speakers – the five P-series models in 1977. However, they were short-lived, had limited distribution and, while using the company’s own crossovers, were the only Dynaudio speakers to rely on OEM drivers.

The P series (P for 'passive') comprised the P16 (pictured), P21, P31, P46 and P76. All models used specially coated soft dome tweeter with high power handling – something Dynaudio would later become renowned for.

The first range to use Dynaudio’s in-house MSP (Magnesium Silicate Polymer) woofers and tweeters, and receive international distribution, was the four-strong MSP series in 1984. Dynaudio has used its own drivers ever since.

• That Was Then… Dynaudio Audience 52 review

ATC S50/S85 (1978)

After a few years making drive units, ATC produced its first speaker systems in 1978: the bass-reflex S50 (pictured) and infinite baffle S85, which established a naming tradition based on the internal volume of the speaker.

Inside the plywood-based 50- and 85-litre cabinets were 2.5cm soft dome tweeters, a 7.5cm soft dome midrange driver and a 22.5cm woofer (two in the S85).

Unusually, the crossover arrangement allowed for true active tri-amping, allowing you to choose between either the internal passive crossover or an external electronic crossover via a rotary switch.

ProAc Tablette (1979)

A few years after founding loudspeaker manufacturer Celef Audio Ltd in 1973, Stewart Tyler decided that producing more expensive designs in smaller quantities, rather than increasing production capacity and potentially sacrificing quality, was the way forward.

With that decision came a new company name: ProAc, short for Professional Acoustics.

The first speaker to bear the name was the Tablette; mini monitors – they really are dinky – which have spawned more than ten variations since their original production in 1979.

Wilson Audio WAMM (1982)

Following Wilson Audio’s Smart turntable, which was essentially a re-jigged Acoustic Research deck and became Wilson Audio’s first ever product, founder Dave Wilson introduced the company’s first pair of speakers, the Wilson Audio Modular Monitor (WAMM), in 1982.

Each channel comprised two towers: one sub-bass module, and one with twin mid-bass drivers and an electrostatic supertweeter flanked by twin midrange/tweeter modules. It sold for $28,000 and was the most expensive speaker you could buy at that time.

The WAMM evolved through six versions from 1982 to 1993, and has since been revived, with the Master Chronosonic and Master Subsonic speakers still current in the company's catalogue.

Focal DB13 (1982)

JMlab established Focal for speaker driver production in Saint-Étienne in 1979, and three years later the company's first pair of speakers appeared.

The DB13 bookshelf speakers were equipped with a double voice coil driver plus Polyglass and Polykevlar driver cones, and were capable of volumes more akin to larger speakers.

They propelled the company towards the high-end audio market and to international shores.

Martin Logan Monolith (1983)

Convinced they could make a class-leading electrostatic speaker capable of adequate bass and suitable for rock music, Gayle Martin Sanders and Ron Logan Sutherland (later ‘Martin Logan’) conceived a prototype in 1980. Unfortunately, its flat aluminium panel blew up when they turned up the volume...

Undeterred, their first production-ready speaker arrived three years later: the Monolith. A revised transducer saw a clear Mylar diaphragm sandwiched between two perforated-steel stators.

And to ensure good sound dispersion, a horizontally curved panel was implemented, and this curvilinear transducer has been central to the design of every Martin Logan electrostatic since.

Sonus Faber Parva (1983)

In 1983, three years after Sonus Faber founder Franco Serblin produced his first system (an all-wood, all-in-one model called the "Snail" that really needs to be seen), the brand was established in a small laboratory in Monteviale, northern Italy.

It was in that year Sonus Faber launched its first product: the Parva 2-way speaker, featuring a Kevlar midrange cone and solid walnut wood cabinet.

This paved the way for some legendary models (such as the Extrema and Guarneri ranges), and what is today, 35 years later, one of the world’s most distinguished and design-savvy high-end speaker brands.

Dali 2 (mid '80s)

The Dali 2 was released shortly after the renowned Danish speaker company Dali (Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries) began in 1983.

The debut speaker had a two-way configuration, with a 6.5in laminate pulp/polyvinyl cone woofer, 1in tweeter with a soft polypropylene dome, and walnut veneered wooden cabinets.

The Dali 2 was followed by larger models in the range, the 3, 4, 6 and 8, which Dali explained shared the same design philosophy and signature sound: they don't "'thunder' or 'boom' bass – they just handle more power and provide better bass response".

Acoustic Energy AE1 (1987)

With the introduction of the AE1 Loudspeaker in 1987, Acoustic Energy Ltd was officially born. The concept was to create a compact studio monitor (it measured 30cm tall and 18cm wide) that could handle the high volumes and dynamics of larger speakers.

To achieve this, Acoustic Energy lined its cabinet with a concrete/plaster compound to eliminate as much resonance as possible, and developed a new mid/bass driver. It featured a 10cm cone of spun aluminium, thicker at the centre than the edges and anodised to create a ‘ceramic sandwich’, and used an oversized magnet assembly that allowed the AE1 to accept 200W of power.

The AE1 was refined in several revisions until 2016, when its SEAS tweeter went out of production. The design has since resurfaced in the amplified AE1 Active model.

• That Was Then... Acoustic Energy AE2 Signature review

Neat Petite (1991)

Neat Acoustics began life as a hi-fi shop in Darlington called North Eastern Audio Traders. After identifying a gap in the market for a small musical speaker, its owners developed the Neat Petite.

When we reviewed them in 1993, we heralded these speakers a musical success. We called their sound 'hugely stimulating', mostly due to the way they portrayed timing and dynamics – something that's continued to be a trademark in the brand’s more recent speakers.

• That Was Then... Neat Petite review

PMC BB5-A (1991)

After a stint as the manager of BBC's Maida Vale studios, Peter Thomas and former BBC engineer Adrian Loader designed the first PMC speaker, the BB5-A.

It introduced the company’s hallmark Advanced Transmission Line technology, in which drivers were used to improve bass output.

In an interview with What Hi-Fi?, Thomas said: “The design was certainly not conventional. Whereas the majority of speaker designers used ported or sealed cabinets, we found that a transmission line system for bass loading, if refined, gave a performance that significantly exceeded conventional bass loading principles.”

Wilson Benesch A.C.T. One (1994)

Five years after launching its first product, the Wilson Benesch Turntable, the British company launched a second: the A.C.T. One loudspeaker.

Unveiled at the 1994 Frankfurt High End show, the A.C.T. One used carbon fibre – the world’s first curved carbon fibre composite panel in a speaker design. It sported the sloping top and solid metal baffle that remain part of the company’s distinctive designs today.

While many years before the implementation of crossover-free midrange driver designs, as seen in the company’s Eminence series, the A.C.T. One placed great importance on phase coherence and the reduction of crossover elements.

Eclipse TD 512 (2002) 

Deviating from the traditional two-driver configuration and box design, Eclipse’s speakers are as distinct as they come. The company’s first, the 36cm-tall TD 512 speakers, were a "radical departure from the speaker norm" (as we stated in our 2002 review), with only one drive unit and an egg-shaped enclosure made of marble-loaded resin.

The former’s job to cover the whole frequency resulted in some shortcomings – namely, a rolled-off treble – but ultimately these beautifully imaged and detailed speakers did more than enough to enjoy a five-star debut. As we said at the time: "Little else at their price (£2350) will deliver such unrestricted access to the recording."

Q Acoustics 1000 series (2006)

Q Acoustics may not have the heritage of some other brands, but the British company’s debut, the six-strong 1000 series in 2006, has been one of the most notable of the 21st century.

The 1000 series comprised the 1010 and 1020 bookshelf speakers, 1010C centre channel, 1030 and 1050 floorstanders, and 1000S active subwoofer. Each model featured the same ferro-fluid cooled, micro-polyester weave tweeter and Linkwitz-Riley crossovers, and every drive unit was ‘torque mounted’ into its front baffle.

The 1010s were five-star performers in their own right, and later received another five-star review as part of a complete multi-channel surround package.

MORE:

• The What Hi-Fi? Hall of Fame
• The best stereo speakers of the 21st century
• 10 of the best songs to test your speakers

Amazon's Spring Deal Days sale is in full swing and that means there are plenty of savings to be found. I've dug deep into the deals to find the best ones worth talking about.

And right now, when it comes to a pair of five-star Technics wireless earbuds, there's an excellent saving waiting for you to scoop it up.

For just $245 at Amazon, the Technics EAH-AZ100 can be yours with a lovely $54 saving. And I've checked – you won't find a discount as good as this anywhere else.

This price is just on the Silver model, but you'll only have to part ways with a little more cash if you've got your eye on a different color.

The five-star Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds may sit at a higher price point than a lot of wireless 'buds on the market, but we felt that their sonic talents justified the added expense (and gave them a What Hi-Fi? Award to prove it).

With superb detail, expressive and engaging sound, and excellent noise-cancelling, these earbuds finally broke Technics' previous four-star run in our expert reviews.

Stepping it up in design, the EAH-AZ100 are smaller, lighter and overall more comfortable than any of the Technics buds we've reviewed before. And with five pairs of ear tip sizes in the box, we found it was easy to get the right fit and seal.

Plus, with fully customisable touch controls that let you control audio modes, playback and volume in any way you want, they're pretty handy in terms of features, too.

Packed out with features, we'll start with the noise cancelling, which is excellent, though not quite as good as the class-leading Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen).

They are still plenty powerful enough to damp down noise around you and the Adaptive option automatically adjusts noise-cancelling based on your environment, or you can dial the intensity up or down yourself.

You also get a strong and stable Bluetooth connection with support for SBC, AAC, LDAC and the LC3 codec. And there's a competitive 10 hours of battery life with ANC enabled, boosting to 28 hours with the case.

To top it all off, there's the industry's first three-way Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting to multiple devices at once, and support for Auracast transmission.

But, how do they sound? Well, the audio is aided heavily by a new 10mm Magnetic Fluid Driver that delivers clearer sound and improvements across the frequencies, as exhibited previously in the premium EAH-TZ700 wired earphones.

Our expert testers said: "Altogether, this results in the clearer, more precise and more impactful sound we hear in the AZ100, while still keeping things balanced and even.

"The AZ100 are fairly transparent too; we play Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain in 24-bit/96kHz FLAC quality from the Astell & Kern SR35 using the LDAC codec, and we immediately get an uptick in muscularity, detail, solidity and even more space between instruments."

With Bose-bothering ANC performance and Sony-bothering sound performance, the Technics EAH-AZ100 are a top-tier pair of earbuds.

And right now, you can save over $50, picking them up for just $245 at Amazon. But as a Spring Deal Days offer – this price won't hang around for long.

MORE:

Read our full Technics EAH-AZ100 review

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Technics EAH-AZ100: which flagship wireless earbuds are better?

Technics EAH-AZ100 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: which premium wireless earbuds are better?

After years of waiting, Sony has finally announced a TV with four HDMI 2.1 sockets, rather than the brand’s usual two.

That makes it the first Sony TV that can handle 4K/120Hz signals from consoles and gaming PCs across all of its HDMIs.

Unfortunately, it’s probably not the model you’re hoping for, because it’s not a flagship OLED or Mini LED set – it’s the budget-oriented Bravia 3 II.

Not that we should be sad about cheaper TVs getting improved specs, of course, but it feels as though the people most likely to have enough gaming machines to need more than two top-spec HDMIs are also the sort of people to have a premium TV.

The Bravia 3 II, though (which is, naturally, a successor to the Bravia 3), is a standard LCD set that lacks not only Mini LEDs and Quantum Dots, but also local dimming of any kind.

That isn’t to say it will be a bad TV. Sony has a strong track record of getting excellent performances out of specs that many consider to be basic, and if it pulls off the same trick again, this could be an excellent option for buyers on a budget – particularly those who are also hardcore gamers.

There’s just one further problem, though: the Bravia 3 II is not currently set to come to the UK.

Sony has given a vague explanation that mentions catch-up app certifications and left the door open to it arriving on these shores in the future, but there are no guarantees.

That’s a shame, naturally, but Blighty-based TV buyers still have reason to be pleased by the Bravia 3 II’s existence – because it’s presumably just the first Sony TV to get the four HDMI 2.1 inputs treatment.

Sony has presumably switched to MediaTek's Pentonic 800 chip for the Bravia 3 II, hence the additional HDMI 2.1 sockets, and there’s every reason to expect this chip to now appear in future Sony TVs.

That's the approach that Philips has taken with its 2026 TV range.

But what will those future Sony TVs be and when will they arrive? We honestly don’t know.

Sony has today announced just the Bravia 3 II and entry-level Bravia 2 II (which is coming to the UK), plus a couple of fairly affordable soundbars and some home cinema accessories.

Is there more to come, or is this all of the new kit that we’re getting from Sony this year? Only time will tell.

MORE:

Here are all of the best TVs and best gaming TVs you can buy right now

On the hunt for affordable noise-cancelling headphones? It's a tough job, but it's not impossible. And right now, the best budget Sony ANC over-ears we've ever tested have crashed to an excellent price.

For just $92 at Amazon, you can secure the Sony WH-CH720N headphones in this early spring sale deal.

And while this price is only on the Black model, you can grab Pink or White for just $6 more. But, you'll have to be quick, this discount is only around for a limited time.

The Sony WH-CH720N are What Hi-Fi? Award winners with a five-star review and a spot amongst the best wireless headphones we've ever tested.

Why? Well, because they're not only a great value pair of wireless, over-ear headphones, but they're packing ANC.

And while the ANC performance doesn't quite match up to some of the more expensive headphones, like Sony's more premium WH-1000XM5, they're also a fraction of the price.

Sony's budget-friendly over-ears aren't only competitive on price though – with forceful, robust sound performance and solid build quality to boot, they're easy to recommend.

As already mentioned, the ANC is great considering the price, with two modes – full noise canceling and ambient sound – both controllable via the Sony Headphones mobile app. In testing, our experts said: "We find these affordable Sonys do an effective job of dampening, if not silencing completely, the rumble and swoosh of each passing car as it whizzes its way past on a busy nearby road."

Sure, they're not the most attractive pair of headphones you'll ever see, but if the brief is to deliver a solid, substantially made and reasonably comfortable pair of over-ears, they certainly achieve that goal.

And, for performance-per-pound, they also deliver on sound with punchy, solid, energetic performance and a great sense of drive and rhythmic propulsion.

Ultimately, our expert testers said: "The WH-CH720N have delivered exactly what Sony intended. For a very reasonable price, they're a dependably made, enthusiastic-sounding pair of headphones that, while occasionally straying into the realm of excessive bass, deliver good ANC and a strong feature set to the very affordable end of the wireless headphone market."

A price that's now even more affordable, crashing to just $92 at Amazon, for a limited time.

MORE:

Read our full Sony WH-CH720N review

Check out the best headphones: tested by our in-house experts

And the best over-ear headphones: wired and wireless pairs

Apple has surprised iPhone fans by revealing the iPhone 17e, a more affordable variant of the Product of the Year-winning iPhone 17.

It follows the five-star iPhone 16e, with an upgraded processor, feature set and build.

It's powered by the A19 processor, which also features in the aforementioned iPhone 17. The CPU is paired with the C1X wireless chipset, which reportedly doubles the wireless connectivity speeds of the iPhone 16e.

The new modem will also reportedly allow for better battery life, with Apple claiming 30 per cent less energy drain than the model found in the iPhone 16 Pro, resulting in "exceptional all-day battery life".

Furthermore, it touts a similar 6.1-inch OLED display, which uses Apple's Super Retina XDR technology for rich, vivid colours, as well as the same 1200 nits of claimed peak brightness.

However, this year's model comes with the super scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield 2 coating from the iPhone 17, although the notch remains instead of being replaced by the Dynamic Island, as some rumours predicted.

Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support also carry over from the 16e, as does support for Apple's Spatial Audio format and Dolby Atmos sound.

While we would've liked to see a few more AV-centric upgrades, we're not surprised by the lack of any meaningful changes to the display or speakers, as Apple has made it clear what its priorities are with this budget iPhone.

Instead, it's focusing on packing more day-to-day features into the 17e, including MagSafe. This gives users the option to charge wirelessly with MagSafe attachments, or even attach MagSafe wallets and cases with a simple and satisfying magnetic snap.

