Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2021 i What Hi-Fi?

There’s no getting away from it: it’s Autumn. (Mind you, I’m not sure that most of the past four months or so could rightly have claimed to be ‘summer’, but we shall let that pass.) With the ever shortening days comes a temptation to hunker down at home, cosy and warm with the family. Which is why, no doubt, the television programme makers and streamers introduce their new season lineups at this time of year. No better time then, if your TV is on its last legs, or simply too behind the times, to think about a new set to see you and your loved ones through the winter and then the next few years of home entertainment excitement. We have a Group Test of three top 65in TVs (p32)…

View online deals whf.cm/TVdeals Look up ‘unassuming’ in the dictionary and you’ll probably find a picture of the Samsung UE43AU7100. This 43-inch LCD TV doesn’t flaunt a particularly flamboyant design, doesn’t sell for a particularly outrageous price – either high or low – and its features list is certainly no Lord Of The Rings-style epic. You don’t have to spend long in the UE43AU7100’s company, though, to realise that a TV doesn’t have to be an extrovert to stand out from the crowd. Solid processing and a thoughtful, balanced picture that actually seems to have had some care and attention lavished on it can be more than enough. Especially at the relatively entry-level end of the TV market, where the drive for ever more aggressive pricing has been leading in…

View online deals whf.cm/TVdeals The 8000 series sections of Samsung’s annual range refreshes have consistently impressed us in recent years, hitting a price meets performance sweet spot we’ve found hard to resist. Hopes have been high, then, for 2021’s UE50AU8000. Especially as it delivers its 50in 4K screen, extensive HDR support and excellent smart system for a mere £479. It has to be said that this segment of the 4K TV market has started to get seriously crowded and, like all of Samsung’s ‘AU’ models, the 50AU8000 doesn’t benefit from the brand’s QLED colour technology. Even so, history is definitely on its side. Price anomaly Remarkably and bizarrely, the UE50AU8000 is actually currently cheaper than the supposedly less well specified, less high-performance Samsung UE50A7100. This might be enough in itself…

View offers whf.cm/BBDACs Zorloo Ztella $99 August 2020 (issue 437) If you want to improve your smartphone sound, but don’t want a USB stick hanging off the end of it, this is a bit of a no brainer. Online only for now. Size 11cm long Resolution PCM (up to 384kHz), DSD (up to 5.6MHz), MQA Cyrus soundKey £99 Best DAC under £100, Awards 2020 An affordable, compact DAC that turns mobile listening into an authentic high-fidelity experience. iOS users may find connectivity a little inelegant. Size 2 x 5 x 1cm Resolution 24-bit/96kHz iFi Zen DAC £129 Best DAC £100-£200, Awards 2020 Compare the iFi with price rivals and it’s clearly up there with the best for sound quality. But it also offers a degree of versatility that those rivals…

View offers whf.cm/BBInternetRadios View offers whf.cm/BBDABRadios Pure Evoke H2 £89 Best radio under £100, Awards 2020 Pure’s latest radio is similar to its previous incarnation, but more refined. The H2 improves on the D2’s already sophisticated sound. Battery Optional Size (hwd) 18 x 12 x 12cm Inputs 3.5mm Roberts Stream 94i £189 Best radio over £100, Awards 2020 Sets the bar even higher than its predecessor, adding Bluetooth without compromising its sound and offering plenty of features. Battery Optional Size (hwd) 26 x 17 x 13cm Inputs 3.5mm, USB, BT, wi-fi Up to £200 Roberts Revival iStream 3 £200 Reviewed online, 2018 A lengthy features list – DAB/FM/internet radio, Bluetooth, Spotify, Tidal – under that vintage design makes for an appealing radio for the price. Battery Yes Size (hwd) 16 x…

View offers whf.cm/BBHifiSystems Pro-Ject Juke Box E £369 Best turntable system, Awards 2019 An impressive all-in-one system with a level of functionality that’s difficult to replicate in individual separates for a similar price. Speed 33⅓, 45rpm Inputs Line-in, BT Outputs Line-out Denon D-M41DAB £329 Best microsystem, Awards 2020 Denon hasn’t rested on its laurels. It’s managed to better the M40, delivering improved sound and functionality. The best just got better. Inputs CD, line-in, optical x2, BT, DAB/FM Outputs Subwoofer KEF LSX £999 Best all-in-one system under £1000, Awards 2020 KEF has shrunk its excellent LS50 Wirelesses to create a wonderfully insightful and flexible pair of speakers with a neat, colourful design. Inputs 3.5mm, optical, BT, AirPlay 2, wi-fi Outputs Subwoofer Marantz PM7000N £999 Best system under £1000, Awards 2020 A…

