The respective worlds of hi-fi and home cinema never stop turning. Last week saw big hi-fi releases from major brands such as Pro-Ject, Sony kept our interest piqued with its new retro-reviving headphones, and some big news came out for anyone who regularly uses Bluetooth headphones.
Away from the news desk, we've been busy in our test rooms, evidenced by our recent review of an enviably stylish pair of Sonus Faber floorstanders and LG's entry-level OLED TV.
As we warned you during last week's Rewind, the clock is ticking until we announce our Product Of The Year winners from the What Hi-Fi? Awards, so if you haven't already, keep November 12th in your diaries to see all the results go live on our website.
Pro-Ject celebrates its Debut legacy with an affordable new turntable
Pro-Ject announced its latest addition to the brand's 'Debut' family of turntables, the Debut Carbon The Original.
The new model is fitted with a Pick it S2 Moving Magnet cartridge attached to an 8.6-inch carbon tonearm, as well as a TPE-damped counterweight and an adaptive anti-skating mechanism for more accurate vinyl playback.
Capable of playing at 33 1/3 and 45 RPM speeds, Pro-Ject's latest is powered by an AC synchronous motor for "a clean, controlled signal" and stable, quiet operation.
Pro-Ject's Debut line of turntables has often drawn acclaim from our testers, with the recent Debut Reference 10 gaining a five-star review at its £999 / $1499 / AU$2349 asking price. Unquestionably, Pro-Ject will hope for further success as it returns to a more accessible price tranche with The Original.
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Pro-Ject honours its Debut legacy with an affordable addition to the iconic turntable range
Sony revives its classic 1979 Walkman headphones
If you owned a Sony Walkman (TPS-L2) in 1979, you'll remember that it came with a set of colourful MDR-3 wired headphones.
Nearly five decades later, Sony is bringing the MDR-3 back, albeit with a few concessions for modern listeners. Sporting the same slimline frame and colourful foam earpads, the throwback headphones have been "re-engineered with the same 23mm driver units" based on the original drawings of the MDR-3 to stay "true to the original sound signature".
Tuning has been improved for a wider frequency range and better bass, while a USB-C cable, in-line controls, and a built-in microphone have all been added for the revived model. Yours for just £49 / $60 / AU$90.
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Standard Bluetooth will support lossless and hi-res audio without needing special codecs
The past week hasn't just been about new hardware.
In big news for the audio industry, standard Bluetooth should soon support hi-res and lossless audio without needing special codecs.
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced that 'Bluetooth High Data Throughout' (HDT) will come as part of Bluetooth 7.0 next year, allowing for "lossless and high-resolution audio" alongside "advances in multi-channel surround sound and spatial audio".
In short, that should mean significantly better sound from digital files if your phone and wireless headphones both support Bluetooth 7.0.
Bluetooth HDT also promises "faster data transfer, increased capacity, better energy efficiency, and enhanced reliability", with the first devices supporting Bluetooth HDT set to arrive early next year. Exciting times ahead for wire-free listeners everywhere.
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Standard Bluetooth will soon support lossless and hi-res audio, with no special codecs required
We've spent time with Sonus Faber's classy floorstanders
We test a lot of floorstanders in any given year, but it's rare that we come across a pair as beautifully built as the Sonus Faber Olympica G3 III (£20,000 / $24,000).
The high-end towers have plenty of sonic substance to go with their exquisite build, pleasing our test team with their balanced, articulate sound and unfussy nature.
Competition at this level is high, with the likes of the Audiovector’s larger R6 Arreté (£25,495 / $37,000) providing ample competition, but if you seek a refined, forgiving pair of towers that will sound good and look better, the Olympica G3 III are certainly worthy of an audition.
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Sonus Faber Olympica G3 III review
Taking LG's entry-level OLED for a spin
LG's B6 is an entry-level OLED TV with big aspirations, being the first set to sport a spiffy new OLED SE panel – a key bit of hardware that promises to improve performance while also bringing OLED costs down.
At £1399 / $1300 / AU$3300 for the 65-inch model, it's not dirt cheap, but it's hardly bank-breaking considering you're getting LG OLED tech and an excellent suite of gaming features.
The B6 isn't quite the finished article thanks to some niggling issues with its handling of dark scenes and colours, but there's some solid entry-level OLED talent displayed by LG's cost-effective, feature-heavy display. A solid step towards our wish of a truly affordable OLED TV.
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