Apple has, however, stuck to its guns regarding the cameras, or should we say camera. It's the same 48MP Fusion sensor, which reportedly enables "optical quality 2x Telephoto". Users can pick between snapping full-resolution 48MP snaps for sharper details or 24MP pictures for more efficient file sizes.

The Apple iPhone 17e is available to pre-order now for £599 / $599 / AU$999, and it comes in Black, White and a new Soft Pink finish.

The base storage has also been upgraded to 256GB as standard; however, a higher-capacity 512GB version is also available for £799 / $799 / $1399. It replaces the iPhone 16e entirely, which is no longer available for purchase on the Apple website.

MORE:

Read our full iPhone 17 review

And our iPhone 16 review

And check out our picks for the best smartphones for movies and music

This week, Panasonic announced a new “partnership” with Chinese manufacturing giant Skyworth for its TV business.

The news broke at a launch event in Germany attended by What Hi-Fi?, where we also got our first look at Pansonic’s 2026 range of TVs, which includes just one new affordability-focused OLED.

During the event, the two firms revealed that the Shenzhen-based company will handle all sales, marketing, and logistics for most future TVs with Panasonic branding destined for Europe and the UK. Panasonic, meanwhile, will handle quality control.

In short, it looks as though Skyworth will make, distribute and sell the new TVs, while Panasonic rubber stamps them as “meeting its standards”.

We await full details, but one company paying to use another's brand, or entering a formal partnership to co-develop products, isn't anything new in TV land. Philips has had a deal with TP Vision for many moons, and Sony announced a new partnership with TCL earlier this year.

It’s too early to say how these changes will play out. Despite nearly two decades of reviewing TVs, I have yet to test one from the Skyworth stable. So I don’t have any experience of the company's TV-making abilities.

It has, though, made plenty of OLED sets in the past, which TCL, a famous champion of Mini LED, has not – hence my and some of the team’s concerns about Sony’s future in the space when their partnership was first announced.

At the event, all the representatives from both sides were making the right noises, of course, telling our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, “Panasonic TVs will stay true to what makes them great,” but “with new scale and resources behind them.”

If true, that’s awesome.

Still, I am somewhat nervous. In my experience, these sorts of partnerships haven't always led to “great products” for the end user.

For example, remember when Samsung bought Harman and started plastering AKG branding over a wealth of three-star earbuds, including the original Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds Pro 2?

Or the procession of TVs with “tuned by Onkyo” or “tuned by B&O” branding that ended up with three-star scores for their sound section.

In a past life, when I still reviewed smartphones, I also remember some pretty disastrous “partnerships” with camera makers.

There was one in particular with Motorola and Hasselblad – a premier camera maker that helped develop the technology used to film the moon landing. Let’s just say the results weren’t out of this world…

There are too many examples littered throughout history to list here. But for me, the idea of Panasonic TVs going down the same route is particularly sad.

As a reviewer, I am, of course, unbiased; but I have very fond memories covering the brand, which was one of the most exciting TV makers on the scene in the early days of my career.

Its plasma TVs dominated the market. More importantly, they genuinely had the performance chops to justify their popularity.

Heck, look at our reviews of its TVs at the time. In 2009, the year of my first TV review, the Panasonic TX-P42X10B earned a five-star recommendation. Humble brag: we were also the first brand to get a sample.

The following year, the Panasonic TX-P50V20 took things to the next level, winning our best 50-inch TV trophy during the 2010 What Hi-Fi? Awards.

This hot streak continued all the way to 2013 with the Panasonic TX-P50GT60B plasma set winning best premium 47in-52in TV that year.

Panasonic was, for us and many readers, the top dog of plasma, pure and simple.

And, while many reviewers started favouring rivals’ LCD and OLED offerings, as evidenced by the decline in Panasonic TV sales from that point, I personally continued to love the firm’s premium offerings and overt focus on delivering “as the director intended experiences”.

In fact, it was this DNA that led me to invest in a (heavily discounted) four-star Panasonic TX-55EZ952B for personal use in 2017.

And this focus has carried on over the years, despite diminishing sales, as evidenced by the Award-winning 48-inch Panasonic Z90B from 2025. It was its atypically mature, consistent picture that helped it take the trophy.

With sales dipping and Panasonic no longer being the mass-market darling it once was, I can see that new owners may want to change this. From a business perspective, it certainly makes sense. If profit is your end goal and the current strategy of focusing on cinephiles isn’t working, why not pivot to volume or at least tweak the formula to be more in line with what's doing well for rivals right now?

It’s just a little sad for people with tastes similar to mine, those who value uniformity and consistent picture quality over a blow your socks off nit count and smorgasbord of AI features.

The number of TV makers still focusing on my main priorities seems to be diminishing by the hour.

I can’t help but think that’s a bad thing. After all, authenticity and consistency always win the race longterm right? The tortoise and the hare taught us that. Right?!

Here’s hoping I’m wrong.

MORE:

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We rank the best OLED TVs

Our pick of the best Panasonic TVs

Another Monday, another entry into our weekly Rewind column, where our team of experts once again offer the cliff notes on all the latest hi-fi and home cinema news you need to know about.

And what a week it was with not one, but two big products passing through our listening rooms and a couple of big surprise launches appearing out of the blue.

Here’s what you need to know.

Sony’s earbuds winning streak continues

Sony’s wireless earbuds and headphones have been on a hotstreak in recent years, thanks to their ability to deliver a holistically solid experience, with no serious weaknesses. That’s a key reason you’ll find four sets with Sony’s branding in our current list of What Hi-Fi? Award winners.

And, after fully reviewing the firm’s newly unveiled Sony WF-1000XM6 wireless earbuds, we’re pleased to report that trend is showing no signs of slowing. Despite strong competition, key tweaks to Sony’s Award-winning formula that improve audio, ANC and mic quality make the XM6 an easy five-star recommendation.

As we said in our review: “The premium wireless earbuds market has never been healthier, and your choices have never been wider and more varied. But just when you thought Sony might be pulled back into the chasing pack, the WF-1000XM6 push the brand ahead again with a breathtaking all-round performance.”

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM6 review

Rega’s new amp is pretty awesome

If more serious hi-fi is your game, you’ll be pleased to hear we also finished testing Rega’s spiffy new Mercury/Solis pre/power amplifier last week.

The market has some existing heavy-hitters at the Mercury/Solis’ £13,900 ($20,990 / AU$29,000) price point. A list headlined by the recently reviewed, five-star Yamaha C-5000/M-5000 (£17,198 / $21,998 / AU$25,998).

But, featuring the brand’s long-standing focus on delivering quality engineering and a design built around an analogue circuit that's clearly inspired by the brand’s first Elicit integrated amplifier – which was made all the way back in the 1990s – it’s still an easy recommendation.

During all our checks, the unit delivered a nicely dynamic performance full of rhythmic drive and sonic authority. Hence our verdict: “Rega’s statement pre/power amplifier is a hugely entertaining proposition that puts the music first.”

Read our full Rega Mercury/Solis review

Majority’s uber-cheap soundbar system

Cheap soundbars and soundbar systems carrying Dolby Atmos branding have been around for a while.

But it was only last year, after more searching than we care to remember, that we found one worth recommending, in the shape of the Award-winning Hisense AX5125H – a unit that genuinely surprised our reviewers with its atypically "good" audio and modest price tag.

Which is why we’re keeping an eye on Cambridge-based firm Majority Audio’s answer to it, the newly unveiled flagship Bowfell Halo Atmos soundbar system.

Unveiled last week, the unit is set to cost £170 and is a direct rival to the AX5125H, consisting of a main soundbar, two wireless satellite speakers and a subwoofer.

Read the full story: This brand's ultra-cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar is gunning for our five-star Award-winner

Roksan’s new “transparent design philosophy”

We all love a good chinwag, especially with old friends. Which is why, when Roksan unveiled its new Caspian 4G range of separates, our hi-fi and audio editor, Kashfia Kabir, couldn’t resist the urge to jump on the train to have a chat with the engineers and designers behind it.

During the conversation, she also had a chance to have an opening listen with some of the new hardware and get the inside scoop on how the brand plans to get more people into proper hi-fi separates with its clever “transparent design philosophy”.

Read the full story: Roksan wants to make its hi-fi separates more user-friendly with its "transparent design philosophy" – and I got an early preview

MORE:

These are the best wireless earbuds we’ve tried and tested

Our picks of the best stereo amplifiers

We rank the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Happy Monday, and welcome to a fresh entry into our hi-fi and home cinema news digest.

In it, our team of experts once again detail all the top stories to break over the past seven days, and as always, it was a hectic period.

We saw everything from new Temptation-level amps to affordable portable DACs launch.

Here’s what you need to know.

New Arcam hardware

Kicking us off, last week Arcam chose to unveil a wealth of new hardware, including a new set of speakers and home cinema amplifiers.

The new speakers are part of the firm’s 2024-launched Radia range and come in six varieties. These include two floorstanders (R45, R35), two bookshelf models (R25, R15), a centre speaker (R35C) and a subwoofer (R25B). As you’ve likely guessed, these can be combined to create a home cinema surround sound package.

The firm also unveiled its new home cinema amplifiers. These include the entry-level AVA15, step-up AVA25, and top-end AVA35. The amps’ specifications scale with their place in the range, but given how much we’ve loved Arcam’s older AVRs, which offer a sense of musicality missing on many rivals, we can’t help but get a little excited about the new models.

Read the full story: Arcam's new Radia loudspeaker range could be the perfect match for its Award-winning electronics

Read the full story: Arcam’s Radia AV line of home cinema amps promises serious movie magic

A headphone shootout

The wireless headphones market is a noisy, chaotic mess with every man and his dog offering a pair. Which is why knowing which is best is a tricky task, even if you follow the market.

To help, last week our intrepid senior staff writer, Harry McKerrell, took the time to run all the big sets in our listening rooms head-to-head to help offer the best, most up-to-date advice possible for potential buyers.

These include top pairs from Sony, B&W, Sennheiser, Bose and more. And, while the final winner wasn’t a huge surprise, quite how competitive the battle was between each set definitely was.

Read the full story: I've heard every major pair of premium wireless headphones – and one set reigns sonically supreme

LG Sound Suite pricing

We had an early look at LG’s latest flagship Dolby Atmos system, the Sound Suite, at CES in January.

And during the demo, we found a lot to like about it, including the inclusion of Dolby’s swish new FlexConnect tech, which promises to make it much easier to optimise speakers to the specific space they’re playing in, amongst other things.

But there was one big concern the entire home cinema team shared: their very high price.

With the soundbar alone costing £1000 and its top-of-the-range M7 satellite speakers £700, Sound Suite looked set to be one of the most expensive systems on the market. Thankfully, last week, LG made moves to partially address the problem, announcing price reductions across the entire range.

Read the full story: LG's just fixed a key issue we had with its latest Dolby Atmos soundbar system – and it’s not even out yet

KEF speakers tried and tested

Finishing off this week’s digest is our review of KEF’s new Coda W standmounts. They’re an interesting set of active speakers, in that, unlike their established cousins, the KEF LSX II LT and LS50 Wireless II, they’re distinctly focused on working with vinyl and CD players, over streaming.

That’s why, instead of built-in wi-fi streaming support for Tidal Connect and the ilk, they only have Bluetooth functionality. But, to make up for that, you get a built-in moving magnet phono stage.

Has the change paid off? After thoroughly testing them, we’re happy to report that the answer is, for the most part, yes. Either via Bluetooth or with a price-appropriate turntable or CD player connected (in our case Cyrus CDi and Rega Planar 3 RS Edition) the speakers delivered a clear, detailed presentation and deep, but controlled, low end.

Hence, our verdict:

“While the phono stage could be better, listening via the other inputs is a joy. The sonic performance is a step above its smaller, Award-winning cousins, and costs you less money to enjoy, too. If you’re happy to live without the wi-fi streaming features and are looking for a neat speaker system that doesn’t cost thousands, this should definitely be on your radar.”

Read our in-depth KEF Coda W review

MORE:

These are the best turntable speakers we've tested

We rank the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Our picks of the best AVRs

I have a confession to make: I actually use my phone's speakers to listen to music sometimes. I know, I know. I'm sure there's a spot reserved for me in audiophile hell, but hear me out: I think there's a time and a place.

I'm not completely mad, I don't play music through my phone in public. And nor should anyone (that's why we have a list of the best wireless headphones.) But at home, when the situation arises, I have been known to load Apple Music and blast songs straight from the phone.

And I think that’s okay. Here’s why.

A phoney speaker

Now in case you’re worried that this is the end of What Hi-Fi? as you know it, fear not. We – I included – still passionately believe you should enjoy the best sound quality you possibly can, whatever your budget. That’s why we cover the best cheap headphones and best budget speakers alongside the best audiophile headphones and best speakers for all budgets.

And in my defence, now that phones are much bigger than they were a few years ago, their speakers are becoming more capable. In our Sony Xperia 1 VI review, we comment that the phone’s speakers are “detailed and feature good stereo separation that makes a solid attempt to position sounds in relation to what is happening on screen.”

And in our iPhone 17 review, we say the device’s speakers deliver “a spacious sound, with focused vocals and enough detail given to sound effects (such as a bustling city street) to create a surprisingly immersive experience.”

Now neither of these is going to replace a dedicated speaker (of the iPhone 17's speakers, we even said “we’d refrain from using these to listen to music out loud”). And that's even more true of my ageing iPhone 12 mini. But they’ll do at a pinch. And that's exactly the kind of situation I’m talking about.

Coming clean with a dirty secret

So why, given that I work for the world’s foremost authority on sound quality and everything audiophile, am I advocating a set of speakers that would comfortably fit on your fingertip? One word: convenience.

I don’t often get the urge to clean the house, so when I do I have to act on it. If I wanted to listen to the admittedly much more rewarding sonic performance of my Ultimate Ears Wonderboom (the original model, eights years old and still going strong), I have to dig it out, power it up and pair it with my phone. At this point I usually find the battery has died and have to find the charging cable. In which time my kids have set fire to the curtains, or my desire to clean has evaporated.

But with my phone, there’s none of that. You just press play, and get on with it.

Another benefit: stick your phone in your back pocket and the music follows you wherever you go. There’s no carting the speaker around as you search for the bathroom spray, or move to vacuuming another room. I know, I should invest in one of the best multi-room systems… but cost of living. And I’ll bet even the most ardent of multi-room devotees stops short of the bathroom.

Of course, a pair of wireless headphones would do the job admirably, while also delivering a far superior sonic experience. But I need to be able to hear my kids. If my first inkling that something might be wrong is the smell of burning curtains… well, I might miss out on that dad of the year award for yet another 12 months.

There’s a saying: the best camera is the one you have on you. And sometimes – just sometimes, mind – the same can be said of speakers.

MORE:

Check out the best wireless speakers

The best Bluetooth speakers

What are open earbuds? For greater awareness

We did it. January and its 125 days are finally over, and while the rainy weather here in the UK isn't exactly improving, the days are getting that bit longer as we head into February.

This does mean we're spending more time in our test rooms, which is perfectly fine by us, as we have a bunch of products – spanning a variety of categories – in for testing. On the AV side, we have LG's new Sound Suite home cinema system that uses Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, as well as Xgimi's pricey Titan 4K home projector that boasts impressive specifications.

On the hi-fi side, we have in KEF's new active speakers, a striking, premium Audio-Technica turntable, and WiiM's first stab at the speaker market. Exciting stuff.

As ever, this is just a selection of the products we have in for review, and if you have any questions about them, send us an email at whathifi@futurenet.com or pop a comment below, and we'll endeavour to get back to you during testing.

LG Sound Suite

LG has revealed one of the first home cinema systems to use Dolby Atmos FlexConnect ahead of CES 2026, which aims to offer convincing Dolby Atmos sound from wireless speakers, no matter where they are placed in the room.

The Sound Suite consists of four products – an H7 soundbar, W7 subwoofer, and the M7 and M5 wireless speakers – which can be mixed and matched to suit the requirements of your room and AV needs.

The H7 soundbar is priced £100 less than the five-star Sonos Arc Ultra (which itself can be used with Sonos' subwoofer and Era speakers), and we're looking forward to comparing the two systems side by side in our test rooms, as well as finding out just how well the FlexConnect system works during our full review.

