Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i What Hi-Fi?

Bluetooth speaker | £149 View offers whf.cm/BT5 KEY FEATURES Bluetooth version 4.0 Dimensions (hwd) 13.4 x 25 x 15cm Weight 2.75kg Does the world need another Bluetooth speaker? Of course not. There are no doubt already more speakers shoved in the corners of spare rooms than we could possibly need, let alone those in everyday use. So why should we concern ourselves with the Audio Pro BT5, for it is simply just another Bluetooth speaker? Mainly because Audio Pro has an excellent recent record when it comes to wireless speakers of this size. And keeping it simple might just set it apart. No multi-room feature For many, the feature set of a Bluetooth speaker might be as important as the sound. While the Audio Pro BT5 is very much a…

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The journey to hi-fi heaven has to start with the first step, of course. And often, that initial stride is, rightly, a tentative one; a toe in the water, perhaps, just to see if things turn out as hoped for. In terms of home-entertainment kit, that might mean starting your system with a bargain Bluetooth speaker or budget turntable. If that first purchase is a success, however, it doesn’t take long before the yearning to upgrade becomes only too apparent. Which is where this issue of What Hi-Fi? comes in. Here we have endeavoured to do the major legwork for you, as far as choosing your first upgrade – or, of course, you might be new to buying any kind of audio-visual equipment and want to jump straight in with…

View offers whf.cm/3030I £329 Back in 2018, Q Acoustics launched its excellent 3000i speaker range. It appeared fully formed with multiple standmounter options, a large tower and dedicated home cinema offerings. Now, surprisingly and with little warning, we have another model in the form of the 3030i. The 3030is are now the largest of the three standmounters of the range and, with all the current models already having gained five-star reviews, they have quite a legacy to uphold. It comes as no shock to find that Q Acoustics has stuck closely to its successful recipe here, merely adding a larger mid/bass unit and more generous cabinet. More volume With the speaker’s enclosure packing 12.5 litres of volume – more than double that of the 3020is (6.1 litres) – the larger…

View offers whf.cm/MR1Mk2 £330 POWERED DESKTOP We loved the first Ruark Audio MR1 desktop speakers when they emerged in 2013. The retro looks, the intuitive design, the superb wireless sound – it was a winning combination that earned two successive What Hi-Fi? Awards. But the MR1s were toppled from their perch by the KEF Eggs, which won the two subsequent Best Desktop Speaker Awards. So it was only a matter of time before Ruark Audio unveiled MR1 Mk2. And sure enough, Ruark Audio came back with a vengeance. Gorgeous looks, streamlined design and features, improved sound quality – the Ruark MR1 Mk2s shot straight to the top of our favourites list. Beyond the usual desktop level We said the original Ruark MR1s were the closest any desktop wireless speaker had…

View offers whf.cm/D3020V2 £399 NAD ignored a number of rules when it released the original D 3020 amplifier. If using Class D amplification wasn’t enough of a thumbing of the nose to traditional designs, its chassis looked positively futuristic. It stood upright with dimensions wildly unbefitting of ‘proper’ hi-fi. The D 3020 was unlike anything else on the market – and it sounded great. And its successor, the D 3020 V2, has the last point in common with its predecessor. Bringing the past up to date Essentially, this V2 is a slicker, classier-looking version of the amp. It features the same glossy curvature and similarly chunky dial, yet somehow still it succeeds in making its predecessor seem dated. “What makes this NAD so likeable is its combination of timing and…

View offers whf.cm/AT-LP5x £329 Audio-Technica’s original AT-LP5 turntable was a winner. Launched in 2016, its combination of solid engineering, useful features and fine sound were enough to make it one of our go-to recommendations for anyone wanting a sensibly priced, fuss-free record player. So it’s no surprise to find that Audio-Technica hasn’t changed its winning formula for this new LP5x model. Why would it? At first, it’s hard to notice any obvious changes between the models, but look carefully and you’ll find the addition of a 78rpm speed option alongside the usual 33⅓ and 45rpm. There’s also a new cartridge, the AT-VM95E. This moving-magnet features a more rigid and lower-resonance housing alongside improved mechanicals that not only result in a higher output but also an extended and better controlled high-frequency…