View offers whf.cm/BBBlurayPlayers Up to £500 Panasonic DP-UB150EB £129 March 2020 A highly competent machine at an impressively low price, this 4K Blu-ray player represents a big step up from streaming your UHD content. Compatibility 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, CD HDMI out 1 Sony UBP-X700 £199 Best 4K Blu-ray player under £250, Awards 2020 This 4K player delivers a stunningly natural picture for an affordable price. It’ll be tough to knock this Sony off its perch. Compatibility 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, SACD, CD HDMI out 2 Panasonic DP-UB820EB £290 Best 4K Blu-ray player over £250, Awards 2020 Delivers on multiple fronts, supporting all major HDR formats, delivering a hugely immersive and impactful picture, and all backed up by strong audio. Compatibility 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, CD HDMI out 2 Sony…

View offers whf.cm/BBSetTopBoxes Humax FVP-5000T from £199 Best PVR, Awards 2020 If you need a Full HD box to give your older TV some more sparkle, Humax’s digital box should absolutely be something to consider. Tuners 3 Storage 500GB Ultra HD No PVRs Sky Q 2TB from £199 Best subscription box, Awards 2020 Sky has overhauled its TV package with Q and made it more enticing and versatile thanks to 4K support, but it comes with a high price tag. Tuners 4 Storage 2TB Ultra HD Yes Subscription boxes…

View offers whf.cm/BBVideoStreamers Up to £100 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K £50 Best video streamer under £100, Awards 2020 Despite some caveats, this 4K device supports all HDR formats and delivers excellent picture quality for a very affordable price. Resolution 2160p, 1080p, 720p Storage 8GB 4K Yes Google Chromecast with Google TV £60 January 2021 With a new remote and super-smart UI, Google’s latest Chromecast video streamer is the complete package. Resolution Up to 4K HDR, 60fps Storage n/a 4K Yes £100 and above Apple TV 4K £179 Best video streamer over £100, Awards 2020 It has a fantastic UI and design, a huge library of 4K HDR content, and the best picture and sound performance at any price. Siri is useful, too. Resolution 2160p, 1080p, 720p Storage 8GB 4K…

View offers whf.cm/BBPortableMusicPlayers Up to £1000 Sony NW-A55L £160 Best portable music player under £250, Awards 2020 Sony hasn’t carried out an update for the sake of it; the refresh is justified by squeezing more performance into a budget price than ever before. Hi-res 32-bit/384kHz, DSD Weight 99g Storage 16GB (plus microSD) Cowon Plenue D2 £259 Best portable music player £250-£500, Awards 2020 The PD2 manages to justify the premium over its predecessor. We haven’t heard a better-sounding budget portable music player. Hi-res 24-bit/192kHz, DSD 128 Storage 64GB Cowon Plenue D3 £279 July 2021 This is a talented player that betters its previous generation counterpart for detail, separation and transparency. An impressive, tiny box of tricks… Hi-res 24-bit/192kHz, DSD 128 Weight 103g Storage 64GB £1000 and above Astell & Kern…

View offers DAC | £159 | whf.cm/iFiZenV2 In a competitive industry such as hi-fi, making the best even better isn’t necessarily a bad idea. It’s what iFi has done with its budget home DAC and headphone amp offering, with the Zen DAC now making way for a ‘V2’ model. The sequel uses the new-generation processing chip found in the higher-ranging Neo iDSD and iDSD Diablo DAC/headphone amps, delivering double the clock speed and four times the memory of the chip inside the original. As well as supporting PCM (up to 384kHz) and DSD (up to DSD256) files, the Zen DAC V2 is also an MQA (Master Quality Association) decoder, as opposed to simply a renderer, as the original Zen DAC is. That means it brings full MQA decoding onboard, taking…