Xgimi Titan

Xgimi has dubbed its Titan 4K projector its "most premium living-room projector" – and it's quite the deviation from the Chinese brand's portfolio of budget, portable projectors we've encountered so far.

The Titan boasts a claimed 5000 ISO lumens of brightness, a mighty 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and it even supports 3D content, which will surely be good news for all the Avatar fans out there.

The Titan also supports IMAX Enhanced, Dolby Atmos, HDR10+ and Filmmaker Mode. When our intrepid staff writer Robyn Quick first saw it at a IFA 2025 demo, a clip from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gave us a taste of what to expect: "The blues of the water are vivid and bright, so even when the doors were opened in the small cinema room, there was still a vibrant overall image on display."

Costing £3499 / $3999, the new Titan rivals the Award-winning Sony VPL-XW5000ES (which now costs £3999), and we can't wait to find out how they square up against each other.

KEF Coda W

KEF's LS range of all-in-one wireless speaker systems have been a roaring, five-star, Award-winning success, but its new active speakers are a little bit different.

The Coda W are fully active speakers, meaning it has built-in amplification – total power of 200W – negating the need for many separate boxes. However, unlike their cousin, the LSX II LT, there's no hi-res streaming or internet capabilities inside. You only get Bluetooth if you want to stream wirelessly from your phone or laptop. On the plus side, it supports the hi-res aptX Lossless codec.

The Coda W speakers have a great set of connections, including a moving magnet phono stage, HDMI ARC and USB-C, so you can connect all kinds of sources for a neat, compact hi-fi system. Costing £799 / $1000 and featuring the 12th generation of its signature UniQ driver, we're excited to hear if the KEF Coda W will live up to expectations.

WiiM Sound

So far, WiiM has focused on compact, affordable electronics, but the WiiM Sound marks the first time the young audio brand has stepped into the speaker market.

The WiiM Sound isn't a traditional speaker of course; it's a smart speaker that is taking direct aim at the Apple HomePod 2. With 100 watts powering dual tweeters and a 4-inch/10cm woofer, the Sound supports 24-bit/192kHz playback from Tidal/Qobuz Connect, Spotify and a host of other streaming services and internet radio.

Along with the colourful, customisable touchscreen display and voice control-enabled remote, the WiiM Sound also features room calibration technology, and plenty of options for multi-room and even home cinema set-ups with other WiiM products. Costing £299 / $299, will it be able to succeed in the most crucial aspect: sound? We'll find out soon.

Audio-Technica AT-LPA2

It's hard not to be wowed by the transparent design of Audio-Technica's new flagship turntable. The AT-LPA2 features an acrylic chassis and acrylic platter, laying bare the belt-drive mechanism and striking a gorgeous figure. It's not just for looks, however; Audio-Technica says the material offers "exceptional" resonance control to keep pesky vibrations away from affecting the vinyl record in play.

The brand's AT-OC9XEN moving coil cartridge is fitted to a newly designed, straight carbon fibre tonearm that can be adjusted to work with a wide variety of cartridges. A separate power supply and control unit comes with the deck, which supports 33 ⅓ and 45 RPM speeds.

At £1699 / €1999, Audio-Technica has Rega's Planar 6/ND7 to compete against, but we are very much looking forward to getting our records spinning on the AT-LPA2.

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Ask the Reader: is bigger always better, or are you more interested in smaller, but still great-sounding, hi-fi?

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I love spatial audio, but there's one feature I can't get my head around

Samsung was somewhat notorious for holding out against OLED technology for quite some time, which meant they had plenty of time to perfect the art of premium LCD TVs.

So it's no surprise that one of their latest Mini LED offerings, the Samsung QN90F, makes for an outstanding living room TV. And now the 65-inch model is at its lowest ever price of £1249 at Richer Sounds.

That's a whopping £640 off our test price of £1899, and even cheaper than Black Friday. Make sure to use the code SAMS10PERCENT to get this discount.

It's safe to say we were impressed by the Samsung QN90F in our test room.

As our Samsung QN90F review reads: "Happily, all of the QN90F’s talk of premium Quantum Dots and extreme AI turns out to be much more than mere PR bluster, helping it produce typically beautiful images capable of adapting to pretty much every possible picture quality need and taste – as well as pretty much any possible room environment."

Light extremes are delivered, "to a degree we’ve simply never seen before on a Samsung LCD TV", with the QN90F's local dimming system removing almost all traces of haloing around bright objects, without dimming the bright objects themselves.

The Standard preset is particularly impressive on this TV with natural-looking sharpness and vibrant colours, though we'd recommend turning off noise reduction and lowering judder and blur reduction.

The QN90F supports Dolby Atmos soundtracks, which really come to life in the Amplify sound mode. Once turned on, sound is projected clearly far from the TV, creating a larger, more expansive soundstage with more low-frequency heft.

Gaming features are solid as well, with all four HDMI ports specified for the full 48Gb HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4K/120Hz signals, as well as VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro), and ALLM switching.

At this price, the Samsung QN90F is cheaper than the 65-inch Sony Bravia 7 and LG C5, which are the two alternatives we'd recommend. This makes the QN90F a very strong option for £1259 at Richer Sounds – just make sure to use the SAMS10PERCENT discount code.

MORE:

Read our review of the LG C5

Also consider the TCL C8K

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget LED sets tried and tested

The Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 are refined, entertaining and well-built, and the recipient of more than one What Hi-Fi? Award.

So imagine our delight when we saw the flooorstanders get a 20 per cent discount on Black Friday. Better yet, the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 has stayed at that price – you can still get them for £399 at Richer Sounds.

That's a solid £100 saving from their £499 testing price!

The Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 come highly recommended for a first hi-fi system, thanks to an excellent combination of performance and affordability.

They're also reasonably sized for floorstanders, with their 98 x 18 x 32cm dimensions not requiring acres of room.

The 2.5-way design employs the upper 13cm driver for everything from midrange downwards, leaving the second one to reinforce the lows. The cone material on both drivers is also made of Klarity, a mix of polypropylene and mica, for a nice balance of lightness, rigidity and damping.

The tweeter is an old favourite: a 25mm coated woven polyester soft dome that has been used throughout the Diamond 12 range and performed admirably.

This includes the Diamond 12.3, which are sensational sonically.

"As we move from Jay Z’s Blueprint 3 to Kate Bush’s Hounds Of Love, we appreciate the 12.3’s articulate and expressive midrange and the seamless integration between the drive units," our Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 review reads.

"We like how Wharfedale has avoided excess; there’s enough bass weight to satisfy but not so much that it spoils the balance of the presentation. The lows are agile, satisfyingly rich and textured with it."

Truly talented affordable floorstanders are a tough nut to crack, but Wharfedale has more than risen to the challenge. If you're after terrific towers on a budget, make this Richer Sounds deal your first port of call.

MORE:

Read our guide to the best floorstanding speakers

Read our Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 review

Read our Fyne F302i review

OLED panel tech has dominated our best TV buying guide and yearly list of What Hi-Fi? Award-winners for close to a decade. The only constant complaint we’ve had is that OLED TVs tend to have high price tags, making them luxury items, even among home cinema fans.

Enter the catchily named Toshiba XF9F, an aggressively priced TV designed to offer movie fans with regular-sized pockets a seat at the OLED table. And, packed with all the key hardware and specifications most fans will want, it’s certainly an enticing proposition.

But is that enough for it to succeed against veteran heavyweights such as LG, Panasonic, Sony and Samsung?

Price

The Toshiba XF9F is available in 55- and 65-inch options in the UK. Sadly, it hasn’t made its way to the US or Australia yet.

The 55-inch model we have in for testing (the 55XF9F53DB, to give its full, super-sexy name) launched with a competitive £999 price tag, while the larger 65-inch model would cost you £1299 at that time.

To put that pricing in context, at launch, the entry-level 55-inch LG B5 would have set you back £1699 and the 65-inch model an even heftier £2499.

Since then, both series have seen hefty discounts, but the Toshiba continues to be the cheapest OLED of its size. At the time of writing, numerous retailers are offering the 55-inch XF9F for £799, and the 65-inch model for £999 – and it was cheaper than that during Black Friday.

This is the first time we’ve seen a new OLED in these sizes so cheap – to the point the price places the XF9F as more of a direct rival to Mini LED sets, such as the Award-winning TCL C7K (£629 and £799 for 55 and 65 inches respectively), than any of the recent OLEDs we’ve reviewed.

Build

The Toshiba has a utilitarian but generally solid build.

The set’s central metal stand is easy to attach using the eight included screws and is suitably sturdy.

The only minor design embellishments are a tiny sensor and power indicator bolted onto the bottom of the TV and an incredibly shiny finish on the back. This shiny finish is an absolute fingerprint magnet, but you shouldn’t be touching the TV much once it’s in place.

The remote is also a basic plastic affair. We would have liked a backlight or USB charging, but it is functional, having intuitive shortcuts for most of the apps you’ll need, and also for the TV's various settings, littered across it.

Features

The Toshiba XF9F is a reasonably well-stacked OLED, considering its price. For starters, it has three HDMI 2.1 inputs. Most of the OLEDs we test, outside of those from LG and Samsung, only have two full-fat HDMI 2.1s, which are required to run current-generation consoles at full speed (4K/120Hz).

And while one of the Toshiba OLED’s three HDMI 2.1 inputs does still double as the eARC connection, so will very possibly be taken up by a soundbar or other audio system, the added connectivity is a welcome inclusion we weren’t expecting.

The HDMI 2.1 inputs will handle 4K/120Hz and VRR, and there’s a dedicated low-latency game mode which ALLM will automatically switch to.

While PC gamers may sniff at the 120Hz refresh rate (144Hz has become common on most step-down OLEDs, including this year’s LG C5, Samsung S90F and Panasonic Z90B), this won’t be an issue for the vast majority of potential buyers, as consoles can only run at up to 120Hz, and only the most powerful of PCs will run top titles at framerates beyond that with acceptable-looking graphics.

The only downside is that it doesn’t have any other HDMI inputs. So, while it’s well-stacked for current-generation console gamers with a Dolby Atmos soundbar, it’s a little limited for people with lots of older boxes, such as old DVD / Blu-ray players, retro consoles or media PCs.

At the XF9F’s heart, a custom TRU Picture Engine CPU runs the show. This handles picture processing elements such as upscaling and motion processing, and we’re pleased that there isn’t lots of ‘AI’ branding to be wary of.

HDR support is also excellent, with the Toshiba promising to understand and play nicely with all four of the current formats used for movies, TV shows and games. So, that’s the dynamic Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats, as well as the more standard HLG and HDR10.

Finally, app support is excellent thanks to the XF9F’s use of Amazon’s Fire OS. Ad-heavy and slightly confusing in terms of what’s actually yours and what’s behind a paywall, sure, but Fire OS also supports pretty much every streaming service you can think of, including Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix, Now, Paramount+ and Prime Video, as well as niche ones, including Shudder, Crunchyroll and the like.

In the UK, Freely and local catch-up services BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, and 5 are all present and working correctly.

So, from a pure specifications perspective, the XF9F is more than competitive, especially compared with similarly priced rivals.

Picture

But how good is its picture? This is where things get a little more complex.

Out of the box, the benefits of OLED compared to LED are immediately apparent as we watch a demanding scene from our Civil War 4K Blu-ray.

The flames in the nighttime forest hold serious intensity and wonderfully bright hues of red and orange, giving them a life missing from many Mini LED TVs. Blacks are also inky deep in a way that only OLED, with its pixel-level light control, can deliver. There’s a nice sense of depth to the picture, which feels immersive and, in most ways, delivers the impact the scene deserves.

By comparison, the similarly priced TCL C7K looks a little soft, and though it has more dark detail, the image isn’t as defined or three-dimensional on account of its good, but not perfect, blacks.

But there are big issues with the Toshiba TV’s picture. Transitioning to a bright daytime scene in a military camp, the XF9F’s motion handling is far too heavy-handed. Helicopters’ movements are too smooth, and the cast look like marionette puppets as they float through the camp.

Colours are oversaturated, with greens and reds feeling artificial, and the set oversharpens to an extreme, making everything look slightly wrong.

Going into the settings, there’s no Filmmaker Mode, and even the Movie and Custom settings are fairly heavy-handed. It is, of course, possible to manually tweak individual settings within these presets, but even the lightest touch adjustments have a big impact on the picture, and not often in a beneficial way.

Even in their lowest settings, the motion handling and sharpness are far too aggressive. We also find it impossible to get the colour balance and contrast right, regardless of how much we tinker with the settings.

Colours feel either too warm or too cool, and while the Dynamic Contrast setting does boost dark detail as Civil War transitions to a night-time battle, allowing us to see details on the soldiers' uniforms and parts of characters' faces that previously were pure black, it comes with a big compromise.

Even in its lowest setting, Dynamic Contrast introduces picture noise, and parts of the picture, particularly faces, become too defined, giving the picture a slightly cel-shaded quality.

Eventually, we settle on the Custom picture setting with all processing features turned off and the sharpness control set to zero. The TV is still far from perfect when set like this, but it is as good as we’re able to make it.

Moving to our Alien Romulus test disc, the menacing space’s blacks are deep, and the ship emerging out of the darkness holds a solid three-dimensionality, with every rivet and detail standing out – at least in the parts we can see.

But entire parts of the picture that we can see on the TCL C7K are missing entirely on the Toshiba, coming up as pitch black. The issue repeats on dark-skinned characters, who at times become entirely faceless, thanks to the loss of dark detail.

The issue also makes bright white peaks over dark elements, such as the stars and even reflections on characters’ skin, appear too defined and a little distracting.

With our Dune: Part 2 disc, things pick up, with the panel dealing with the bright desert battle fairly well, especially compared to other TVs in the same price bracket.

The slightly over-etched characters don’t ruin the experience, and the picture still looks solid and nicely three-dimensional. There’s even a decent amount of detail and life in the characters’ skin tones, which, while slightly too warm, otherwise look fairly realistic and are far from the worst we’ve seen on an OLED.

It’s only when we move to our Brightness stress test, Pan, that the set once again struggles. The picture isn’t anywhere near as bright as any other recent OLED we’ve tested, let alone the C7K. This isn't a great surprise, given the XF9F's claimed peak brightness of just 500 nits, but it combines with some seemingly quite unsophisticated tone mapping to produce highlights that lack impact and bright detail.

It’s just a shame that the flies in the ointment around black crush and motion keep popping up, distracting from the perks of the picture. It’s this inconsistency that is ultimately the Toshiba’s undoing, with the issues appearing often enough to prevent us getting fully lost in what is playing out on the screen.

Running our final, demanding SDR stress test, via our old-faithful Blu-ray of True Grit, history repeats. The set instantly struggles with the incredibly difficult, nighttime opening.

Though the lanterns look great, the entire porch remains pitch black, missing details that are clearly visible on rivals. A fuzziness creeps into the falling snow and continues as the film moves to a daytime town scene, adding noise the director definitely didn’t intend.

This all adds up to make the Toshiba a frustrating set that is capable of doing things that similarly priced rivals can’t, but that lacks the finesse to do them consistently.

Sound

The XF9F features a 2.1, 24W sound system “with sound by Onkyo”. While no upfiring drivers are included, which is to be expected at this price, it also supports virtual Dolby Atmos.

And, as in-built speakers go, it delivers a just about passable performance. During the Civil War nighttime battle, the TV manages to suitably separate dialogue from the background gunfire and explosions. And while they’re a little thin and lack the heft to make it sound truly immersive, there’s a vague sense of directionality from left and right as the tracer rounds fly across the night sky.

But the low end is underpowered and occasionally tries to punch above its weight. During a particularly big explosion, distortion creeps in, and there’s an unpleasant acidic quality to the sound of a helicopter minigun.

The TV's loudness capability isn't great, with our testers being able to easily converse, even with the volume set to 85. Any higher and their composure completely falls apart, with the low end taking on a flabby quality and distortion frequently rearing its ugly head.

Moving to our new test disc of Wicked, the speakers struggle with the admittedly demanding music, lacking the dynamics to do the singers’ vocals justice. It’s still enjoyable, just nowhere near as good as the performance we’ve enjoyed on cheap-ish soundbars, including the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).

Verdict

The Toshiba XF9F is the cheapest large-sized OLED we’ve tested, and one that comes loaded with all the features most gamers and movie fans will need.