View offers whf.cm/M-DACnano £149 If you want to improve the sound of your phone or laptop on the go, there aren’t too many options. Until now our recommendation would have been restricted to adding a portable USB DAC such as the Cyrus soundkey (£79) or Audioquest DragonFly Red (£169). These are both excellent sounding devices and do their job brilliantly for the money, but they’re not ideal for truly portable use. Both need a lead, meaning that you have to carry around an unwieldy combination of phone, adaptor cable and DAC. That’s quite a lot to fit in one pocket, no matter how small the DAC. However, Audiolab is offering an enticing alternative with its new M-DAC nano. The M-DAC nano is a tiny unit; it’s light too, weighing in…

View offers whf.cm/Generation2iMulti-room Looking for an alternative to the Audio Pro or Sonos multi-room systems? The first genuine contender to Sonos was Bluesound, whose hi-res audio support made it our preferred multi-room system for years. A winner of three consecutive Product of the Year Awards, the company has lost ground in recent years, but a complete Bluesound system could still be the best multi-room choice for you. The company’s third iteration of its multi-room range, Bluesound 2i, features a variety of products, some of which have been tweaked and others changed entirely. The current line-up includes the Pulse 2i, Pulse Flex 2i, Node 2i, Powernode 2i and Pulse Soundbar 2i, but you can add older Bluesound models into the mix, too. The hi-res music support is a big draw and…

View offers whf.cm/ZenBlue £129 “The Zen Blue delivers a fine sound whether we play REM, Tchaikovsky or Four Tet” Want an easy way to add Bluetooth connectivity to your traditional stereo system? Just buy iFi’s new Zen Blue. While there are a number of cheaper Bluetooth receivers already on the market, this is one of a handful that puts a priority on good sound. It’s a really nicely built unit that takes up less shelf space than a typical paperback. We were expecting a moulded plastic box, but what we get is a quality aluminium casing that’s finished to a far higher standard than the price suggests. That impression of substance is reinforced when we take a look inside. The Zen Blue uses a premium Qualcomm QCC5100 ‘system on a…

View offers whf.cm/R50B7120UK £299 The Hisense R50B7120UK is the first Roku TV to land in the UK. With a reputation built on a zippy and intuitive UI featuring more than 8000 apps, Roku TVs are a big deal in the US. Though the platform has been available to UK users through the stick and box HDMI add-ons, Hisense and Roku have now produced a 50in, direct LED-backlit TV, with a 4K resolution, HDR support and all the apps you could need. And all at a staggeringly low price. There’s something reassuring about the Hisense R50B7120UK. The frame and rear are both no-frills dark grey plastic and the stand is a pair of V-shaped feet. There’s a bezel of 5mm running around the screen. Optical and USB sockets are present –…

View offers whf.cm/DP-UB820EB £290 The Panasonic DP-UB820EB player borrows much of the picture processing technology found in the company’s flagship 4K Blu-ray machine, the DP-UB9000, but costs less than half the price. The DP-UB820EB is a chunky rectangle of a deck, both wider and taller than many budget Blu-ray players. The bevel cut finish around its edges looks attractive enough, as does the brushed effect on the top panel. But up close, the player feels a little cheap and plasticky. The matching remote fits nicely in the palm of your hand. It’s textbook Panasonic – the buttons are a good size and spread out and it’s easy for your thumb to find its way around the wand, even if it doesn’t have a backlight. Minimalistic design The main unit is…

View offers whf.cm/TV4K £199 FOR many, watching Apple CEO Tim Cook on stage at the 2017 launch of the Apple TV 4K, talking about 4K and HDR almost as if they were Apple inventions, was both hilarious and galling. After all, 4K technology was already around when the previous Apple TV launched in 2015, and Apple simply chose to ignore it. But our irritation proved short-lived because, upon release, the Apple TV 4K was clearly one of the best video streamers available. What’s more, Apple has shown laudable dedication to updating the little black box with AV aficionado-pleasing features that mean it’s no longer one of the best – it’s the best. No need for large capacity There’s just 32GB storage in the standard model (£179), and 64GB in the…