View offers Streamer | £549 | whf.cm/BluesoundNode Like the two Nodes before it, the original Node and second-gen Node 2i, this 2021 model enters the surprisingly sparse budget music streamer market with plenty of up to date, all-round appeal – that much is evident before you even plug it in. Bluesound’s proprietary multi-room wireless streaming platform, BluOS, is a given for networked Bluesound gear and, increasingly, streaming products from its sister brand NAD and partner firms such as Dali. So there’s a reassuring familiarity when we first power up the Node, hook it up to our network via an ethernet cable, and open the BluOS app on our iPad to find the Node instantly identified as a ‘device’. From here, local and networked libraries, streaming services and internet radio stations…

RRP £55 If it’s inexpensive, good-sounding waterproof buds you seek, the EarFun Air are tough to beat Punchy, expansive sound Great feature set Classy build and finish TO SUBSCRIBE GO TO: www.magazinesdirect.com/whi/Earbuds or call 0330 333 1113 and Quote BM39 SAVE UP TO 60% SUBSCRIBE TO Our subscription offers deliver 13 issues of ayeartoyou giving you big savings on the cover price! Get our digital-only offer and save up to 44 per cent on the normal price ANNUAL PRINT EDITION 13 issues of What Hi-Fi? in print over 12 months, saving you 28 per cent £48 a year ANNUAL PRINT + DIGITAL EDITION 13 issues of What Hi-Fi? over 12 months in print and digital, saving you 60% £53 a year DIGITAL EDITION (GIFT NOT INCLUDED) 13 issues of What Hi-Fi?…

View online review whf.cm/QE65QN95A This year looks very much like the year of Mini LED. The technology, which sees the LEDs of a TV backlight miniaturised in order to increase contrast, is a feature of the 2021 line-ups of most major TV brands, including LG and Philips. Samsung has developed its own Mini LEDs, which it says are even smaller and more efficient than those of its rivals, and combined them with its existing Quantum Dot tech to create a range of premium TVs that it calls Neo QLEDs. This is the top 4K model for 2021 and one that Samsung is pitching against LG’s incredibly popular C-class OLED, as reviewed a couple of pages back. The C1 has its work cut out – because the Samsung QN95A is the best…

In a time during which the cost of living seems to be constantly spiralling, it’s little less than incredible that TVs are bucking the trend and becoming more and more affordable. We’re not talking about bargain basement or supermarket ‘special’ TVs, either. This isn’t a cynical race to the bottom, but a battle to capture the lucrative, affordable end of the market with TVs that combine genuinely impressive picture performance with the sort of smart feature set that would have seemed the stuff of dreams just five years ago. Causing the biggest stir are Chinese brands such as Hisense and TCL, eager to take and hold the ground left undefended by the complacent ‘big’ brands, which have typically neglected their entry-level ranges. It’s little surprise, then, that three of the…

View online reviewwhf.cm/R50A7200GTUK There are reasons wine is dated by year. The grapes might come from the same fields, the fermentation process may be identical and the barrels alike, but the taste and quality still varies from season to season. While TV panel production is unlikely to be quite so affected by the weather, the Hisense Roku R50A7200GTUK proves that just because you use the same materials and method as last year’s excellent vintage, it doesn’t mean the results will be the same. This Hisense Roku is likely to be the cheapest 50in TV we’ll see on sale in the UK this year from a major manufacturer. It promises a good-sized, punchy 4K HDR image and all the major apps and services you’ll need, without so much as an extra…

View offers whf.cm/BBStereoAmps Rega io £379 Best stereo amplifier under £400, Awards 2020 Those who are happy with a no-fuss, purely analogue amp and who prioritise entertainment should arguably consider the io their number one choice. Power 30W Inputs Line-in x2, MM Outputs Headphone NAD D 3020 V2 £399 September 2018 A likeable effort that features a full-bodied sonic performance with fine timing and dynamics and lots of useful features. Power 30W Inputs Line-in, MM, optical, coaxial, BT Outputs Headphone Marantz PM6007 £499 Best stereo amplifier £400-£600, Awards 2020 Clearer and punchier than its Award-winning predecessor, Marantz’s latest entry-level amplifier never puts the formidable 6000 Series dynasty in doubt. Power 45W Inputs Line-in x4, MM, coax, optical Outputs 6.3mm h’phone Stereo amps up to £500 Rega Brio £599 Best stereo…