That’s undeniably something we want to applaud, but the constant black crush, a lower-than-average peak brightness and aggressive processing rear their heads too many times to make us able to recommend the set.

This is especially true right now when there are a number of stellar, similarly priced Mini LED sets and smaller step-down OLEDs available that offer a holistically better experience.

If Toshiba could combine the XF9F’s raw materials with some more careful and considered processing and settings, it could be on to a winner. Here’s hoping that’s what we get next time.

SCORES

• Picture 3
• Sound 3
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the 65-inch TCL C7K

Also consider the 48-inch LG C5

Read our 48-inch Samsung S90F review

Best OLED TV: the 3 Award-winning sets our experts recommend

Philips’ 2026 OLED TVs will feature Dolby Vision 2. We had heard the news previously from Dolby, but now Philips has confirmed it along with more detail.

That means Philips joins Hisense and TCL as the only TV makers offering Dolby's next-gen HDR tech. LG has proved the surprise holdout, which could give Philips a key advantage, for this year at least.

Philips doesn't usually announce its TV range until a few weeks later into the year, so Dolby's reveal may have forced its hand.

The company says that the DLED 9001 will be its first with Dolby Vision 2, followed by the OLED811 series. It will subsequently come to its “premium Mini LED and DLED [Direct LED] TVs”.

The new models will run MediaTek's Pentonic 800 with MiraVision Pro chip, the first to integrate Dolby Vision 2.

The more premium of these TVs will offer Dolby Vision 2 Max, which is designed for the “highest performing TVs”. As well as elevating picture performance through smarter processing and improved tone-mapping, Vision 2 Max will unlock premium capabilities only possible with the higher-end screen technology that comes with pricier TVs, such as an evolved ambient-aware system, creator-guided motion handling, and new tone-mapping logic that harnesses flagship-class brightness and colour volume.

Dolby Vision 2's key sell is ‘Content Intelligence’. This optimises your TV to produce a “more captivating picture” based on what and where you’re watching. For example, Precision Black improves clarity in dark images without sacrificing black levels, while Light Sense 2 detects the ambient light around the TV and fine tunes the picture based on that information.

It also promises higher brightness, sharper contrast and more saturated colours. And it's not all about HDR – Dolby claims that its Authentic Motion feature will make scenes feel more cinematic by reducing judder on a shot by shot basis.

However, there's a fair amount of suspicion surrounding Dolby Vision 2, with critics wondering whether it's needed yet, given what standard Dolby Vision is capable of. The need to buy a new TV in order to experience it has also proved controversial.

LG has proved the surprise holdout over Dolby Vision 2 (the firm supported the original Dolby Vision from the start). Sony and Panasonic are yet to announce whether their 2026 TVs will support it, while Samsung is launching HDR10+ Advanced as a rival technology this year.

Will the addition of Dolby Vision 2 influence which TV you buy? Let us know in the comments.

MORE:

Three TV brands have confirmed support for Dolby Vision 2 – but there’s a big one missing

Check out our CES Live Hub for all of the news as we get it

Here are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

CES 2026 is upon us. And, as always, it has brought with it the first wave of new TV announcements for the year.

Some may argue that 2026 been a bit of a damp squib compared with last year’s event, where we saw the launch of cutting-edge RGB Mini LED panels, which Samsung, Sony, TCL and Hisense are all betting on being the next big thing in TV tech. One announcement this year, though, set my pulse racing.

I’m talking about the arrival of the LG C6, which might have flown a bit under the radar, when you consider what has appeared at the top end of the TV market at the Las Vegas show this year.

Two highlights are the new, distinctly lifestyle LG W6 OLED (which our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, is already intrigued by) and the Samsung S95H, which has a completely new design more akin to the manufacturer’s The Frame range than last year’s five-star Samsung S95F.

It's the C6, though, that has caught my eye: a key upgrade I had been waiting to trickle down from the flagship models to the step-down C-range has finally made the move.

The brightness and colour volume boosting Primary RGB Tandem OLED tech seen on last year’s flagship LG G5, Philips OLED910 and Panasonic Z95B has found its way into certain sizes of this year’s C6.

From our testing of those 2025 TVs enjoying the tech, we know that it comes with a variety of benefits. It requires a bit of finessing (the LG G5 has a bombastic urge to show how bright it can go all the time, for example, which is a minor annoyance) but there’s no denying the added nit count is a bonus when used correctly.

The major benefit, though, is the improvement it makes to colour volume, especially during low-light scenes. It's an area where LG sets, in particular, have struggled in the past.

Every Primary RGB Tandem OLED set we have tested delivers a far more immersive and holistically better experience than older models. Indeed, every set with the panel tech we had in for review last year earned our top five-star rating.

In contrast to this, we found the C5 series was another in a long line of tepid upgrades to LG’s step-down range, incorporating modest improvements to peak brightness, minor colour temperature tweaks and the like.

Which is why last year, for yet another year, I was put off upgrading my ageing LG C2. While the improvements may be easy to spot in our review environment, where we compare sets side by side, in isolation, many viewers won’t experience a big enough upgrade to justify the investment.

I said as much in a separate op-ed at the end of 2025, my advice at the time being to consider upgrading only to a flagship set if you already own a semi-recent OLED.

Which is why, after seeing the C6 announcement, my heart skipped a beat. And I started constructing a bullet-point list of arguments to make with my partner – who, sadly, doesn’t share my passion for AV hardware – about why we should think about upgrading this year.

Sadly, though, I came to realise there is one big problem that means any surplus income this year will in all likelihood go on a holiday to Verona, rather than an LG C6: only the 77- and 83-inch LG C6H models are benefitting from the new panel tech.

To be clear, I’m not against TVs that size. If my house were big enough and my pockets deep enough, I’d be first in line for one. But they aren’t; and they won't be for many people right now. Any argument I might try to make with my partner for one of the larger models is destined, therefore, for defeat.

As a result, despite my wish finally coming to pass and a step-down OLED being upgraded to a next-generation panel, I can say I’m only partially tempted to upgrade for now.

Here’s hoping the Primary RGB Tandem OLED tech appears on the 55- and 65-inch step-down models as well next year… Then perhaps I might finally win the argument to upgrade.

MORE:

We rank the best OLED TVs we have tried and tested

Our picks of the best TVs

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars money can buy

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of the biggest events of the year for professional shiny-things chasers, and that remains the case for 2026.

Though the year has just started, CES 2026 has already brought with it all manner of audio-visual treats for enthusiasts such as ourselves.

These include everything from new TVs from big names, including Samsung and LG, to new speakers and projectors from upstart companies you may never have heard of before.

In fact, as is always the case, the show has already brought with it so many announcements that you may justifiably be struggling to keep on top of all of them.

Eager to help, we have experts at the show reporting live on all the biggest and most exciting ones they’ve spotted.

So make sure to stay tuned on this page for all our latest first-hand reporting of CES 2026’s latest and greatest AV news.

Also, make sure to get involved with the conversation. Our experts at the show are trying to get hands-on preview sessions with as much of the new hardware as possible.

So, if you have a question about a product at the show, let us know and we’ll endeavour to get you an answer ASAP.

Meet the team

Samsung’s giant new TV

Samsung always uses CES as the launchpad for its next line of OLED TVs, and that remains the case this year.

At CES, the Korean TV giant unveiled several new sets, including its new flagship S95H OLED – which is one of its most interesting to date.

The set features a completely new design that’s more akin to the Samsung Frame range than past OLED sets, including last year’s five-star Samsung S95F.

Despite this, it still has improved specifications, with Samsung reporting its new QD-OLED panel can go brighter and offer improved colour accuracy.

While it’s too early to offer any final judgments, our experts at the show walked away impressed after a hands-on demo session, reporting:

“The S95H wants to be a statement piece, and while we have thoroughly approved of the last two iterations of this TV, in some ways we wish they stood out a bit more. The S95H is here to rectify that, but only time will tell if it will succeed in this mission.”

A load of treats from LG

Never a company to be one-upped by its Samsung arch-rival, LG also used CES 2026 as the springboard for its new OLEDs. The headline entry is its new LG C6 step-down model.

This is the first C-series we’ve seen to feature the firm’s brightness boosting RGB Tandem OLED tech, which made its debut on last year’s flagship, five-star LG G5.

We haven’t had any hands-on time with the set yet, but the tech’s appearance has piqued our interest. We’ll try to get a demo of the LG C6 at the show, so make sure to keep checking this page.

On top of that, LG also unveiled its new lifestyle set, The Gallery TV. Pitched as a direct rival to the Samsung Frame range, the set is designed to look as unassuming as possible and double as a digital art frame when not in use.

On the audio side, the biggest thing that caught our eye is LG’s new wireless Sound Suite system.

The wireless Dolby Atmos system is one of the first we’ve seen to feature Dolby’s FlexConnect technology – a custom tech designed to let you create a fully wireless Atmos set-up that doesn’t require careful placement the way most current systems do.

The tech also lets you pair the wireless LG M7 and M5 satellite speakers with a compatible TV, using the set’s speakers as its central channel rather than a soundbar.

We haven’t heard Sound Suite yet, but the idea is a compelling one, especially for home cinema fans tight on space.

It had some Bluetooth speakers too...

LG’s bright start to 2026 goes beyond the world of home cinema. The Korean brand made a big push in the world of Bluetooth speakers last year with its Xboom Bluetooth speaker range, and now it’s added four new models to the lineup in a bid to keep up with the likes of Bose and JBL.

That expanded roster boasts four new additions – the burly Blast, the compact Mini, the durable Rock and the karaoke-ready Stage 501 – all of which have once again been tuned by Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am.

We reviewed the hefty Xboom Go XG8T last year, and while we weren’t blown away by its bold yet unrefined sound, there were hints that LG could compete in this ultra-competitive market if it continues to refine its portable sonic formula.

Who knows, maybe 2026 will be the year it cracks that particular nut.

New wireless headphones and speakers from a guitar legend

In guitar circles, there are few brands as iconic as Fender. Whether it’s Jimi Hendrix shredding on a strat, The Boss armed with his iconic telecaster or Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain smashing his mustang on Smells Like Teen Spirit, its axes have been an integral part of music for generations.

But, despite dabbling in headphones, it’s never fully conquered the regular consumer audio world. Which is why we were surprised, and cautiously excited, to see it make moves to do just that at CES 2026 where Fender unveiled new consumer-focused wireless headphones and speakers.

The new Bluetooth speakers fall into a new ELIE brand and consist of two options: the E6 and E12. Fender’s making a load of bold claims about both, claiming its "world-first Waves SOC [system-on-a-chip] implementation" will let them offer much better clarity and higher volume than rivals.

With pricing starting at $300 (around £220 / AU$450) for the ELIE 6 and going up to $400 (around £300 / AU$600) for the 12, that’s a bold claim considering the strength of competition at that level.

The Fender MIX over-ear wireless headphones are similarly bold with their aspirations, being set to retail for $300 (around £220 / AU$450).

Eager to separate them from the sea of competition at that level, the headphones come with a clever FWD Tx USB-C transmitter.

This reportedly enables lossless (LHDC-V), low-latency (LC3), and Auracast transmission modes when plugged into source devices. Fender’s quoting higher quality wireless playback up to 24-bit/96kHz lossless when the headphones and transmitter are connected.

The projector market is one that’s in a state of flux right now. While cinephiles will generally insist on getting a full-fat, incredibly expensive, long-throw, many people are starting to invest in the growing “coffee table” category – and for good reasons.

Simple to set up, small in size and, when done well, surprisingly capable, they’re a great option for people looking for a unit to power impromptu, big-screen movie nights. And if that sounds appealing, you’ll be happy to hear Samsung has just unveiled a new dinky, The Freestyle+, projector designed to deliver just that.

A direct rival to the likes of the Xgimi Mogo 4, the unit is a tiny beamer with a fancy new built-in AI powers designed to let it optimise its picture to deliver a decent movie watching experience, even in sub-optimal conditions – like when it's projecting onto a naked, painted wall, not a proper screen.

Considering how much we liked the original Samsung The Freestyle, which earned a four-star rating from our reviewers, we have high hopes for the new unit despite the fact it’s still 1080p and, as requested by our staff writer Robyn Quck, doesn’t have a built-in battery.

We’ll try to get a proper hands-on preview session with the new Freestyle+ at CES, so stay tuned for further details!

The LG Wallpaper TV has finally returned – and now it's wireless

After a five-year hiatus, LG's Wallpaper OLED TV series is back in the form of the new W6, and it's got some lovely new tricks up its sleeve.

The loveliest is the switch to wirelessness. While the original Wallpaper OLEDs were tethered to a very large soundbar, which also handled the picture processing and connections, the new W6 comes with the new version of LG's Zero Connect box, which can wirelessly transmit picture and sound from a position out of sight, up to 10m away.

While the W6 isn't wafer-thin in the way that the old models were, it's still just 9mm thick, yet it boasts the same flagship panel and processor as the new G6.

That means it uses second-gen Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel tech, complete with new anti-reflection tech that apparently delivers deeper blacks and more vibrant colours in bright ambient light, plus the new Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI chip.

And while the W6 will certainly be a very premium TV, rumour has it that the price gap between it and the G6 won't be huge. We're predicting a price of about £4999 for the smallest, 77-inch model.

Expect more on this, including hands-on impressions, in the next day or so.

Read the full LG W6 Wallpaper OLED TV story

We're into day two!

We’re into day two of our CES 2026 live hub. And while we may have gotten more than a few treats yesterday, our AV experts at the show have a choker block full calendar of yet more hardware to get a hands-on look, or listen, to at the show today.

But as ever, we want to hear from you. If you’ve spotted a product launch we missed and are keen to learn more about it, or have a burning question about one we’ve already covered, let us know in the comments section of this page. Our team on the ground will then do their level best to get you an answer ASAP.

Cambridge's first-ever active wireless speaker systems land

Cambridge Audio is striding out into uncharted territory with its new L/R series. Consisting of two active wireless speaker systems, the L/R X and L/R M, alongside the L/R S powered speakers, the new range represents a first for the British brand.

Central to the L/R X and M models is Cambridge's new 'Torus' tweeter which utilises a ring-shaped design with a tapered horn inside the rear chamber. The Torus employs a dual radius configuration, with a flatter top and steeper sides, alongside a large rear chamber for better clarity and direction.

All three models offer RCA line-level inputs, while the X and M models house twin USB-C ports – one for handling audio and the other for the speaker interconnect link – as well as digital optical inputs. You also get an HDMI eARC input and a moving magnet phono stage if you go for the L/R X or L/R M models.

The L/R X and M's streaming powers are driven by the fourth generation of Cambridge’s StreamMagic platform, offering support for the likes of AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer and Qobuz Connect. The smaller, cheaper L/R S, meanwhile, still offers built-in amplification alongside standard Bluetooth streaming.

We’ve already had listening time with the largest member of the family, so check out our L/R X hands on review if you want to hear our early impressions.

Samsung's new wireless speaker range offers hi-res audio, and works with Samsung TVs

Samsung's new wireless speakers are both quite different propositions. The larger Music Studio 7 offers hi-res audio and spatial audio, but no Bluetooth, while the lower-end Music Studio 5 (pictured) does have Bluetooth for local streaming, but no hi-res or spatial audio.

The 7 can also wireless pair with other units to provide stereo sound, or Samsung TVs via the brand's Q-Symphony tech. Handy if you're considering one of Samsung's 2026 TV lineup...

Read our full Samsung wireless speaker story

Xgimi's latest 4K home cinema projector is challenging the likes of Hisense and Epson

Next up, Xgimi has announced the release of its latest 4K home cinema projector – the Titan Noir Max. This follows on from Xgimi’s Titan projector that was announced late last year, but Xgimi says this flagship model boasts, “precision-tuned optics [to] bring out the kind of depth, contrast, and colour nuance once reserved for post-production studios.”

We are still waiting to learn how much this model will cost as well as its connectivity options. But we do know that the 4K model is employing the “most advanced dynamic IRIS system to date” with a native contrast of 10,000:1.

It looks to be in direct competition with the five-star Epson EH-LS9000, as well as Hisense's new XR10 model that was announced late last year. We will have to wait to see how Xgimi's latest entry compares with such stiff competition...