The killing of George Floyd in May 2020, for which policeman Derek Chauvin has since been charged with second-degree murder, sparked protests in the US and worldwide – both in support of African Americans and to highlight the centuries-long and continuing discrimination against black people across the globe. For those of us privileged enough not to have been discriminated against solely due to the colour of our skin, music has long been as important as any film or literature as a means of learning about these issues. (For the avoidance of any doubt: admitting that privilege is not to say you have had an easy life, in the same way that saying Black Lives Matter is not to imply that all others don’t). In lieu of sufficient formal education about…

From 65in 4K TVs to turntables, and from portable Bluetooth speakers to Dolby Atmos surround sound packages, here’s where you’ll find the perfect hi-fi and AV product, fast. NEW ENTRIES THIS MONTH It’s all about portability this month, with two pocket-sized devices that really stand out in their field. Astell & Kern have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the market for portable music players, and the A&norma SR25 reinforces that reputation. The iFi hip-dac, meanwhile, is a smooth-sounding, well built and sensibly priced DAC. HOW TO TURN VINYL INTO DIGITAL Vinyl records are great but for convenience and portability you can’t beat digital files. We show you how to digitise your vinyl collection on p77. AMAZON PRIME TIPS Amazon Prime is one of the big…

Read more at… www.whathifi.com/advice Whether you’re a Prime professional or just thinking of signing up, you’ll want to get the most out of the service. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to do exactly that. Setting up a ‘Household’ account Amazon Prime Video will recommend content based on your viewing history - but what if you’re really into crime thrillers, your other half loves romantic comedies and the kids love cartoons? The answer is by linking together two Amazon accounts that will both have access to Prime Video. Go to Your Account > Shopping Programmes > Amazon Household. There you can add another adult or profiles for children, and then click ‘Create Household’. Parental Controls You can set up a four-digit PIN on the web by going…

EXPERIENCE. HERITAGE. We’ve been helping the world discover the best in hi-fi and home entertainment for more than 40 years, and have more than 100 years of reviewing experience under our collective belts – so you can count on our expert opinion. DEDICATED TEST FACILITIES We test every product against its peers in our brand-new, bespoke reviewing facilities in London and Bath. We conduct all our tests as a team – our opinions and conclusions are always the result of collaboration. HOW WE SCORE All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole – not an individual reviewer. Each product will be listened to and/or viewed by several members of the test team, who will then discuss the final verdict before it appears in the magazine or…

DAC | £149 View offers whf.cm/hip-dac KEY FEATURES Battery powered 32-bit/384kHz PCM Weight 125g iFi looks determined to dominate the affordable digital-to-analogue converter market. For the hip-dac, iFi has taken the guts of the excellent, desktop-based Zen DAC and crammed them into a smaller, battery-powered form. The name comes from its resemblance to a hip flask. The hip-dac is a nicely made unit with an extruded petrol blue aluminium case that’s about the size of a pack of cards. The finish is neat and the metal volume control (that also doubles as the power switch) has a pleasantly damped feel. Input is limited to a male USB Type A, which means that the DAC can connect directly to the Apple’s Lightning-to-USB (camera adaptor cable) needed to use an iPhone as…

Many great things in life have been happy accidents: velcro, penicillin, The Rolling Stones. And so too, the destiny of the Rega Naiad turntable. Never heard of the Naiad? Don’t worry, not many have. The Naiad started out as purely a research and development engineering exercise; a proving ground to show how Rega’s ideas on low mass and high rigidity were the correct approach to turntables. The goal was to create the ultimate turntable – just the one – and so Rega threw all rules and restrictions out of the window, somewhat at odds with its approach to all other products. For this no-compromise deck, there were no cost restrictions, so only the best materials and engineering solutions were chosen. There was also little consideration for manufacturing practicalities, as it…

View offers whf.cm/spektor2 £179 On paper, there’s little to differentiate Dali’s Spektor 2s from any of their main rivals. These speakers stick to the classic budget standmounter formula like Superglue sticks to fingers. There’s everything we would expect from a typical £200 box here, from two-way driver configuration and ported bass tuning right through to the 25mm dome tweeter and 13cm mid/bass driver. But as with any dish, culinary or (in this case) acoustic, the list of ingredients tells you only so much – and those familiar with Dali will know it has something of a talent for budget boxes. So it proves with the Spektor 2s. Build and finish Take the speakers out of the packaging and the first impression is good. They’re nicely made, without quite giving off…