View offers whf.cm/BBHifiSpeakers Dali Spektor 2 £199 Best standmount speaker under £200, Awards 2020 The 2s combine Dali’s traditional strengths with a generous dose of entertainment that even Mission and Q Acoustics struggle to match. Size (hwd) 17 x 28 x 28cm Bi-wire No Finishes 2 Standmounts up to £200 Elac Debut B5.2 £250 Best standmount speaker £200-£400, Awards 2020 ELAC’s latest budget standmounter is talented enough to worry the established competition. Size (hwd) 34 x 18 x 23cm Bi-wire No Finishes 1 Dali Oberon 1 £349 February 2019 About the size of a shoe, these articulate and bold-sounding speakers have a wonderfully unfussy nature and are a joy to listen to. Size (hwd) 27 x 16 x 23cm Bi-wire No Finishes 4 Mission QX-2 £399 Best standmount speaker £350-£500,…

View offers whf.cm/BBTurntables Pro-Ject Primary E £159 Best turntable under £200, Awards 2020 Pro-Ject has revised a budget deck to nail the under £150 market – and has succeeded on every front. Speed 33⅓, 45rpm Size (hwd) 11 x 42 x 33cm £150 to £300 Audio Technica AT-LP3 £199 Best turntable under £200, Awards 2017 A fully automatic turntable that doesn’t scrimp on performance, this is the ideal entry-level deck for those looking to dip their ‘vinyl toes’ in. Speed 33⅓, 45rpm Size (hwd) 13 x 44 x 35cm Sony PS-LX310BT £200 August 2019 A no-nonsense, fully automatic turntable with built-in phono stage and Bluetooth, offering a surprisingly musical sound. Speed 33⅓, 45rpm Size (hwd) 11 x 43 x 37cm Rega Planar 1 £249 Best turntable £200-£500, Awards 2020 This revamped…

View offers whf.cm/BBHomeCinemaAmps Up to £500 Sony STR-DN1080 £429 Best home cinema amplifier under £750, Awards 2020 Sony’s latest AV amp is a return to form, with cutting-edge features (inc. Dolby Atmos) and a compelling sound. It ticks all the right boxes. Power 7 x 100W Dolby Atmos Yes HDMI in/out 6/2 £500 and £1000 AVR-X2700H £599 December 2020 Sonic improvements over its predecessor are marked, even if it’s the 8K passthrough and next-gen gaming tech that steal the headlines. Power 7 x 150W Dolby Atmos Yes HDMI in/out 6/2 Denon AVC-X3700H £999 Best home cinema amplifier £750-£1500, Awards 2020 The best unit we’ve heard with a three-figure price tag. A surprisingly big improvement on its already excellent predecessor; sets a new standard. Power 9 x 180W Dolby Atmos Yes HDMI…

View offers whf.cm/BBSoundbars Yamaha YAS-207 £249 Best soundbar under £300, Awards 2020 The latest in a series of fine Yamaha soundbars, this is a compelling, class-leading performer in a practical, easy-to-use package. Size (hwd) 6 x 93 x 11cm Inputs Opt, HDMI, 3.5mm, BT Sub Yes Sonos Beam £399 Best soundbar £300-£750, Awards 2020 A compact soundbar that pumps out an exceptional sound for its size and price. It could potentially transform your listening experience. Size (hwd) 7 x 65 x 10cm Inputs Optical, HDMI ARC, AirPlay Sub No Up to £500 Sonos Playbar £699 August 2017 It’s not perfect, but it still has the sonic heft and all-round quality to edge out its Sonos Playbase stablemate. Size 9 x 90 x 14cm Inputs Optical, ethernet Sub No Yamaha YSP-2700…

View offers whf.cm/BBTelevisions Up to 43in Samsung UE43TU7100 £379 Best 40-43in TV, Awards 2020 Does a remarkably good job in terms of core picture and sound performance and boasts the best, most-app packed operating system in the business. Type LCD/LED HDMI 2 Resolution 4K Tuner TV Plus 48in to 50in Hisense Roku R50A7200GTU £399 July 2021 With an excellent operating system and solid all-round performance, this is a complete package for a decent price. Type LCD/LED HDMI 3 Resolution 4K Tuner Freeview HD Samsung UE50TU8500 £499 Best 48-50in TV under £1000, Awards 2020 “What’s the best TV I can buy for £500?” It’s a question to which there’s a new answer: the best TV you can buy for £500 is the Samsung UE50TU8500. Type LCD/LED HDMI 3 Resolution 4K Tuner…