Read our full Xgimi Titan Noir Max story

We've been hands-on with Samsung's new Sonos Arc Ultra rival

It's only just been announced, but we've already had hands-on time with Samsung's new Dolby Atmos soundbar. Twice, in fact!

Samsung is making no secret of the fact that it's gunning for the Sonos Arc with its new HW-QS90H model. As such, unlike the HW-Q990F system-in-a-box, the QS90H is a solo bar with all of the drivers built in.

The focus has been on the bass, and Senior Staff Writer Lewis Empson reports that the QS90H sounds very deep and weighty indeed.

Check out his Samsung HW-QS90H hands-on for his early impressions.

TCL promises to go one better than the latest crop of RGB Mini LED TVs

While most other TV makers are getting into bed with RGB Mini LED, TCL is going its own way, opting for SQD Mini LED as its technology of choice for its flagship TV this year.

SQD stands for Super Quantum Dots, and refines how light is filtered at the colour level, reducing colour crosstalk and maintaining colour accuracy.

It will feature in the X11L, which launched in China late last year and will be TCL's flagship TV in Europe and the US in 2026. Other TCL TVs with the tech will be announced later in the year.

Want to see what else it can do? Read our full story: Forget RGB Mini LED – TCL has just announced SQD Mini LED TVs

Onkyo's Muse series is great news for hi-fi fans

Onkyo is kicking off its 80th anniversary celebrations with a brand-new Muse series of streaming amplifiers, which aims to offer amplification and streaming talents in one sleek box.

All you need to do is add speakers to the Muse Y-50 or Muse Y-40, which boast Class D amplification, Spotify/Qobuz/Tidal Connect hi-res streaming, and ample connectivity including HDMI eARC and moving magnet phono stage.

The new Onkyo streaming amps feature a large display screen for track information and the compulsory VU meter display, and are due out in May 2026. The Y-50 is set to cost $1499, while the Y-40 will cost $999, with UK, AUS and other pricing TBC.

A special edition Muse 80th model with a retro finish is also on the cards, with limited availability of 1000 units worldwide – that's due out in summer.

Read the full story here: Onkyo celebrates its 80th anniversary with all-new Muse streaming amplifiers

Vinyl fans, rejoice! There's a new Audio-Technica turntable in town

Audio-Technica has launched the new AT-LP7X record player at CES 2026, and it's a minimalist deck that hides plenty of versatile features under its matte black finish.

You get a switchable, built-in phono stage that works with both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, and an adjustable tonearm that can be updated to work with a wide variety of cartridges.

The LP7X comes fitted with a J-shaped aluminium tonearm and is pre-mounted with the AT-VM95E cartridge, but can be updated down the line should you wish.

The deck can be plugged straight into active speakers for a compact setup, or be used within a more traditional hi-fi separates system. The LP7X is yours for £679 / $999, sitting just under the £859 / $1299 AT-LP8X turntable we reviewed (and enjoyed!) last year.

Read the full details: Audio-Technica's new AT-LP7X turntable offers ample versatility in a sleek, modern design

Philips 2026 OLED TVs will have one big advantage over LG's...

Dolby Vision 2 is a funny one. Dolby Vision has proved a hit – though not with Samsung – yet the follow-up has gathered its fair amount of suspicion. Do we even need it? Have we reached the limits of what the original Dolby Vision can achieve? Is it all just a cynical ploy to make punters buy a new TV?

Philips would tell you yes, yes and no, respectively. It's just announced it will be the first TV maker to release an OLED with Dolby Vision 2. It joins Hisense and TCL as the only three brands to commit to the tech so far.

We're still awaiting news from Sony and Panasonic, but LG has confirmed it won't support the tech in 2026. That's a big surprise, given its early support for the original Dolby Vision.

So will it leave LG a step behind Philips this year? Or will most people just not care?

Find out more about Philips' decision in our Philips Dolby Vision 2 story

November is a busy time for What Hi-Fi?. For starters, we have to get into our gladrags, ascend from our test rooms and reveal the year’s What Hi-Fi? Award winners at our swanky black-tie ceremony.

Then we have to contend with Black Friday and trawl all the stores, specialist and mainstream, to find you the best hi-fi and home cinema deals to be had on said Award winners and any other five-star product we have reviewed.

*Raises fist at sky and screams “Black fudging Friday” in angry William Shatner voice*

On top of all that, we have to continue our eternal quest, reviewing new products to keep our buying advice up to date and relevant to what’s actually in stores right now.

Which is why, despite all of the above, we continued to publish reviews throughout November (11 to be precise), maintaining business as usual in our viewing and listening rooms.

During that process, however, there was one thing that was a little bit different in November for our reviewers: we found only one product worthy of a five-star rating. Which makes this, the latest edition of our regular Pick of the Month column, our shortest ever.

The Rotel Michi Q5

The vinyl revival has been a joyful thing for quite some time now – which is awesome. But if you prefer your physical media to be a little more compact and shiny – and at the same time have a surplus of serious cash – then you might want to consider the Rotel Michi Q5.

This undeniably premium CD player retails for £5499 ($7499 / AU$9499). That's a clear level above the £2995 ($3995 / AU$4999) Cyrus 40 CD we recommend as the top option in our best CD player guide.

After putting it through its paces, though, we can say that it’s certainly worth it – assuming you have the accompanying amplifier and speakers to back it up. The giant unit is packed with top-end, custom hardware designed to make the absolute most of CDs.

Highlights include a bespoke CNC-machined aluminium CD-transport mechanism and ESS ES9028PRO eight-channel DAC chip. The latter lets you play 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files via its USB input, in addition to its CD-spinning capabilities.

Most importantly, when paired with our price-appropriate reference Burmester 088/911MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, it delivers stellar audio. Whether it’s layered classical arrangements, bopping pop, or booming metal, the unit delivers audio with impressive detail resolution, expressive dynamics and a nicely taut bass.

As you will see from our reviewers' five-star rating and verdict: “Some people will baulk at the Michi Q5’s price, and that’s understandable. Given we are so far into the age of streaming, a high-end CD player certainly isn’t going to make sense for everyone. However, if you are dedicated to the original silver disc and have a collection that justifies this kind of expense, we have no hesitation in recommending the Rotel Michi Q5 highly.”

Five stars

Read our full Rotel Michi Q5 review

MORE:

Our reviewers rate the best stereo amps

Our picks of the best bookshelf speakers

We rank the best floorstanding speakers

Dolby Atmos has been a big buzzword in the home cinema for a few years now, with the audio format designed to give movie-watchers a more immersive experience.

Now, if you don't quite have the space or budget for a full-sized Atmos home cinema system, then a great way to get it in your living room is with one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.

Dolby Atmos soundbars are now as affordable as ever, and we have been delighted to see several generous discounts roll out over the past few weeks.

With the clock counting down to the end of Cyber Monday, there's still time to grab a last-minute deal on some of the most capable Atmos soundbars our review team has tested.

So without further ado, here are your contenders across a range of prices.

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
• 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

Chord Electronics has given its much-lauded Mojo 2 DAC and headphone amplifier an upgrade with regard to its connections. The portable device now features a new 4.4mm headphone output and offers USB-C charging.

Sticking with the Mojo 2 name and its current price point of £395 in the UK, these two updates are a result of customer feedback and the demands of new devices now universally using USB-C. One of the two original 3.5mm headphone outputs will be replaced by the 4.4mm socket, which Chord says allows the Mojo 2 to be used with "a far greater range of high-performance headphones".

The 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs will now have independent volume memory, letting the user set output levels for different headphones.

The USB-C input is now switchable and can be used for both data transfer and device charging. On the updated Mojo 2, there is a small 'flash' symbol above the input to denote its new charging ability.

All other features and functions of the Mojo 2 remain the same, including the eight-hour battery life, the palm-sized casing, and multi-colour, multi-button control. It has coax and optical inputs, and the micro USB port remains so that users can continue to connect it to the Poly 2 streamer module.

Chord Electronics assures us that all the fundamentals of design and the sound quality remain unchanged, too.

The Chord Mojo 2 is a multiple (and current) What Hi-Fi? Award winner, with the portable DAC and headphone amplifier using Chord's proprietary digital audio technology, and being hailed as delivering benchmark transparency and a game-changer for boosting the sound quality of your desktop-based and headphones listening.

The existing Mojo 2 with the original connection (from 2022) will still be on sale for some months until stocks run out – at the moment, you can buy it for just £249 at Peter Tyson (down from £395) in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.

The new Chord Mojo 2 will retain the same name, but the '2' on the unit will be in bold to distinguish it from the outgoing model. The price will remain unchanged at £395 / $650 / AU$799.

MORE:

Read our full Chord Mojo 2 review

Our guide to the best DACs we've tested and rated

Check out the best wired headphones you can buy

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

The period from Black Friday to Cyber Monday can be the best time to invest in some new hi-fi gear, but finding the perfect combination of a great deal and a fantastic product can be difficult.

If you've made it to Cyber Monday and you've still not managed to find the right deal for you, we've put this list together to help you get a great deal on only the best products. This list is compiled solely of cracking Cyber Monday deals on hi-fi products that are currently 2025 What Hi-Fi? Award winners.

From tantalising turntables to fantastic floorstanders and superb streamers, there is a plethora to choose from. All the products highlighted below have been tested by our in-house team of experts, who have confirmed that they are nothing but the best at their respective price points.

1. Marantz CD6007 CD player

2. Cambridge Audio MXN10 music streamer

3. Technics SA-C600 music streamer

4. Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 turntable

5. KEF LSX II LT active bookshelf speakers

6. WiiM Pro Plus music streamer

7. Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 floorstanding speakers

8. KEF LS50 Wireless II active bookshelf speakers

9. Cyrus CDi CD player

10. Triangle AIO Twin wireless speaker system

11. NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) streaming amplifier

Black Friday / Cyber Monday quick links

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

The Sony Bravia 8 was quite the sensation when it launched last year, receiving five stars in our review and the coveted TV Product of the Year at the What Hi-Fi? Awards.

One year on and its successor, the Sony Bravia 8 II, is now out in the wild and receiving similar acclaim, meaning the original Bravia 8 has seen some drastic discounts.

The 55-inch Bravia 8 is currently part of the Black Friday sales, dropping to £1259 at Amazon. That's down from its previous price of £1398, and a good £950 off its £2199 launch price.

However, a new, budget version of this TV, known as the Bravia 8A, was released just days ago – and is cheaper at £1169.

The Bravia 8A is missing two minor features from the original Bravia: the Bravia 8A comes with a non-backlit version of the Bravia 8's remote, and includes 5 credits and 12 months of streaming for Sony Pictures Core, rather than the 12 credits and 24 months offered with the Bravia 8.

If you can live without these features, the Bravia 8A is otherwise identical – and £90 cheaper.

Minus the backlit remote and the longer Sony Pictures Core offer, our review of the Sony Bravia 8 applies to the 8A model as well.

An Award-winning TV, the Sony Bravia 8A offers an incredibly bright and sharp image along with best-in-class motion handling.

Tested with Blade Runner 2049, our review said: "Watching Ryan Gosling’s character fly into a dusty protein farm, motion handling is beautiful and we don’t see any artefacts as his car zooms over the landscape and a recon drone examines the scene. Dark areas retain oodles of detail, with every crinkle in the sofa in Dave Bautista's home being apparent."

The Google TV OS offers a full suite of apps, including international heavy hitters such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video as well as terrestrial favourites BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

As you'd expect from the makers of the PlayStation, gaming support is solid, with two of the four HDMI inputs supporting 4K/120Hz signals as well as VRR and ALLM.

HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG are all supported, as well as an IMAX Enhanced picture mode, though cinephiles will note that HDR10+ is missing.

Both TVs are a great choice – but for the lowest price possible, the Sony Bravia 8A, priced at £1169 at Amazon, is the best choice for the deal-hunters out there.

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

I've written so many Black Friday deals over the past week or so that my fingers have been eroded down to nothing but withered stumps, yet even with my barely intact digits, I'm determined to hop onto my once-pristine keyboard and shout from the metaphorical rooftops whenever a great discount swims into my purview.

Heck, I'd type with my face bashing away against the laptop if I had to – nothing is stopping me from telling you just how great this discount on the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 floorstanding speakers is.

Originally £499 but now just £399 at Richer Sounds, the Award-winning towers are a superb pick for anyone looking to build a decent, affordable hi-fi system in the Black Friday sales. Get them before they go!

Best Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 deal

Like their Diamond 12.1 standmounted counterparts, the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 towers are all about sound-per-pound performance.

They're speakers that squeeze every bit of performance they can from their modest outlay, leading to a set of floorstanders which are, at this reduced price, a great pick for anyone seeking a set of speakers to kickstart their fledgling hi-fi system.

Just as they're not massive units, the Diamond 12.3 don't require acres of room, and at just short of 98cm tall, they're suit reasonably modest listening spaces. That said, if you do have a little bit of room to let them breathe, you'll find that you get the most out of the Wharfedales' balanced, revealing delivery.

The 12.3 employ a 2.5-way design where the upper 13cm driver covers everything from midrange downwards, leaving the second unit to reinforce the lower end. Both drivers use a cone material called Klarity, a mix of polypropylene and mica, for a nice balanced of lightness, rigidity and damping.

The tweeter, meanwhile, is the same one as used throughout the Diamond 12 range; a 25mm coated woven polyester soft dome that has performed admirably across the series. It's a good tweeter, that.

Put it all together and the results are sensational. The 12.3 have the delicacy and flexibility to excel across genres and even at varying volume levels, tackling everything from Kate Bush to Jay-Z. They're articulate, dynamically engaging, expressive and detailed speakers, shining through the midrange while keeping everything together nicely while boasting a taut, composed bass signature.

We really do think the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 are something special. Get over to Richer Sounds when you get the chance.

MORE:

How to avoid bad hi-fi and home cinema deals this Black Friday – top tips and tricks from our review team

Black Friday home cinema deals live: our experts’ picks of the best savings on TVs, Dolby Atmos soundbar, projectors and more

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

Black Friday quick links

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

If, like me, you’re a sucker for building a good-sounding hi-fi system on a budget, you might be looking at older products for a proper bargain. In which case, there's a fair chance you've come across the Wharfedale Diamond 220 speakers.

These standmount speakers have been around for a long while now, getting five stars and taking home the What Hi-Fi? Award for best stereo speaker under £200, way back in 2014.

And I should know – these are the speakers I own.

When I purchased them, I was looking to upgrade from the Wharfedale Diamond 9, so began researching online and eventually came across What Hi-Fi?’s original review of the Diamond 220. The review convinced me to pull the trigger – and they’ve been worth every penny.

Now, thanks to this Black Friday deal, you can pick them up for £30 off their, already low, original RRP. They’re currently down to £169 at Richer Sounds if you sign up to their VIP Club, which is completely free to do and only takes a few seconds, or the same low price at Amazon.

So, if you’re looking for your first set of bookshelf speakers or you’re building a budget hi-fi system, I’d invite you to check out this deal and come and join me in the (un)official Wharfedale Diamond 220 fan club.

Like some other Wharfedale speakers from this period, the Wharfedale Diamond 220 standmount speakers feature a layered cabinet construction. Chipboard is sandwiched between two thin layers of MDF, while vinyl is glued onto the latter for a neat, ripple-free finish.

The chipboard/MDF combination also dampens resonances, so you hear more of the speaker’s drive units and less of the cabinets. In the case of these stereo speakers, they are powered by a 13cm woven Kevlar mid/bass driver working in conjunction with a 25mm soft dome tweeter. They can also be bi-wired, should you want to.

When cranking a CD of High Contrast’s High Society, for instance, there is an initial inclination to want more bass, but I soon realise this is down to the nature of the music rather than a limitation of the speakers. There is ample low-end resolution there already and it sounds controlled and punchy, while adding more would harm one of the Wharfedale’s best sonic qualities: how well balanced they are.

They handle the low, mid and high frequencies with equal gusto, which becomes more evident after swapping out High Contrast for Free’s Fire and Water. Andy Fraser’s bass is deep but not muddy, Simon Kirke’s drums snap and pop as they should do, and Paul Kossoff’s guitar has just the right amount of grit.

In our original 2014 review, we said: “Stereo imaging is good too, nicely projected and layered. The good news continues where integration is concerned, with everything tying together into a seamless whole.”