View offers whf.cm/607 £399 It must be tough being a B&W speaker. Given the brand’s rich heritage and laudable reputation, the pressure to perform must be immense. It seems no-one told the little 607 standmounters this; they breezed into the company’s line-up at the back end of 2018 and immediately turned heads with their impressive, energetic performance. The 600 Series is the most affordable range in B&W’s catalogue of stereo speakers and, standing just 30cm tall, the 607s are the smallest and most affordable stereo pair in the line-up. To those familiar with B&W’s previous 600 Series speakers, the most notable aesthetic change here is the lack of iconic yellow drivers. Those Kevlar cones are no more, having been replaced by silver Continuum units first seen in the high-end 800…

View offers whf.cm/AXA35 £299 The Cambridge Audio AXA35 is a 35W per channel stereo amplifier positioned at the budget end of the market. Out of the box, it looks understated and reasonably elegant for an affordable amp. The dark grey finish that Cambridge has adopted for many of its recent products looks stylish and helps add a sense of purpose. At just over 8cm tall, this is quite a slender hi-fi separate. That profile, combined with a minimalist front panel, makes a rival amp such as the Marantz PM6006 UK Edition (see p35) look fussy and even messy in comparison. From the front, it looks as though the AXA35 is floating. It’s an effective illusion created by a thin plastic wedge running under the front edge, which lifts up the…

View offers whf.cm/PM6006uk £399 What makes for a UK Edition of an already-beloved integrated amplifier? Is it one whose timbre better matches the taste of a bacon butty? Is it easy-wipe to cope with the damp, drizzly weather? Or perhaps it is portable, designed for those afterschool trips to the park with a can of cider? In fact, it’s a lot more sensible than that. When the UK Edition was launched, Marantz kept the details of the changes made to its Award-winning PM6006 close to its chest, but the fine-tuning was done with help from some of the finest technicians in the industry. This opportunity may have arisen organically. As time goes by, certain parts become unavailable, and ploughing the same furrow with different tools is not always the most…

View offers whf.cm/Planar2 £399 What do What Hi-Fi?, Reese Witherspoon, The Eagles’ Hotel California album and Rega’s Planar 2 have in common? It’s not your average pub quiz question, so we’ll spare you the head-scratching; they’re all the same age – 44. Since 1976, the Planar 2 has been on quite a journey – so much so that the only things existing from the original are the drive belt and the plastic mouldings for the dust-cover-lid hinges. It’s a smartly understated design, and solid build quality signals Rega’s long-established success at this price bracket. The last significant changes to this deck came in 2016 and included a new 24v low-noise motor, a newly designed central bearing and an upgraded platter with a new floating-glass ‘Optiwhite’ design. Oh, and new feet…

View offers whf.cm/DragonflyCobalt £269 The Audioquest DragonFly Cobalt enters the market at a new premium price point for the company’s range of portable digital-to-analogue converters, but has the tidiest, clearest and most dynamic presentation we’ve heard from a unit this small. The Cobalt is the first DragonFly since 2015, when Audioquest introduced its Black and Red models, and with them Android and iOS smartphone compatibility. In terms of fundamental functionality, we’re pleased to report little has changed since then. These are products whose beauty is born of their simplicity, and whose plug-in-and-play approach to cleaning up the sound from your computer, or (with the included dongle) a smartphone or tablet, is much of the allure. But that isn’t to say Audioquest has simply repackaged its cheaper DACs in a different…

Google also has its own smart speakers, such as the Google Home and Google Home Mini, which support multi-room music in the same way as Sonos does. But the real beauty of Chromecast is that it is also built-in to a vast range of other products, including Android devices, TVs, soundbars, AV receivers and wireless speakers, from a variety of manufacturers. That means you don’t need to stick with just one brand to go multi-room; you just need compatible products (such as a Sony or Philips TV, Harman Kardon Citation Tower, LG WK7 or Sony STR-DN1080 amplifier) and connect them to the same network. Then simply press play on your device to ‘cast’ music to your connected products.…