Read more at… www.whathifi.com/advice What is DSD? How is it different from other music files and how can you listen to it? DSD and SACD DSD (Direct Stream Digital) was conceived as a way of archiving old analogue recordings, it was designed to be a simpler, more space efficient way of storing digital music data. How does DSD work? DSD uses a single bit of information that tells us is whether the current sample of the analogue waveform is higher or lower than before. Compared with over 65,000 different values 16-bit PCM has, the two values (0 if the new sample of the signal is lower, 1 if it’s higher) of DSD appear limiting. That resolution shortfall is made up by the very high sampling rate of over 2.8 million…

Music apps Spotify from free December 2016 Its accessibility, ease of use, huge catalogue and more mature music discovery are reasons why Spotify remains at the top of the pile. Sound quality Up to 320kbps Ogg Vorbis Offline playback Yes Tidal from £10/month Best music streaming service, Awards 2020 One of the few streaming services to offer lossless audio, Tidal’s exclusive content and curated playlists make it stand out. Sound quality Up to 1411kbps lossless Offline playback Yes Video apps BBC iPlayer Free Awards 2015 Quality content, a great interface and free (for catch-up TV), BBC’s iPlayer is one of, if not the best, video on-demand platforms out there. Resolution Up to 1080p Offline playback Yes Amazon Prime Instant Video from £5.99/month Best video streaming service, Awards 2017 With an…

View offers whf.cm/BBAudioCables Up to £50 Chord Company C-Line £40/m Best analogue interconnect under £50, Awards 2020 Few entry-level interconnects at the price come close to offering the sonic enjoyment that Chord has produced with this cable. Balanced/Single-ended Single QED Performance Audio 40 £40/m Best analogue interconnect under £50, Awards 2017 Few rival interconnects are as good as this QED when it comes to detail resolution and precision. It’s nicely made too. Balanced/Single-ended Single Chord Clearway Analogue RCA £90/m Best analogue interconnect £50+, Awards 2020 If you’re spending cash on hi-fi components and you want cabling that doesn’t inhibit performance, the Clearway may be the ideal pick. Balanced/Single-ended Single £50 and above…

View offers whf.cm/BBCartridges Cartridges Goldring E3 £90 Best cartridge under £150, Awards 2020 This is a wonderfully balanced and entertaining moving magnet cartridge that will work well with a wide range of record players. Type MM Tracking weight 2.0g Ortofon Quintet Blue £349 Best cartridge over £150, Awards 2020 Given a suitably capable system we have no doubt the Ortofon Quintet Blue will impress. It’s a well-balanced design with no obvious weaknesses. Type MC Tracking weight 2.3g…

View offers whf.cm/BBPhonoAmps Up to £200 Edwards Audio Apprentice MM £90 Awards 2017 A fine entry-level phono stage that will deliver a crisp and exciting sound from any good price-compatible moving magnet cartridge. Type MM Dimensions (hwd) 5 x 16 x 11cm Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Communicator £180 July 2018 A gem of a phono amplifier that has stood the test of time. It offers class-leading levels of detail, brilliant timing and a sweet sound. Type MM Dimensions (hwd) 5 x 12 x 19cm Rega Fono MM MK3 £199 Best phono stage under £500, Awards 2020 Rega has managed to take a near-perfect product and squeeze more improvements from it. It’s a class-leading performer. Type MM Dimensions (hwd) 5 x 18 x 14cm Musical Fidelity LX2-LPS £199 April 2018…

View offers whf.cm/BBSpeakerStands Speaker stands Atacama Moseco 6 £120 Best speaker stand, Awards 2020 A speaker stand that impresses with how weighty and dynamic it allows systems to sound. Considering the price, it’s something of a steal. Height 60cm Fillable Yes Finishes 4 (pole), 3 (base panel) Q Acoustics 20 speaker stands £200 September 2014 Designed with QAs’ Concept 20 speakers in mind, the clever construction and elegant design ensures other speakers give their best too. Height 66.5cm Fillable No Finishes 2…

View offers 4K television | £2199 | whf.cm/TX-55JZ1500B Panasonic has embraced the OLED era in a wholehearted, star-crossed lovers-style, producing some of the best TVs of the past few years. But, for the last couple of those, the company’s flagship picture has been tethered to its flagship sound. Whether you rate that flagship sound or not (we did in 2019 but didn’t in 2020), the fact remains that, in buying Panasonic’s best picture, you’re also forced into paying for something that you might not use because you’ve already got (or are getting) a dedicated sound system. For 2021, though, Panasonic has changed tack so its best picture is no longer exclusive to this year’s 2000-series models but is also a feature of the 1500-series, seen here in 55-inch, TX-55JZ1500B guise.…