While there are newer Wharfedale speaker models available at a discount for Black Friday, I couldn’t not highlight this deal for the Diamond 220.

They’ve been very good to me over the past few years, and in my opinion, still deliver a great sound considering their affordability. For the budget price, you can’t go wrong with them.

Check the Wharfedale Diamond 220 out now for £169 at Richer Sounds or on Amazon.

MORE:

I’ve picked my favourite affordable hi-fi components to create a Black Friday hi-fi system for vinyl and CDs

Check out our list of the top Black Friday deals under £100

How to avoid bad hi-fi and home cinema deals this Black Friday – top tips and tricks from our review team

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
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

The stellar Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 standmount speakers have dropped to £179 in Black Friday sales at both Richer Sounds and Peter Tyson – down from their usual £249 asking price.

This represents a solid £70 saving on a pair of speakers that have earned consistent praise and a coveted 2024 What Hi-Fi? Award – so this is a deal you don't want to miss out on if you're looking for highly-recommended budget speakers.

The Diamond 12.1 earned a full five-star rating from our expert testers during a thorough review process, with our testing revealing them to be impressively accomplished for their modest price point.

The Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 speakers deliver a surprisingly bold and full-bodied presentation that sounds confident and composed in ways that evade most budget rivals, while topping that with a degree of refinement that punches well above their price bracket.

The two-way speakers feature a 13cm mid/bass driver made of polypropylene/mica composite cone material designed to offer an optimal balance between rigidity and damping. This is paired with a 25mm textile dome tweeter engineered for wide dispersion, smooth response and strong dynamics.

Supporting this is a carefully constructed cabinet that uses panels of differing MDF thicknesses bonded together to control resonances, combined with strategic internal bracing. The result is a rigid but well-controlled enclosure that allows the drivers to perform at their best without unwanted cabinet colouration.

In our listening tests, the Diamond 12.1s impressed with their ability to dig up substantial detail and organise it in a cohesive, musical manner. Low-level strands remained easy to follow, and the presentation stayed composed even when recordings became demanding. The speakers handled large-scale dynamics with reassuring authority, delivering more weight and scale than their modest dimensions suggest, though naturally they won't produce floor-shaking bass given their compact size.

Tonally, the Diamond 12.1s strike a careful balance – they're smooth and forgiving without losing bite, and while they'll reveal poor source material, they refuse to over-emphasise weaknesses in the way some budget speakers can. The soundstage proved expansive for the price point and remained stable even during complex passages.

The Diamond 12.1s also excel at compatibility, managing to be forgiving enough to work well with micro systems, while retaining sufficient transparency. This flexibility makes them particularly valuable at this price level, where partnering equipment can vary considerably in quality.

We noted in our review that the Elac Debut B5.2s offered slightly more transparency through the midrange and greater rhythmic snap, but the Wharfedales countered with a less analytical, more easy-going nature that will appeal to many listeners. The choice comes down to personal taste and partnering electronics – either way, you end up with a talented pair of speakers.

At their knockdown price of £179 at Richer Sounds and Peter Tyson, the Diamond 12.1s represent strong value for anyone looking to build or upgrade a budget hi-fi system. The £70 saving brings these accomplished standmounters to a very tempting price, making this an ideal opportunity to secure a five-star performer that remains highly competitive.

MORE

Read our Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 review

I’ve picked my favourite affordable hi-fi components to create a Black Friday hi-fi system for vinyl and CDs

Black Friday 2025: our pick of the best deals on headphones, TVs, speakers, soundbars and more

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
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

Amazon's Black Friday sale is going strong, and one discount in particular will appeal to those on the hunt for a new TV – the Hisense U8N 65-inch Mini LED TV has now hit its lowest-ever price on Amazon, where it’s now available for £800. That’s down from £889, and a significant drop from its £1800 launch price.

The U8N earned a solid four-star rating from when we put the 65-inch model through our vigorous testing room gauntlet earlier this year, revealing it to be a substantial step forward for Hisense's Mini LED offering. While it stops short of the five-star excellence demanded of the very best TVs, it proved to be a well-balanced performer that delivers strong results once properly calibrated.

Central to the U8N's appeal is its Mini LED panel equipped with 1600 dimming zones and a claimed 3000 nits of peak brightness – a considerable upgrade over the previous Hisense U8K's 1008 zones and 1500-nit specification. The TV uses Quantum Dot technology and Hisense's custom Hi View Pro image processor, which the manufacturer claims offers significantly more advanced local dimming control than rivals.

Gaming credentials are strong too, with the U8N supporting 4K/144Hz for PC gamers and 4K/120Hz with Dolby Vision gaming for console players. The set supports all current HDR standards, including HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, plus IMAX Enhanced content. Two of its four HDMI ports operate at the full 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 specification, though one doubles as an eARC connection for soundbar users.

Where the U8N particularly impressed our reviewers was in its picture quality once we moved away from the overbaked out-of-box settings. In our recommended Filmmaker mode with adjustments (Local Dimming set to High, Adaptive Contrast in Low, motion processing in Film mode and Colour Profile on Warm 2), the TV delivered a balanced image with solid black levels, accurate colours and excellent detail retention.

Playing demanding 4K content, including Top Gun: Maverick and Blade Runner 2049, the U8N demonstrated strong contrast without the blooming issues that often plague Mini LED sets. Whites remained controlled, and bright scenes retained plenty of detail. Shadow detail proved impressive too, with every wrinkle and texture visible even in darkly-lit sequences.

The U8N also excelled at upscaling, handling our True Grit test disc with wonderfully accurate processing that retained both shadow detail and the film's intentional grain. This talent extended to streaming 1080p content, where shows looked sharper without losing their sense of realism.

The trade-off for these strengths is that the U8N doesn't quite match the perfect blacks, pixel-level contrast control or vibrant colours of step-down OLED rivals, including the LG C4 and Sony A80L, the latter of which is now available for only a few hundred pounds more. Motion handling also showed minor issues during particularly challenging sequences, with the occasional ghost frame visible during quick panning shots.

Build quality proves robust, with the TV feeling well-constructed and durable, though its stand lacks a swivel mechanism – a minor annoyance when accessing rear ports. The UK model runs Hisense's VIDAA U7.6 operating system, which provides apps for all major streaming services including Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video, plus a Freely tuner and catch-up apps for BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and My5.

The in-built 2.1.2 speaker system supporting DTS:X, IMAX DTS and Dolby Atmos delivers acceptable performance at sensible volumes, but quickly becomes strained above 50 per cent, with distortion and rattle creeping in. Most users will want to pair the U8N with one of the best soundbars for a truly immersive experience.

Still, at £800, the U8N represents excellent value for a Mini LED TV with this level of performance, particularly for those who want high peak brightness and strong gaming features.

MORE

Read our Amazon Omni QLED review

Best soundbars 2025: options for every need, recommended by our experts

Black Friday hi-fi and home cinema deals live: our experts’ picks of the best savings

• 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

There are loads of Black Friday OLED TV deals out there, but if you're looking for a screen size under 55 inches, you'll find that pickings become slightly slimmer.

Thankfully, Samsung has stepped up to offer its five-star 48-inch S90F OLED TV at a huge discount, meaning you can find it at Amazon for just £823 right now; a saving of £677 from the price we reviewed it at.

It's an ideal screen for smaller living rooms, or for gamers who may wish to use it as a dual-purpose TV and gaming monitor.

There is, however, an unfortunate catch. Amazon says that there are only three in stock right now, so you'll have to act fast if you want to snap this TV deal up.

The five-star Samsung S90F is a fantastic, but not quite perfect, TV that will delight serious movie fans who are short on space.

And with this deal, it's competitively priced (and usefully cheaper) than the likes of the equivalent LG C5 and Panasonic Z90B, which will currently cost you £1049 and £1099 respectively.

The S90F is the best Samsung has to offer at this size, boasting a warm yet detailed picture, as well as some pretty flawless gaming specs.

But, before we delve deeper into this, it's worth noting that the S90F is also incredibly easy to set up. It comes with a central pedestal stand that quickly connects to the screen, thanks to a handy screw-free design.

And once that's all put together (which will take only a few minutes), you can enjoy the overall image, which our expert testers said: "For your money, you’ll get a bright, punchy, smallish OLED capable of delivering a fun home movie experience full of pop."

When it comes to the aforementioned gaming specs, the S90F comes with an impressive four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets, as well as VRR and ALLM.

What's even more impressive is that it actually goes beyond 4K/120Hz with its support for 4K/144Hz, though, unless you're a hardcore gamer, this may just be novel to have.

Sonically, the S90F falls a little short, although good sound is hard to achieve on a TV this size. With a 60-watt, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos-ready, built-in sound system, our testers found the audio to be a "mixed bag." Adding: "Still, the speakers aren't the worst we have heard on a set this size."

With your £667 savings at Amazon, you could invest in a soundbar if you want to make sure you're getting a truly decent viewing experience. We'd personally recommend the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), which will slot in nicely under the slightly higher screen and sounds great.

If you are considering this TV, then you'll need to act fast, as according to Amazon, there are just three left at this price.

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

The Wharfedale Diamond launched back in 1982 as a single speaker. It enjoyed such success, however, that it was subsequently turned into a whole range. Now, 43 years later, comes the latest version, the Diamond 12i.

It follows the Diamond 12 range, which won a phenomenal 14 What Hi-Fi? Awards since its launch in 2020. The Diamond 12i refines the design and bass-reflex port while remaining at the same high-value price. Inflation? What inflation?

The 12i range comprises five models: three standmount speakers and two floorstanders. There's also a centre speaker and effects speakers for home cinema use (the latter add height channels for more immersive formats such as Dolby Atmos).

The existing Diamond 12 range's four wood-effect finishes are replaced by three new, more contemporary, options: Deep Black, Stone Grey and Classic Walnut.

The low-frequency performance has also been tweaked, with the introduction of a redesigned bass-reflex port and revised internal damping. Wharfedale promises “improved bass clarity and control”, with more articulate low frequencies, enhanced transitions between bass and midrange, and a more consistent spatial performance, regardless of speaker placement.

The drive units are the same as the previous generation, but benefit from tighter production tolerances.

They feature the same Klarity driver diaphragms as on the Diamond 12 Series, which should deliver a sound which is both “accurate and highly engaging”.

If it's anything like the Diamond 12.1, we should be in for a treat – we called them “surprisingly sophisticated standmounters for their size and price.”

Wharfedale says it hasn't cut any corners in the construction, too. The cabinet walls are made from sections of wood fibre board of varying thickness, constructed in a way that is intended to minimise the effect of any sound interference from the cabinet itself for a greater sonic purity.

Intelligent Spot Bracing sees a wooden brace connect opposing walls in such a way that minimises resonance transferring between walls.

The Diamond 12i range goes on sale in December at the prices below. These are the same as the equivalent Diamond 12 models when they launched in 2020, which is quite an achievement.

• Diamond 12.0i (standmounter): £199 / $399 / AU$599 per pair
• Diamond 12.1i (standmounter): £249 / $499 / AU$699 per pair
• Diamond 12.2i (standmounter): £299 / $549 / AU$899 per pair
• Diamond 12.3i (floorstander): £499 / $1199 / AU$1699 per pair
• Diamond 12.4i (floorstander): £699 / $1499 / AU$2199 per pair
• Diamond 12.Ci (home cinema centre speaker): £229 / $399 / AU$699
• Diamond 12 3Di (home cinema effects speaker): £349 / $599 / AU$899 per pair

MORE:

Read our Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 review

Dali Kupid vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1: which five-star speaker is best?

The best budget hi-fi speakers

Without question, some of the best floorstanding speakers to pass through our test rooms in the last couple of years have been the Wharfedale Evo 4.4.

We reviewed the five-star floorstanders back in 2022, and were impressed enough to award them not only five stars at their original £1199 asking price, but also a 2022 What Hi-Fi? Award as one of the class leaders in their given category. I've also personally lived with the Evo 4.4, so I know what a stellar pair of performers they are.

You can now grab a pair of Wharfedale's outstanding speakers for just £799 at Richer Sounds, taking a £400-sized chunk out of their original price and matching their previous lowest price ever. Trust me, that's a very nice deal indeed.

Best Wharfedale Evo 4.4 speaker deal

The new Wharfedale Evo 5 range was announced back in May of this year, which is possibly one reason behind a new price drop for this older pair. Either way, that's great news for anyone wanting awesome speakers that haven't lost a step, all for a lovely knockdown price.

In our Wharfedale Evo 4.4 review, we loved their "large-scale sound", which we described as "impressively articulate". As somebody who has had the Evo 4.4 in his actual home, I can attest to just how entertaining and bold-sounding the Wharfedale towers can be, even if you're using a reasonably affordable accompanying source, such as the aggressively-priced Cambridge MXN10 music streamer.

The Wharfedales are relatively large floorstanders, standing at 106cm tall with twin 15cm bass drivers, so you’ll need a decent amount of space to let them breathe. If and when you do, their exciting-yet-subtle sound will provide hours of entertainment.

Unsurprisingly, the Evo 4.4's delivery is large-scale and authoritative, with the speakers showcasing impressive dynamic clout.

Leading and trailing edges to notes are well-defined, while the Wharfedale towers also uncover an excellent amount of detail. In our review, we highlighted “the combination of the AMT tweeter and dome midrange delivers much in the way of resolution and transparency”.

As you'd expect from Wharfedale speakers at this level, the standard of build and finish is extremely high, whether referring to the speaker cabinets, terminals or drive units.

At this discounted price of £799 at Richer Sounds, we think they could be just the ticket if you have enough space and crave a large-scale sound with plenty of authority.

MORE:

How to avoid bad hi-fi and home cinema deals this Black Friday – top tips and tricks from our review team

Black Friday home cinema deals live: our experts’ picks of the best savings on TVs, Dolby Atmos soundbar, projectors and more

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

Black Friday quick links

• 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

It's Black Friday, and you know what that means? Deals aplenty. And one such price drop we're seriously keen to recommend is a pair of Bose over-ears, which we consider to be some of the best headphones on the market right now.

For just £299 at Amazon, the five-star Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are the complete package, offering exceptional sound quality that matches the noise-cancelling. And at just over £150 off, it's a Black Friday miracle.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are some of the best noise-cancelling cans money can buy.

A step-up in sound and performance, the new-era Ultra not only sport next-level noise-cancelling that rivals the Sony WH-1000XM6's abilities but also deliver highly competitive sound that is as informative as it is entertaining.

The headline feature? Bose's Immersive Audio technology, which is basically the brand's own take on spatial audio (a 3D audio effect Apple debuted in its AirPods Max).

And our expert testers said in their full review: "Whether you take spatial audio or leave it, you’ll be wanting to know how the Bose stack up against the very best sonically, and we have to say, we’re impressed."

Build-wise, with a lightweight, foldable design they're a great set of cans for portable use, taking up less space and easily transported in your bag if you're in a hurry.

And while the battery life is up to 24 hours with Immersive Audio on, or 18 with it off, it is isn't quite as impressive as some rivals, like the Sony XM5's 30 hours. Regardless, it's still a solid offering.

Bose's QuietComfort Ultra headphones certainly make a noise where it counts and that's in sound quality and noise-cancelling capabilities. Until the Ultras, we hadn't heard a pair of Bose over-ears as entertaining and refined for quite some time.

And while they're up against big competition in the premium over-ears category, the price has been a bit of a sticking point for the QC Ultras, with the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e both available for a lower price.

But, this price drop sees Bose's five-star offering become a little more affordable without having to sacrifice on quality. So, for Black Friday, why not treat yourself to these impressive headphones for just £299 at Amazon, before it's too late?

MORE:

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

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM5: which are better?

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

After a big TV on a modest budget this Black Friday?

Then you'll struggle to go wrong with the enormous TCL 85C805K, a rare combination of a giant TV that is both relatively affordable and has decent performance. Performance so good, in fact, that it received a What Hi-Fi? Award last year.

The 85C805K's value has just got even better, however, with early Black Friday sales bringing the price down to £1299 at Hughes. That's a nice £280 off the £1579 launch price.

This isn't quite the lowest price we have seen for the 85C805K – it hit £1049 earlier this year. The current deal is still an excellent price for anyone looking for a large TV – after all, this is the same price as you would pay for some 55-inch TVs!