View offers whf.cm/Node2i The Node 2i wireless streamer is one of the best-sounding units of its kind below the £500 mark. It replaces the Node 2, but from a cursory glance at the Node 2i’s spec sheet, nothing much appears to have changed. However, Bluesound has upgraded the high-end circuit design with a new, smaller wi-fi chipset giving Bluesound the freedom to play with the circuit layout. The bonus features Bluesound has added to its streamer mean you can use wireless headphones via the BluOS 3.0 app, and there’s a faster processor for a more seamless user experience. The 32-bit/192kHz DAC remains, as does its long list of connections, including RCA, coaxial, optical and subwoofer outputs, with physical inputs for optical, analogue and USB-A alongside dual-band wi-fi, Bluetooth aptX HD…

View offers whf.cm/UE43RU7020 £339 The Samsung UE43RU7020 is the smallest size of the lowest range of Samsung’s 2019 TVs. If you are strapped for cash but want to buy one of the latest Samsung screens, this is the one. A notch or two further up on the Samsung spectrum is the UE43RU7470, our 2019 Award-winning TV in the 40-43in size category, but the RU7020 has had a few treats stripped off so that it can hit a lower price. It loses the One Remote and Bixby, but perhaps more significantly, Samsung’s Dynamic Crystal Control colour technology, is replaced by the technically less advanced PurColor. Two-footed stand With its 1.5cm bezel and 5.8cm profile, the UE43RU7020 looks similar to its more expensive sibling. What’s more, its two-footed stand approach is a…

View offers whf.cm/FireTVStick4K £50 “It has all the apps you need, supports all HDR formats and throws in Dolby Atmos” Amazon has, in the UK at least, streamlined its video streamer selection to just two sticks: the original Fire TV Stick and this, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. The difference is support for 4K video, of course, with HDR – not just in standard HDR10 form, but also HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, making this the most format-friendly high-dynamic range video streamer currently available. Compared with a more traditionally shaped streamer such as the Apple TV 4K (see right), this 10cm-long device is a far more compact design. We had no issues with wi-fi, but you can hardwire the Fire TV Stick 4K to your router by adding the…

View offers whf.cm/YAS-207 £350 Let’s give credit where it’s due to Yamaha. While a large slice of its home theatre market is geared towards AV receivers and speaker packages, it has also long sympathised with those people who don’t have room for a full surround-sound system. By creating its Yamaha Sound Projection (YSP) technology, which is designed to emulate a surround-sound experience from a single soundbar, the company offers a reasonable compromise between performance and practicality. Yamaha’s YAS-207 also attempts to create immersive ‘virtual’ sound, only this time by using DTS’s latest codec: DTS Virtual:X. This aims to simulate sound delivered by a 7.1.4 set-up (that’s 11.1 channels), but works on a different basis to surround-sound codecs such as DTS:X (and Dolby Atmos). While DTS:X is natively encoded on a…

■ CD player ■ £14,998 “We’re reminded how nice a top-loading CD player is to operate. It feels a more interactive and charming experience” Is there still a place for a truly high-end CD player this far into the age of streaming? Audio Research certainly seems to think so. With its top-loading design, valve-powered output stage and hefty £15k price tag, the Reference CD9 SE is quite some statement. The original Reference CD9 was introduced back in 2013, and quickly built a solid reputation as one of the best players around. Surprisingly, given the chunk of time that has passed, the move to SE spec is a relatively mild one. The main changes centre are on a redesigned front panel, which now mirrors those on Audio Research’s newest products, and…

Read more at… www.whathifi.com/features Turntables might not be cutting-edge tech, but for their look and feel – not to mention thrillingly articulate analogue sound – you can’t beat them. The only thing your record collection lacks is portability, but there is a way to take those LPs with you wherever you go… What do you need? The basic building blocks are: a turntable, a phono stage, an analogue-to-digital converter with USB output, and a computer with suitable recording software. There are turntables that come with a phono stage, analogue-to-digital converter and USB output built in. However, most are at the budget end and focus on getting the job done rather than doing it particularly well. Your recordings won’t necessarily reflect the quality of sound possible from your records, though Audio…

True wireless headphones | £190 View offers whf.cm/TrueWirelessANCIn-Ear KEY FEATURES Noise-cancelling True wireless aptX Bluetooth 5.0 1MORE is a brand with lofty ambitions. There are plenty of little-known Chinese brands selling true wireless headphones at budget prices, but 1MORE has set its sights higher: aiming to take on the giants of true wireless headphones, Apple and Sony. The True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones undercut the Apple AirPods Pros by £60, and have a feature list to match Apple’s noise-cancelling buds, including aptX Bluetooth 5.0, two levels of active noise-cancellation as well as a pass-through function (to filter ambient noise into the headphones). Inside the box there are seven different silicone eartips and four separate pairs of O-hooks for a secure fit – we find the fit as close to perfection…