View offers Headphones | £279 | whf.cm/JBLTourOne At first glance, the Tour One over-ears look and feel far too minimalist for JBL. Where are the bright colours? The big JBL exclamation mark? JBL claims the Tour One have been “designed for business professionals”, and that’s evident in that these wireless noise-cancelling headphones boast up to 50 hours of music playback from a single charge and can access virtual voice assistants from Amazon and Google – very business-like. At £279, they aren’t cheap, but they do undercut the Apple AirPods Max (£549) by a considerable margin. They are more in the ballpark of the now often discounted, Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM4 (currently around £279), also-reduced Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless (roughly £233) and Bose’s talented Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 (£250). Unboxing the Tour…

View online deals whf.cm/TVdeals It’s hard to think of any TV brand that better fits Forrest Gump’s “life is like a box of chocolates” mantra than Toshiba. With the Toshiba name now being applied to TVs made chiefly in Turkey rather than Japan, we’ve seen a pretty dizzying mixture of the decent, the bad and the ugly from Toshiba’s recent TV efforts. With this in mind it was pretty much impossible to predict what we were going to get out of the new 50in 50UK3163DB when it landed on our test benches. Certainly we could never in our wildest dreams have predicted that it was actually going to end up dazzling us with arguably the most aggressively ‘next-gen’ pictures we’ve seen from any sub-£500 TV to date. Market context While…

When awarding What Hi-Fi?’s coveted five-star badge, we always look for the best balance of performance, features and price. an affordable level in their respective ranges, that also include premium, and pricier, versions. In the case of Sony’s XR-55A80J, we love its flagship older sibling, the A90J, but this step-down set has much of what we loved about that TV, at around £1000 cheaper. Samsung’s QE55QN94A is also just one character shy of the company’s top 4K TV for the year, the QN95A, but with a cheeky little discount. It’s about bang for your buck, then; but our head to head also turns out to be a comparison between competing technologies: OLED and Neo QLED. Which TV has the skills to come out on top? Read on! For a third,…

“It’s the speakers’ ability from the midrange up that marks them out as truly special. They excel with voices” Franco Serblin’s Accordo Essence could be a victim of their own success. So lovely are those striking solid wood cabinets that it’s too easy to park these floorstanders in the ‘all show, no go’ category. But to do so would be a big mistake, for these are highly capable and charismatic performers. Franco Serblin founded renowned Italian speaker brand Sonus Faber in 1983. There, he was responsible for designing some of the most beautifully made and musically rewarding speakers we’ve heard. We’re pleased to report that the Accordo Essence are good enough to be counted among them. THREE-WAY DESIGN At just 110cm high and 23cm wide at the front baffle, they’re…

View offers whf.cm/BBCDPlayers Cambridge CXC £299 Awards 2015 If you already have a DAC (the CXC is useless without one) we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this transport over a standalone CD player. Type CD transport Outputs Coaxial, optical Marantz CD6007 £399 Best CD player under £500, Awards 2020 No one can accuse Marantz of pushing the boundaries on the CD6007, but it has taken an already excellent CD player and made it a bit better. Type CD transport Outputs Coaxial, optical Musical Fidelity M2sCD £699 June 2020 Musical Fidelity’s CD player sounds expansive, detailed and delicately layered - a resoundingly listenable proposition. Type CD player Outputs Coaxial, optical Up to £1000 Naim CD5si £1149 October 2014 The CD5si boasts a full-bodied, winningly enthusiastic approach to music. The absence of digital…

View offers whf.cm/BBMusicStreamers Audiolab 6000N Play £449 Best music streamer under £500, Awards 2020 A great, affordable way to implement streaming into your system without compromising sonic quality. The best budget solution we’ve seen… Outputs Line-in, coaxial, optical, subwoofer Chord 2yu £449 November 2021 Partnered with a suitably capable digital-to-analogue converter, this could be all the digital source you’ll ever need. Outputs USB, coaxial, optical, BNC Up to £500 Cambridge CXN V2 £799 Best music streamer £500-£1000, Awards 2020 All the success of the classy CXN streamer, with added Google Chromecast. Great design, features set and performance. Inputs Coaxial, optical, USB x2 Chord 2go £995 July 2020 The Chord 2go is a brilliant way to add streaming capability to the company’s Award-winning Hugo 2 DAC (and only the Hugo 2).…