In our five-star TCL 85C805K review, we described the model as “a dream come true for home cinema fans who aren’t lucky enough to have limitlessly deep pockets”.

It is indeed a dream in many aspects, with good contrast and brightness, support for all HDR formats (including Dolby Vision) and, of course, that 85-inch screen that rivals some projectors.

Screen size aside, our expert reviewers were still seriously impressed, saying: “we can’t stress enough just how all-round watchable and consistent its pictures remain – even with our favourite ‘stress test’ demo scenes.”

There are also two HDMI 2.1 sockets for 4K/120Hz gaming, as well as ALLM and VRR (including in the AMD FreeSync Premium Pro format) to complete the list of gaming support.

The only downside to this incredible value is that the picture can look a bit soft, and a few catch-up apps (such as BBC iPlayer) are missing from the Google TV OS. However, if you have an external streaming device, such as a Google TV Streamer or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, that won't be an issue.

For the latest screen technology, you might want to consider the newer, Award-winning TCL C7K, which also comes in a monstrous 98-inch size that blew us away. However, if you're looking for a giant TV this Black Friday, the TCL 85C805K is one of the best value options around. Get the 85-inch TV with £280 off at Hughes now.

MORE:

Read our TCL 85C805K review

Here are the best TVs you can buy right now

And here are all the best TV 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 have a beloved old turntable and don't want to replace your perfectly functional vinyl hi-fi system, but still want to give it a sonic refresh and some extra features, then an outboard phono stage is an excellent upgrade path.

Alternatively, you might have bought a new budget turntable and have a pair of active desktop speakers, but are missing the crucial phono stage element in the chain.

In either use case, this Cambridge Audio Alva Duo phono preamp is a great, inexpensive and discreet addition that will give your vinyl system a modern refresh and a sonic upgrade in the process. You can snap it up for £249 at Richer Sounds – that's a £50 saving off its full price in this early Black Friday deal.

The five-star outboard phono stage is compatible with both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges. Best of all, it includes a built-in headphone amplifier stage and volume dial, which is highly unusual for most standalone phono stages, no matter the price.

This is ideal if your ageing turntable-based hi-fi system doesn't have a headphone socket, and you want to enjoy listening to your records late into the night and without disturbing anyone else in the house.

The Cambridge Audio Duo's full-size 6.3mm headphone socket means you can easily plug in a pair of great wired headphones – such as the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X, the Grado SR325x, the Austrian Audio Hi-X20 or your trusty old Sennheiser HD 600 – and enjoy your records with their quality largely intact.

For those embarking on their first turntable adventure, the addition of this Duo phono stage to a pair of active speakers (one that already has amplification built in) will ensure your vinyl records will be heard with a smooth, detailed and full-bodied sound.

You do get a punchier and more rhythmically precise sound from our current Award-winning Rega Fono MM Mk5 phono stage for a similar price, but it doesn't have any of the extra features that make the Cambridge Duo so enticing.

Most budget to mid-price turntables that we would recommend using the Duo with will likely be equipped with MM cartridges as standard, but if you were to explore MC options in the future (be warned: they tend to be much, much pricier), the Duo gives you the option to expand your horizons when the time comes.

Whether it's the missing link in your compact desktop vinyl system or a modern refresh to an ageing but much-loved hi-fi system, the stylish little Duo with its dynamic sound and great features is worth considering as an upgrade. Snap it up for its deal price of £249 at Amazon or Richer Sounds before Black Friday is over.

MORE:

Check out all the early Black Friday hi-fi deals currently live

Looking for a great Black Friday Bluetooth turntable deal? This five-star spinner is great for starting your vinyl journey

Calling all desktop fans! The Award-winning KEF LSX II LT speaker system has crashed to its lowest ever price

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

In all my years of testing TVs (18 and counting), the Sony Bravia 8 II is one of my absolute favourites – and undeniably the best flagship OLED you can buy right now.

We tested it against the Samsung S95F (with which it shares its QD-OLED panel), the LG G5 and the Panasonic Z95B, and our reviews team unanimously decided the Bravia 8 II was the best TV overall.

That's why it went on to win the coveted TV Product Of The Year gong at the What Hi-Fi? Awards last November.

And, despite being the best of the best, the Bravia 8 II has been the recipient of lots of lovely discounts, which is what this page is all about.

But first, some more info to help you decide if this is the right TV for you.

What makes the Sony Bravia 8 II so good?

The Bravia 8 II is the (overdue) successor to the awesome A95L.

It features the latest-generation QD-OLED panel, Sony's latest and greatest picture processing, an innovative audio system that involves the whole screen vibrating to make sound, very good gaming specs and a smart design.

Unusually, the TV is available in just two sizes, 55 and 65 inches. We've tested both: our original review was based on the 55-inch version, but we then also sourced the 65-inch model for a flagship OLED shootout

The Bravia 8 II goes slightly less bright than those other next-gen OLED models mentioned above, but it's still a very bright TV, and it combines that punch and dynamism with superb cinematic authenticity and some very subtle sharpening that makes the image look more solid and three-dimensional than its rivals can match.

It's better-sounding than those other sets, too, though we do recommend adding a dedicated sound system if you're able. Picture quality this superb demands equally superb audio.

My only additional note is that the Bravia 8 II has just two HDMI 2.1 sockets that support 4K/120Hz gaming. For most people, that will be of no consequence, but for hardcore gamers with multiple machines, it could be frustrating. Just something to bear in mind.

Got all that? Then simply scroll down for the latest and lowest prices on my favourite TV of 2025.

The best Sony Bravia 8 II deals

Sony Bravia 8 II 55-inch (K55XR8M2)

Launch price: £2499 / $3500 / AU$4195

The 55-inch Bravia 8 II is the first one we tested, and the primary basis of our full Sony Bravia 8 II review.

It is, as should be clear by now, an exemplary TV, and by going for the 55-inch model rather than the 65 incher, you get increased pixel density, which means you get an even sharper picture.

Sony Bravia 8 II 65-inch (K65XR8M2)

Launch price: £2999 / $4000 / AU$5295

What you lose in pixel density by going for the larger Bravia 8 II, you more than gain in cinematic scale.

There really is no accounting for size when it comes to an immersive movie or game experience, so I almost always recommend going big to people who are torn between two sizes.

Do be aware, though, that the feet of the Bravia 8 II can only be placed at the furthest points of the TV's bottom edge, so you will need a piece of furniture at least as wide as the TV (144cm / 57 inches).

This obviously isn't an issue if you're wall-mounting the TV or are willing to buy a third-party universal stand for it.

When it comes to our yearly Awards testing, the best surround sound speaker package category is easily one of our favourites to judge. While it involves a lot of physical labour – constantly swapping subwoofers and floorstanding speakers is a workout for sure – we're often treated to an immersive cinematic sound experience that floors even the very best soundbars.

This year has been no exception, and the good news is that after a fairly stagnant 2024, we have a new entry to our Award-winners list. The list, which features returning champs from Wharfedale, Dali and Bowers & Wilkins, now includes a premium package courtesy of KEF; and it happens to be really quite good.

Each entry is a 5.1 system. However, the beauty of any surround sound speaker package is the flexibility to swap in different elements. Adding a pair of height channel toppers to most of these systems can easily result in a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos system, or you could hypothetically turn any of these into a 7.1 system with an additional pair of surround speakers.

That said, we've judged these systems in their respective 5.1 configurations and found plenty to like about each. We'll start with the newest addition to our list...

KEF delivers a truly stunning speaker system

KEF has made an impressive return to our AV testing room, not long after delivering one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars of the year in the form of the XIO. The Q Concerto Meta 5.1 speaker package takes a pair of five-star standmount speakers, adds a mighty good subwoofer and centre channel, and rounds things out with a very capable pair of bookshelf speakers to create a rich, powerful and superbly cinematic system.

It's a pricier package than the previously Product of the Year-winning Bowers & Wilkins package (more on that in a moment), but we found its dashing good looks, impressive cohesion and, most importantly, its exceptional cinematic sound to easily justify its price tag.

We raved about its "rich, warm and engaging sound" in our full review, noting how capable the Kube 12 MIE subwoofer is in underpinning the overall experience with a controlled-yet-punchy dose of low-end oomph.

That's balanced nicely with how agile and dynamic the other components of the system are. The centre channel does an excellent job of capturing clear and emotive dialogue with plenty of detail, while the Q Concerto Meta speakers (which serve as the namesake and front left and right channels of this system) deliver a rich and punchy sound.

The system as a whole sounds precise and keeps pace without sounding thin or analytical; in fact, we were pleasantly surprised at how rich and dynamic it sounded during our testing.

It's a step up over the B&W system, but we couldn't overlook it during our judging, which is why we've bestowed it with the "Best speaker package over £2500" title.

Wharfedale, Dali and Bowers & Wilkins all defend their titles

The rest of this list is comprised of previous Award winners, as each remains a shining example of what makes a great surround sound speaker package.

The cheapest entry is the Wharfedale DX-3 HCP, a pint-sized system that's designed for those who want top-notch cinematic sound in smaller rooms, yet you shouldn't let its compact footprint deceive you. It has no trouble in firing out a wide, spacious sound that is simultaneously crisp and dynamic. This is a great choice for anyone looking to dip their toes into the world of 5.1 speaker systems for the first time, too, as it comes in one convenient package.

Stepping up to a much larger Wharfedale system, we have the Diamond 12.1 HCP, which has just earned its fifth What Hi-Fi? Award. It's a composed, spacious and insightful system that bears Wharfedale's usual warmth and depth in equal measure. We struggled to find a moment where this system put a foot wrong in our original review, and it remains a seriously compelling option in the £500-£1000 range.

Next up is another firm favourite, the Dali Oberon 5 5.1. It's won countless Awards, and for good reason too. It's a stylish system that delivers a rich, detailed and dynamic sound without breaking a sweat. We especially like how cohesive it sounds, and when we consider the cons of this system, we simply reach this conclusion: there's "nothing at this price".

Rounding out the list is the formidable Bowers & Wilkins 606 & 607 S3 speaker package. This two-time Product of the Year winner comprises two pairs of five-star stereo speakers, while the ASW610 packs a punch in the bass department. This system has it all: clarity, dynamism, warmth and agility, which is why we've featured it on our Awards list for the third year running.

The real question is who will take home the Product of the Year title? Can B&W defend its title and score the hat trick, or will KEF steal its thunder? No spoilers here – but the good news is that you'll only have to wait a few more days to find out the answer.

MORE:

Find all of the What Hi-Fi? 2025 Award winners here

Read our full KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 review

And check out our picks for the best surround sound speaker systems

There’s no point in being coy about it at this point – the Sony Bravia 8 II is my favourite TV of 2025.

Not only that, it’s also been proclaimed the best premium TV of the year in the What Hi-Fi? Awards, having been tested side-by-side with the Samsung S95F, LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B.

• Check out all of the early Black Friday deals on Amazon

You can click here to read more about that epic, flagship OLED group test, but in summary, the Bravia 8 II combines the latest QD-OLED panel with Sony’s legendary processing to produce absolutely stunning picture quality.

The Bravia 8 II doesn’t actually go quite as bright as those rivals I’ve mentioned, but it’s still a very bright TV in its own right, and it combines that brightness with inky blacks and Sony’s subtle image enhancement to recreate movies with unmatched crispness, solidity and three-dimensionality.

Colours are rich but accurate, too, and Sony has done a huge amount of work on dark gradation, ensuring that you don’t miss out on any crucial shadow detail.

And, while I absolutely recommend adding a dedicated audio system if you want the quality of the sound to match that of the picture, the Bravia 8 II sounds a good deal better than its rivals.

One of the big surprises with the Bravia 8 II was how aggressive Sony was with the launch pricing, but that hasn’t stopped the discounts coming thick and fast.

So, while the 55-inch model launched for £2499, it can now be bought for £1799 at Amazon, and the 65-inch version, which launched at £2999, can now be picked up for £2199 at Amazon.

These aren’t outlier deals, either, as other retailers, such as Richer Sounds and Sevenoaks, are offering the two sizes at the same prices.

Will it get cheaper for Black Friday?

The big question, then, is whether prices will drop further for Black Friday at the end of this month.

Now, this one is hard to predict. Unlike LG’s G- and C-series TVs, which have exhibited a clear pattern over the last few years that includes extra-big discounts during Black Friday, the Bravia 8 II is a rather unusual proposition.

While it officially replaces the A95L, that TV was around for two years, so we can’t look at last year’s price history and expect it to repeat. What’s more, the Bravia 8 II launched for less than the A95L did, and was discounted earlier. it's just a different proposition all round, really.

But while we can’t learn much from the A95L’s price history, we can look at what happened to the pricing of another Sony model last year – and doing so presents some encouraging news.

The standard Bravia 8, which launched last and still sits in Sony’s range below the Bravia 8 II, received some tasty, temporary discounts during Black Friday last year. The 55-inch model dropped by £150, while the 65 incher dropped by £200.

I would not be at all surprised if the Bravia 8 II was discounted by similar amounts, so we could see the 55-inch model drop to £1649, and the 65-inch model to £1999.

Of course, there’s no way of knowing for sure that these discounts will materialise, but I do know for sure that I wouldn’t be forking out for a Bravia 8 II right now. I don’t see the current prices rising, so there’s no harm in waiting, just in case.

And when Black Friday does roll around on 28th November, keep an eye on retailers such as Richer Sounds, Sevenoaks and Peter Tyson, as well as Amazon. Those specialists often engage in pricing battles with one another that result in extra deals, often via discount codes.

Or, of course, you can just stay tuned to our Black Friday deals hub, where we will be flagging all of the biggest and best discounts as we find them during the sales event.

MORE:

Here's our full Sony Bravia 8 II review

And here are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

Will the LG C5 be discounted for Black Friday? I believe I have the answer

Halloween is officially over, which means we have changed gears and are firmly in deal hunting season.

But, despite Black Friday now being clear and visible on the horizon, that hasn’t stopped hi-fi and home-cinema brands flooding our team with fresh news to cover and products to review.

Over the past week we’ve checked out everything from a new premium phono stage from an iconic British brand to an awesome Sony projector.

Here’s what you need to know.

Michell’s new two-box phono stage is a winner baby (yes that’s a Ru Paul reference)

Iconic British hi-fi brand Michell Audio had a busy October. Not only did it unveil its new Revolv and the Gyro turntables, it also delivered its fancy Apollo phono stage to our listening rooms for testing.

And once we got the clever two-box unit set up and connected to our reference Technics SL-1000R turntable, Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, boy did it deliver the sonic goods!

Across every track we threw at it, the unit delivered sumptuous, insightful and fluid presentation. Hence our five-star rating and glowing conclusion:

“The competition is tough, but the Apollo’s formidable blend of talents is hard to resist. Its unfussy attitude, seductive sound and excellent build make it one of the standout options in this part of the market.”

Read our full Michell Apollo review

Technics sounded the death knell on a legend

If you’re a fan of Technics’ iconic SL-1200G turntable, we have good and bad news. Last week, the brand confirmed that, after 50 sweet years, its 'G' line is going out of production.

But, as a silver lining, it is sending the deck off with a bang, confirming it will do a limited run of new Grand Class SL-1200G/1210G Master Edition special production turntables.

Featuring a number of design and hardware tweaks, Technics described the new models as the final evolution of the iconic G-series.

Just be warned, Technics is making only a limited number of each, so you’ll have to act fast if you want either when they become available in January 2026.

Read the full story: Technics waves goodbye to the legendary SL-1200 turntable with super-exclusive Master Editions

The Sony Bravia Projector 7 continues the brand’s winning streak

Regular readers know we are big fans of Sony’s latest projectors. So much so that we gave its Sony VPL-XW5000ES and Sony Bravia Projector 8 What Hi-Fi? Awards this year.

And, while its awkward pricing puts it against some very strong competition, after putting it through its paces in our test rooms, we are pleased to report that the middle child, Bravia Projector 7, is an excellent performer.

For your money you’ll be treated to a flexible, “proper” projector capable of delivering a rich, balanced and detailed picture with a sense of three dimensionality missing on many rivals. As we say in our review:

“If you’re looking to step up to a projector that delivers an even more cinematic image with more balanced colours, even better contrast, and extra subtlety, then the Bravia Projector 7 is certainly worth the upgrade – providing your budget allows.”