1 Astell & Kern SE200 £1799 The world’s first personal music player to use a multi-DAC set-up. Digital players these days often have dual or even quad DAC configurations, but the SE200 actually uses a combination of DAC chips – two Sabre ESS9068AS DACs (in a dual configuration) as well as a single AKM4499EQ (as found in Astell & Kern’s top-of-the-line SP2000 player). This unique multi-DAC implementation allows owners to customise the SE200’s sound based on their preferences and music type, with DAC filters offering opportunities for further fine-tuning. whf.cm/SE200 2 Elipson Chroma 400 RIAA BT Carbon £699 If you’re after an affordable turntable that does more than just spin records – by which we mean one that can record vinyl to digital files and stream vinyl over Bluetooth –…

View offers whf.cm/DebutB52 £250 The appearance of second-generation versions of respected models should always worry their rivals. And, in the case of the Debut B5.2, those rivals have every reason to feel uneasy; for the money, the Elac Debut 5.2s are brilliant performers. Elac changed almost everything about the Debuts for this successor. The cabinet is a similar volume to before but its proportions are around 2cm different in all directions. They’re taller (34cm), narrower (18cm) and deeper (23cm) in a bid to look smarter and be less visually obtrusive. To our eyes these changes work, helping to make the Debut B5.2s look more modern than the old model. The 5.25cm mid/bass unit has been thoroughly revised too, using a new blend of aramid fibres for the cone, combined with…

View offers whf.cm/io £379 While Rega used to make a high-end DAC called ‘io’, the naming of its latest amplifier is almost certainly a nod to the familial link with its big brother, the excellent Rega Brio. It’s not far off half its price or half its performance – and so, quite reasonably, it has half its name. System option The 30W-per-channel, entry-level io can be purchased individually or as part of Rega’s System One all-in-one proposition with the Planar 1 turntable and Kyte speakers (£999). It borrows the power amplifier and phono stage from its Award-winning elder sibling and that goes a long way to explain the pleasing sonic resemblance between the two. The discrepancies between the two half-width boxes in terms of physical size and decorative refinement is…

View offers whf.cm/PrimaryE £159 You don’t need to set eyes on Pro-Ject’s Primary E turntable to know it has a lot going for it. t’s the most affordable traditionally designed Pro-Ject turntable – the brand’s similarly priced Elemental deck has a platter that sits over a long and thin, plank-like chassis (imagine a pizza draped over a wooden serving board). And the E is more or less a twin of the talented Pro-Ject Primary deck that it replaced back in 2018. Like most twins, there are a few key differences that set the two apart. First off, the Primary E’s power supply is built into the deck rather than the plug, as with the Primary. Secondly, the E is available only in black rather than the red or white options…

View offers whf.cm/PS-HX500 £299 Time and tide wait for no man, as Chaucer so wisely counselled. And if turntables had been around in his day, he would no doubt have agreed that they, too, fall under time’s inevitable spell. The fact is, the Sony PS-HX500 is no spring chicken. Once upon a time, its USP – the ability to rip vinyl to digital files – was quite the novelty. Now, though, it’s nothing new. The power of three Three things, however, have kept the Sony relevant. First, it can record up to DSD 5.6 (so Sony calls it a ‘hi-res turntable’). Secondly, despite the appearance of quality rivals such as the Audio-Technica AT-LP5x (see p37), as a former Award-winner it can still hold its own its performance terms. Finally, it…

View offers whf.cm/ZenDAC £129 iFi has built itself a solid reputation for well-featured, affordable digital-to-analogue converters. But thanks to a combination of features and sound quality that’s hard to better at the price, the Zen DAC is arguably one of its finest products. This is a USB-only desktop product that takes power from the computer it’s connected to. If you need optical or coaxial connections, this product is not for you, though iFi makes a range of other products that will appeal. Larger than pocket-sized You don’t need to be near a mains outlet, so it’s possible to use this in the garden or away from the house. It’s not portable in the sense that the Audioquest DragonFly or Cyrus soundKey are – the Zen is about the size of…