Read more at… www.whathifi.com/features It’s no good spending hundreds of pounds on your new speakers if you then don’t allow them to perform properly. Take care with positioning to get them to sing. Wall or in the open? Where’s the best place to position a speaker? Some speakers might sound better against a wall, while others prefer to be out in the open. Whatever your specific requirements, your speaker choice should primarily take into account how much space you have to house them. Use a stand Speaker stands keep the speaker cabinet rigid. This allows for more of the drivers’ movement to be translated into sound and not wasted through vibrations. If your stands are on a carpet, make sure you have spikes to ensure stability. Tweeter height The higher-frequency…

View offers whf.cm/BBWirelessSpeakers Up to £100 Ultimate Ears Roll 2 £60 Best wireless speaker under £100, Awards 2018 The Roll 2 has a sound that’s more open, more dynamic and goes louder than that of its predecessor. The drop in price makes this a bargain. Size (hw) 4 x 14cm Battery 9 hours Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 £90 Best portable wireless speaker under £100, Awards 2019 If you want a travelling companion you can rely on, this portable, rugged and durable speaker is a great-sounding option. Size (hw) 10.5 x 9.5cm Battery 13 hours Apple HomePod Mini £99 January 2021 It’s much smaller and more affordable than expected, but the most surprising thing about the HomePod Mini is its superb sound. Size (hw) 4 x 14cm Battery No £100 to £250…

View offers whf.cm/BBProjectors Up to £2000 Optoma UHD40 £1199 Best projector under £1500, Awards 2019 A ‘4K’ projector that brings top-tier technology to a budget price point, this device boasts punchy colours and insightful detail. Throw ratio 1.21:1-1.59:1 Inputs HDMI x2, VGA, 3.5mm Speakers Yes Epson EH-TW7100 £1599 Best projector under £2000, Awards 2020 The Epson EH-TW7100 stretches the limit of what can be considered a budget big screen device, but it more than justifies its price. Throw ratio 1.32-2.15:1 Inputs HDMI x2, USB 2.0 x2 Speakers Yes LG CineBeam HU80KSW £1967 December 2019 An all-in-one, do-it-all 4K portable projector that does its thing with aplomb. You can have the CineBeam up and running in a matter of minutes. Throw ratio 1.3:1 Inputs HDMI x2 Speakers Yes £2000 to £10,000 Epson…

View offers whf.cm/BBSpeakerPackages Wharfedale DX-2 £399 Best speaker package under £500, Awards 2020 Wharfedale delivers movie magic on a small scale with this enjoyable, well integrated package that’s perfect for smaller rooms and budgets. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 12 x 31 x 12cm Finishes 2 Q Acoustics 3010i 5.1 Cinema Pack £895 Best speaker package £500-£1000, Awards 2020 The subwoofer needs a bit more kick, but this fantastic sub-£1000 5.1 package delivers a clear, well-balanced and expressive performance. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 15 x 43 x 22 cm Finishes 4 Up to £1000 B&W MT-50 £1100 Awards 2015 These speakers sound crisp, clear and insightful, and the sub and satellites integrate so well. Value and versatility combined. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 25 x 11 x 16cm Finishes 2 Q Acoustics…

View offers whf.cm/BBHeadphones In-ears up to £250 SoundMagic E11C £50 Best in-ear headphones under £50, Awards 2020 The latest version of Soundmagic’s budget in-ears continues to impress with a full-bodied, energetic and informative sound. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.2m Beyerdynamic Soul Byrd £69 April 2019 You’ll struggle to find a better pair of in-ear headphones costing less than £70 than these Beyerdynamics. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.2m Sennheiser Momentum M2 IEi £70 Best in-ears £50-£100, Awards 2017 You wouldn’t think anything so small could sound quite so good – not for just £70. But they are wonderfully smooth, expressive and balanced. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.3m Klipsch T5M Wired £70 Best in-ear headphones £50-£100, Awards 2020 Not only do they have some of the most comfortable tips…