Read our full Sony Bravia Projector 7 review

We ranked our favourite Bruce Springsteen songs

Last week the Bruce Springsteen bio-pic Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere hit cinemas. To help celebrate, the What Hi-Fi? team has come up with a list of the top Springsteen tracks we love, and occasionally even use for testing, from the Boss’s rich and lengthy catalogue of work.

Read the full story: eight of the best Bruce Springsteen tracks to test your hi-fi system

Triangle upgraded its Capella speakers

Finishing off this week’s Rewind column is some news from Triangle – the launch of its new Capella 2 wireless active speakers. The units are a direct follow up to the firm’s previous-generation Triangle Capella standmounts, which we awarded four stars last year.

Key upgrades include the addition of Spotify Connect Lossless and Tidal Connect support, improved wi-fi connectivity, a more modern chipset and new subwoofer output. Will they help the new units nab that oh so elusive fifth star? We’re hoping to get them into our listening rooms to find out!

Read the full story: Triangle’s upgraded Capella 2 speakers land with Spotify and Tidal support

MORE:

We rank the best bookshelf speakers money can buy

Our picks of the best projectors

Check out our picks of the best phono preamps

As Black Friday approaches, there's one question on the minds of savvy TV buyers: will there be any great deals on the LG C5?

It's little wonder there's so much interest in the C5.

• Check out all of the early Black Friday deals on Amazon

LG's C-series OLED TVs have long been the benchmark when it comes to the combination of performance, features and price, and this year's C5 is a real upgrade on last year's C4 – at least in the larger sizes.

All sizes of the C5 have already seen significant discounting and can be bought for a lot less than they launched for. But will they drop even lower for Black Friday at the end of the month?

I track the prices of the best TVs right through the year, and a look at the price history of last year's C4 suggests that yes, the C5 should get even cheaper for Black Friday.

But how low might it go? Let's break it down, size by size.

LG C5 42-inch (OLED42C5)

• Launch price: £1400
• Current price: £949
• Predicted Black Friday price: £899

The 42-inch version of the C5 isn't much of an improvement on the 42-inch C4, and that means it isn't quite as accomplished as the versions that are 55 inches or larger.

That doesn't mean the 42-inch C5 is a bad TV, though. On the contrary, it's the best TV of its size that we've tested all year, delivering balanced, consistent picture quality right out of the box, plus an unbeatable suite of gaming features.

It's a great option for smaller rooms, and is even just about compact enough to work as a desktop gaming monitor.

The 42-inch C4 dropped to £888 during Black Friday last year, so I think it's fair to expect a drop to £899 for the C5. Seeing as it's already available for £949, it could go even cheaper.

Read our full LG OLED42C5 review

LG C5 48-inch (OLED48C5)

• Launch price: £1500
• Current price: £1049
• Predicted Black Friday price: £999

Like the 42-inch model, the 48-inch version of the C5 is very similar to its predecessor. In this case, that actually means you can buy an even better TV – namely, the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B.

But the 48-inch C5 is still an excellent, five-star TV in its own right, offering the same enjoyable picture quality as the 42-inch model, but at a more engaging size.

The 48-inch C4 hit £999 during Black Friday last year, and the C5 isn't much more expensive even now. I wouldn't be surprised if this one hit £949, but £999 is still a great price.

Read the full LG OLED48C5 review

LG C5 55-inch (OLED55C5)

• Launch price: £1900
• Current price: £1199
• Predicted Black Friday price: £1099

This is where the C5 series gets really good. Despite the on-paper specs being largely unchanged, the 55-inch C5 is a solid step forward from its predecessor in terms of picture quality.

There's increased brightness, dynamism and solidity to the image, and more accurate, more consistent colours. Best of all, you get this exemplary picture without the need to dig deeply into the settings.

As with every other C5, the 55-inch model has four HDMI 2.1 sockets that all support 4K/120Hz gaming (and 4K/144Hz, for that matter), as well as VRR and ALLM. This is a gloriously good gaming TV.

The sound is a bit of a letdown, but that's par for the course with OLED TVs. Budget for a soundbar and you'll be set.

The 55-inch C5 dropped to £1099 during Black Friday last year, and I expect the C5 to go at least that low.

Read the full LG OLED55C5 review

LG C5 65-inch (OLED65C5)

• Launch price: £2700
• Current price: £1699
• Predicted Black Friday price: £1499

While we haven't published a dedicated review of the 65-inch version of the LG C5, we did look at it as part of our Awards comparisons, and can confirm that it performs just as expected.

By going for 65 inches rather than 55, you sacrifice a small amount of sharpness on account of the decreased pixel density, but gain much more in cinematic scale. Otherwise, the TVs perform the same.

If you have the room and budget for the larger set and you're serious about home cinema, I recommend going for it.

Last year's 65-inch C4 hit £1495 during Black Friday, and I think the 65-inch C5 will drop to around the same price this year.

LG C5 77-inch (LG OLED77C5)

• Launch price: £3800
• Current price: £2799
• Predicted Black Friday price: £2399

Again, we haven't run a dedicated review of the 77-inch version of the LG C5, but we have seen it in action at various events over the course of the year, often alongside its smaller siblings, and the performance looks perfectly consistent.

Again, you will lose a little pixel density and therefore sharpness by going up to this size, but the increase in cinematic scale is pretty massive at this level.

The 77-inch C4 dropped to £2399 during Black Friday last year, and while the 77-inch C5 has a little way to go to hit that level, I think it will get there this year.

LG C5 83-inch (LG OLED83C5)

• Launch price: £5999
• Current price: £3999
• Predicted Black Friday price: £3549

Honestly, going up to 83 inches with an OLED TV is not a great move from a value point of view. The additional six inches of screen real estate adds absolutely loads to the price – £1200 at the time of writing.

Why is that? It's all to do with the added complexity of manufacturing OLED panels this large, and the apparently high failure rate at the factory.

But while the 83-inch C5 isn't the most sensible option, it sure is the most exciting. This is the absolute largest size you can buy, and while the additional six inches doesn't sound like a lot, it makes a big difference to the cinematic spectacle of a movie night.

Prices of the 83-inch C5 are currently tracking a bit higher than they were for the C4 this time last year, but I still expect it to hit a similar level – around £3549 – for Black Friday.

FAQ

MORE:

Check out all of the best Black Friday deals we've found

Here are the best TVs you can buy, and here are the best soundbars

We've been begging for cheaper OLED TVs for years now, and a new development could finally (eventually) make them a reality.

TCL CSOT (the display development and manufacturing arm of TCL) has just broken ground on a facility in Guangzhou, China, that could give LG Display and Samsung Display something to worry about.

The $4.15 billion factory, which began construction just yesterday, will be the world's first to manufacture OLED panels using inkjet printing technology – a process that reportedly cuts production costs by around 20 per cent.

For two companies that have long dominated the OLED panel market, a well-funded Chinese competitor promising cheaper panels could represent a significant new challenge.

By printing OLED materials rather than using conventional evaporation techniques, TCL CSOT believes it can slash production expenses, while still delivering RGB OLED panels with strong performance credentials in terms of resolution and power efficiency.

If successful, this approach could pressure established manufacturers to reconsider their own pricing strategies.

Until now, the OLED panel market has been largely controlled by two South Korean giants – LG Display and Samsung Display. TCL CSOT's entry into this arena introduces a new competitor with deep pockets and ambitions to disrupt the status quo, particularly as the broader OLED market continues its upward trajectory.

Industry projections suggest global OLED panel shipments will climb from just over one billion units in 2024 to approximately 1.33 billion by the end of the decade.

The Guangzhou facility will be capable of processing 22,500 large-format substrates each month. In display manufacturing, substrates are essentially the foundation sheets – typically glass – onto which all the OLED layers are built up.

These 8.6-generation substrates measure just over two metres in both dimensions, and once the OLED materials have been applied, they can be cut down into multiple smaller panels depending on the target application.

TCL CSOT has been explicit about its near-term manufacturing priorities – premium screens destined for notebook computers, tablets and desktop monitors will be the primary focus when production ramps up in 2027.

What the company hasn't done, is make any definitive statements about television panels. Equally, it hasn't dismissed the possibility.

Given that TCL itself is a prominent TV brand, the potential for this facility to eventually contribute to more competitively priced OLED televisions is far from unlikely. But time will tell.

Jun Zhao, who serves as both SVP of TCL Technology and CEO of TCL CSOT, positioned the initiative as a significant milestone: "Our T8 production line marks a breakthrough for the global display industry, showcasing technological capabilities and market potential in the high-generation AMOLED sector. By bringing together the entire value chain, from foundational materials to final product assembly, we are building a fully integrated, end-to-end industrial cluster designed to compete on a global scale."

The inkjet printing methodology has its roots in academic research, specifically work on solution-processed OLEDs.

Professor Sir Richard Henry Friend, whose research at the University of Cambridge helped pioneer this approach, offered his endorsement of the technology's commercial evolution: "It is wonderful to see the baton of printed OLED handed over to TCL. This has been the very best possible journey for the technology, and I'm so excited to see it move forward into its next very successful phase."

Mass production remains pencilled in for 2027, at which point we'll get a clearer picture of whether inkjet-printed OLED panels can deliver on their promise of reduced costs without compromising visual performance.

Even if TCL CSOT ultimately decides against producing panels specifically for televisions, the mere existence of a more cost-effective manufacturing process could have potential knock-on effects across the industry.

Established players may find themselves under pressure to improve their own efficiency, potentially benefiting anyone shopping for OLED technology – regardless of which company's logo appears on the front.

As for how this might translate to future TV technology and pricing? We’ll have to wait and see.

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If you thought hi-fi speakers were big, old fashioned and expensive, then you clearly haven't seen the Dali Kupid. These chirpy little boxes come in a range of cheerful colours, are compact enough to sit on a bookshelf and are very reasonably priced, too.

They also earned five stars in our review.

So you should just buy them, right? Not so fast. Because the Kupid is up against some stiff competition in the form of the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1. These speakers actually started life more than 40 years ago with the introduction of the original Diamond model. They have come a long way since then, of course, and offer a similarly compelling package.

Wondering which is more deserving of your hard-earned? Let's help you decide.

Price

Dali Kupid vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1: price

These two are very evenly matched in terms of price. The Dali Kupid is the newer of the two models, having launched in the summer of 2025 for £299 / $600 / AU$599. That's similar to the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1's price of £249 / $399 / AU$699.

But it really depends on which country you're in. The Wharfedales are cheaper in the UK and US, but more expensive in Australia. As the older of the two pairs (having launched in 2020), they are also more likely to be given a discount during a big sales event.

**Winner: Wharfedale Diamond 12.1**

Build & design

Dali Kupid vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1: build & design

The Kupid is the smaller of the two designs, being shorter, narrower and less deep than the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1. This makes them more versatile in terms of placement, by simple dint of the fact that more surfaces will be able to accommodate a smaller speaker footprint.

They come ready for wall-mounting too, with wall brackets and fixing screws included in the box.

But of course it's the colours that are the most noteworthy aspect of the Kupid design. The two standout finishes are the “chilly blue” of our review unit and “golden yellow” which will bring a welcome pop of colour to even the drabbest of interiors.

But not all Kupids come in bold colours – the speaker also comes in more subtle shades of black, white or walnut. Whichever finish you choose, they each have the same starburst lines radiating from the tweeter (though these stand out more on some colourways than others).

Build quality is good, but the speaker is a bit lightweight and feels a little cheap compared with the Diamond 12.1, whose wood finish is sturdier and more refined. But then the Wharfedales are larger and look more traditional, which may not appeal to everyone.

Despite their many similarities, these speakers are pitched quite differently – the Dalis as younger and more accessible, the Wharfedales as the more traditional offering.

The Dalis use a 26mm “ultra-light” soft dome tweeter and an 11.4cm mid/bass driver made from a paper and wood fibre material that has long been used in Dali’s speakers. A “dual flare” reflex port at the back optimises airflow to maximise bass, while magnetic grilles protect the drivers.

The Diamond 12.1s are by no means massive, though, and they have been engineered to sound equally good whether placed into a room or up against a wall. So there's still plenty of versatility to their positioning.

The cabinet is reassuringly solid, and is made from differing thicknesses of MDF bonded together to control resonances, with strategic bracing added for good measure.

The 12.1s have a 13cm mid/bass driver with a polypropylene/mica composite cone material called Klarity, along with a rear-firing reflex port. There's also a 25mm textile-dome tweeter which aims for wide dispersion.

In terms of design, these speakers are apples and oranges, and which you prefer will depend very much on your needs and preferences.

**Winner: Draw*

Compatibility

Dali Kupid vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1: compatibility

The Diamond 12.1s have the higher sensitivity of the two: 88dB to the Kupids’ 83dB. But it’s a tricky tightrope to walk – speakers at this level need to play nice with both micro systems and more demanding separate components. Both models fare well.

The Kupids are easy to drive with most amplifiers we partnered them with during testing, producing ample levels of volume. They do start to sound less convincing when pushed harder, but that's to be expected given their diminutive size and the fact that they are better suited to smaller rooms.

The Diamond 12.1s are similarly adept, whether we partner them with high- or mid-level equipment. They sound more confident and composed than most similarly priced rivals, with a presentation that is simultaneously bold yet refined. Very impressive.

**Winner: Wharfedale Diamond 12.1**

Sound quality

Dali Kupid vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1: sound

We'll start with the Kupids. They sound lively and full of get-up-and-go, which is appropriate given their bright and colourful design (we imagine they have a very sunny demeanour).

They don’t provide the deepest bass, nor the widest soundstage, but that’s to be expected given their small stature.

But what there is is very good indeed – well balanced, with a solid, expressive midrange and enough kick in the lower frequencies to keep your head nodding.

Basslines are tuneful and punchy, and dynamically, the Kupids deliver the ebbs and flow of tracks with conviction and deliver an exciting, involving presentation. Voices are delivered with delicacy and depth, and they sound clean and clear, too.

These speakers are also very agile, with a snappy sense of timing. “From Kendrick Lamar’s King Kunta to Tunng’s Didn’t Know Why to the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, the Kupid have a fleet-footed quality that zips along with all kinds of tracks in an engaging manner,” we say in our review.

The soundstage might not be as wide as some rivals’, but it does give instruments enough room to breathe, while also revealing subtler details that some speakers might miss. For example, you can hear the differences in pressure on the piano keys in Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No.1, which is deeply impressive for speakers at this price.

We never find ourselves getting bored listening to the Kupids, and they are adept at conveying the personality and tone of different recordings, too, which is lovely to hear.

The Diamond 12.1s are previous What Hi-Fi? Award winners, so you know they're going to put in a great performance.

And they do. “They dig up a pleasing amount of detail and manage to organise it in a cohesive and musical way, with easy to follow low-level musical strands and a presentation that doesn’t start to get confused when things get busy,” we say in our review.

They are tonally smooth, and never sound anything but balanced. They will expose sub-par recordings, but at the same time they don't over-egg proceedings – a vital quality at this price.

Again, the bass isn't as deep as with bigger speakers, but that's to be expected. However, they do deliver a larger, more spacious sense of scale and authority compared with the smaller Kupids.

The Diamond 12.1s also remain composed even when the music becomes more demanding, with a surefooted sense of rhythm.

So which sound better? Again, they're really different beasts. The Kupids have more pep in their step, and are the clearer and more enjoyable listen, while the Diamond 12.1s have the more spacious and refined presentation.

For us, the Kupid's sense of liveliness and greater dynamic ability gives them the edge.

**Winner: Dali Kupid**

Verdict

Dali Kupid vs Wharfedale Diamond 12.1: verdict

What a battle. With a heritage spanning back 43 years, the Diamond 12.1 standmounts remain highly recommended, while the bright and peppy Kupids are the new upstarts and have just won the 2025 What Hi-Fi? Award for best standmount speaker under £500.

Each is a fantastic budget option; it just comes down to what you want from a speaker.

If space is limited, and you want a bright and colourful design that is matched by its lively sonic character, go for the Dali Kupid. If you have a touch more room to play with, and you prefer a more mature and refined design, the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 are for you.

Whichever you choose, we're sure you'll have many hours of happy listening.

**Overall winner: Dali Kupid**

MORE:

Read our Dali Kupid review

And our Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 review

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