View offers whf.cm/AudioProMulti-room “The key to the performance is a musicality unrivalled by anything at a similar price” Audio Pro’s range of wireless speakers, including its instantly recognisable boom-box-style Addon range, has earned the Swedish manufacturer multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards, such is their unrivalled sonic prowess. The Addon C3, C5 and C10 are pretty much visually identical but for size, while the C5a has a volume indicator and pair of microphones for use with Alexa Voice Assistant. Each has the ‘koala’ driver configuration that is these speakers’ distinguishing feature. The key to their performance is a musicality unrivalled by anything at a similar price. The level of detail is insightful, exposing the texture and timbre of each instrument and vocal line alike without underplaying cohesion or organisation in favour of…

View offers whf.cm/SonosMulti-room FOR years, Sonos has been synonymous with the concept of multi-room audio. At the very least, Sonos spotted a trend long before its competitors – at most, it’s responsible for making the market what it is today. The current star of Sonos’s range of wireless speakers is the One. Matching the five-star performance of the Play:1, it builds on an already extensive feature list with built-in Alexa Voice Assistant. The One produces a weighty, full-bodied and spacious sound that’s capable of going loud for a speaker so small. Voices are clearly projected, bass is solid, and treble is crisp and clean. It’s a surprisingly sophisticated sound, and one that’s natural and authentic. That sonic character carries over to the larger Play:5, but it is able to produce…

View offers whf.cm/6000NPlay £449 Had Einstein still been alive today, we could just picture him drawing up his next quantum physics theory while listening to the Audiolab 6000N Play. Audiolab’s first standalone music streamer would certainly have fitted Einstein’s philosophy that a ‘simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone’. Aesthetically, the 6000N Play is as unassuming as hi-fi streamers come, with a screenless, largely unadorned chassis that gives nothing of its vast network talents away. But behind that modest façade, the 6000N Play has every right to exude an air of quiet confidence. It arrives as the third component in its mid-range 6000 Series, following the five-star 6000A integrated amplifier and the 6000CDT CD transport, borrowing tech and features from both. Tasty ingredients The 6000N Play uses…

View offers whf.cm/UBP-X700 £249 Until we tested the Sony UBP-X700, we hadn’t come across a budget 4K Blu-ray player that wowed us in the way 4K and HDR picture quality should. The UBP-X700, however, delivers a five-star performance where rivals have failed. Launched in 2017, this affordable player boasts similar features to the Award-winning UBP-X800. The main difference is that the X700 supports Dolby Vision HDR. We start with the 4K Blu-ray of Thor: Ragnarok – a kaleidoscope of vivid colours, from the multi-hued, gaudy garbage planet to the gilded halls of Asgard. The Sony player juggles all these colours with a deft hand. Every blade of grass is etched cleanly, Thor’s red cape has depths of gradations within its folds, and sparks of lightning split the screen with startling…

View offers whf.cm/Chromecast2018 The Google Chromecast 2018 video-streaming dongle is similar to its 2015 predecessor. Slightly faster processing, support for 60fps and support for multi-room music are pretty much the extent of the upgrades, but Google didn’t need to make too many changes because the Chromecast was already brilliant. Available in ‘charcoal’ or ‘chalk’, it is a small disc that dangles from a short HDMI cable, with power provided by micro-USB cable, though a wall plug is also included. Once you’ve plugged the Chromecast in to the back of your TV, you probably won’t need to see it again. Instead of controlling it directly, you simply select a video, song or web page on a smartphone, tablet or computer and ‘cast’ to your TV using a button built into a…

View offers whf.cm/Beam £399 The Sonos Beam is smaller, lighter and cheaper than its two older siblings, the Playbar and Playbase. Available in black and white finishes, the Beam looks stylish but understated – and every bit the Sonos product. It will fit easily into most living rooms, and though you can wall-mount the Sonos Beam, the official bracket is a fairly expensive £59. Touch controls on top of the Beam allow you to play/pause, alter volume and skip tracks, while an LED indicates the soundbar’s status and voice feedback. The connections, including HDMI, ethernet port, power and a pairing button, are around the back. Inside, there are four full-range drivers, one tweeter and three passive radiators, plus five class-D amplifiers. The drivers and radiators are positioned along the front…