View offers whf.cm/BBMobilePhones iOS Apple iPhone SE Best smartphone under £500, Awards 2020 Apple’s budget iPhone delivers a satisfying and slick smartphone experience at an attractive price. OS iOS Size (hwd) 138 x 67 x 8mm Storage 64GB, 128GB, 256GB Android Samsung Galaxy S9 Reviewed online, 2018 A polished successor to the S8 that, due to a number of carefully considered tweaks, is one of the best Android phones available. OS Android Size (hwd) 148 x 69 x 9mm Storage 64GB/microSD Sony Xperia 1 III October 2021 Sony’s latest flagship phone is well worth considering if audio and video performance are key factors for you when choosing a mobile handset. OS Android 10 Size (hwd) 165 x 71 x 8.2mm Storage 256GB/microSD Sony Xperia 5 II April 2021 Its pricier…

View offers whf.cm/BBPortableMusicPlayers Up to £200 Amazon Fire HD 10 £150 Best tablet under £200, Awards 2020 A cheap and cheerful tablet that’s good for the money and has a lot of the functionality you’d find in more expensive efforts. OS Android Size (hwd) 114 x 190 x 10mm Storage 8GB £200 and above Apple iPad 8th Gen £329 Best tablet over £200, Awards 2020 Apple’s latest iPad opts for evolution over revolution – and modest evolution at that. But it’s easier to accept when the end product is this good. OS iOS Size (hwd) 240 x 170 x 8mm Storage 32, 128GB Apple iPad Mini (2019) £399 Best tablet over £200, Awards 2019 The looks haven’t changed, but under the skin improvements make the latest iPad Mini even better…

View offers whf.cm/BBAVHifiRacks Atacama Apollo Storm 6 £390 February 2018 Another class-leading support from Atacama that’s cheaper than its Award-winning sibling. It lets your kit perform at its best. Width 590mm Modular Yes Cable management No Hi-Fi Racks Omnium8 £478 Reviewed online, 2018 Hi-Fi Racks has made the Ominium8 about as flexible as possible. You can specify everything from finish to shelf spacing and upright shape. Width 57cm Modular Yes Cable management Yes Up to £500 £500 and above Atacama Elite Eco 12.0 £598 March 2013 Those looking for a strong support for AV and hi-fi that enables a fluid, authoritative presentation will like the performance this rack can offer. Width 1157mm Modular Yes Cable management Yes Atacama Evoque Eco 60-40 SE £600 Best equipment rack, Awards 2020 The SE…

View offers whf.cm/BBMainsProducts Mains products Tacima CS947 £35 September 2015 Great value, the highlight being how well it allows for greater detail, attack and dynamics. For the price, it’s a brilliant entry-level purchase. Type Block Mains filter Yes No. of plugs 6 Mains products Russ Andrews X6 £381 September 2015 No matter what the source material, the X6 helps unearth a revealing well-integrated listen, allowing your kit to be as explicit as it can be. Type Block Mains filter Yes No. of plugs 6…

View offers whf.cm/BBSpeakerCables Up to £10/m Chord Company C-Screen £5/m June 2018 The C-Screen possesses the fantastic ability to mirror a system’s punch and drive. What it does, it does better than anything else at the price. Single or Bi-wire Single QED XT25 £6/m May 2018 Features the same characteristics as the more expensive XT40, displaying the kind of transparency that’s difficult for its rivals to match. Single or Bi-wire Single Atlas Equator 2.0 (2018) £7.25/m Reviewed online, 2018 A nicely built speaker cable that promotes a wonderfully clean and detailed delivery – it’s an affordable and easy way to spruce up your system. Single or Bi-wire Single £10/m and above Chord Company Clearway £10/m Best speaker cable, Awards 2017 Not the flashiest cable, its strength is aiding dynamics and…

It’s Autumn, and that traditionally means apples falling from trees and, similarly in recent years, Apple products dropping from the company’s Cupertino, California HQ. At its ‘California Streaming’ event on 14th September, the tech giant announced its latest iPhone range alongside a brand new iPad and iPad Mini. The much anticipated Airpods 3 were a no-show, but here’s our quick guide to the latest Apple products that are now available to buy. iPHONE 13, MINI, PRO & PRO MAX iPhone 13 from £779; Mini from £679; Pro from £949; Pro Max from £1049 The next-gen iPhone brings a host of upgrades including a new design and colours, dual-camera system, super-fast 5G, and Apple’s first-ever 120Hz display. Apple says its new phones have been “redesigned on the inside and out” (despite…