Innholdsfortegnelse for Awards issue 2021 i What Hi-Fi?

After 18 of the more disconcerting months of our lives, it is rather reassuring to come around, once again, to the What Hi-Fi? Awards issue. While many, many things have changed around the world, it’s certainly comforting to know that some things remain resolutely the same. Among those are the efforts of What Hi-Fi?’s team of reviewers to bring you, after many thousands of hours of testing, our verdict on the very best products you can buy in the world of home entertainment – in every category, at every budget. So, whether you are hankering after a new pair of standmount speakers (p64), some wireless headphones (p38), the best television (p80) you can accommodate and afford, or feel the need to upgrade your turntable (p52) – or have any other…

View offers: whf.cm/BestWiredHeadphones2021 BEST WIRED ON-EAR HEADPHONES £200-£400 Grado SR325x £329 The Prestige range of headphones has been at the core of Grado’s output since it was first introduced three decades ago. While the series has developed over the years, Grado has always done it in small evolutionary steps. The story remains the same for this new ‘x’ generation, with most of the important work going unseen. The 44mm drive unit has been changed considerably with a revised motor system, new diaphragm and upgraded coil. The aim is to improve efficiency and reduce distortion. Similarly, that new eight conductor cable uses ‘super’ annealed copper and is claimed to deliver a purer sound than that used before. These still remind us of the headphones air traffic control operators used in the…

View offers: whf.cm/BestSmartphones2021 BEST SMARTPHONE OVER £1000 Sony Xperia 1 III £1199 We loved the last-gen Xperia 1 II but here the design has been tweaked, the battery boosted, the 4K display now has a 120Hz refresh rate and there’s an upgraded chipset and GPU. Photography fans will be pleased by the inclusion of a periscope lens, too. But crucially for us, Sony has eked out yet more performance from the Xperia 1 III screen and a 3.5mm headphone output (wireless audio is of course an option) gives us even more reason to recommend it over most rivals. If you want a 4K display in your hand, your quest for a new phone begins and ends here. It’s a 6.5in, OLED, 21:9 aspect ratio screen. which is designed to maximise…

View offers: whf.cm/BestRadios2021 BEST RADIO OVER £200 Tivoli Model One Digital Generation 2 £299 The Tivoli Model One Digital Generation 2’s ideal environment might be the cover of Livingetc. backed by Farrow and Ball painted walls in a hue called ‘Purbeck Stone’. Our walnut sample has grey, eco-friendly fabric covering the speaker portion on the left of the cabinet, which comprises a Class A/B amplifier to drive a single long-throw 3.5-inch full-range driver. The central power/volume knob is cool aluminium, as is the bezel ring control around the display. Four small rubber feet and a classic shiny, retractable antenna complete the look. Yes, it’s pricey for a DAB radio, but you can certainly feel the quality. About the size of a paperback book, and at just over 1.5kg of wood,…

View offers: whf.cm/BestStreamingServices2021 Disney Plus £7.99/month Nearly 100 years, more than 400 movies and 60 Academy Award wins since Walt started out, nearly every Disney title ever committed to celluloid is now available to stream in one place. Disney Plus offers a rich catalogue of films and TV shows from Disney and its subsidiaries, of which there are many, plus Star, a channel that offers “grown up” content from ABC and 20th Century Fox back-catalogues, plus Hulu originals. There are more than 700 films and 400 TV series, from all-time classics to family favourites. It’s the only place to see Star Wars and Marvel, and is the exclusive streaming hub for every Disney theatrical release from 2019 and beyond. BEST TV STREAMING SERVICE Many titles are presented in the best…

View offers: whf.cm/BestAmplifiers2021 BEST STEREO AMPLIFIER £800-£1500 Cambridge Audio CXA81 £999 It’s a three-peat of Product of the Year Awards for Cambridge’s remarkable CXA81 amplifier. This sweet-spot hitting winner replaced the already impressive CXA80 in 2019, and immediately walked off with the top gong in the stereo amplifier category. Although Cambridge’s engineers kept this integrated amp’s basic analogue circuit layout unchanged, they upgraded its signal path and the capacitors in both the pre and power sections. They also slotted in a superior ESS Sabre ES9016K2M DAC and an improved USB input that supports audio of up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 quality. An aptX HD Bluetooth receiver allows direct streaming at up to 24-bit/384kHz. On the analogue side there are four RCA ins and a balanced XLR, while the coaxial input…

View offers: whf.cm/BestMusicSystems2021 BEST ALL-IN-ONE SYSTEM OVER £1000 KEF LS50 Wireless II £2449 The LS50 Wireless are an entry into our What Hi-Fi? Hall of Fame, which should tell you a little about how impressed we were with them. The LS50 Wirelesses are an active speaker system take on KEF’s LS50s – wireless stereo speakers with built-in amplification and streaming smarts – and the Wireless IIs squeeze even more performance out of that familiar chassis and Uni-Q driver arrangement. They do this through the introduction of an innovation called Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), a clever way of absorbing sound waves radiating from the rear of the tweeter dome so they don’t distort the unit’s output. This involves a round piece of plastic with a maze-like structure behind the tweeter. Each…

View offers: whf.cm/BestHomeCinemaAmplifiers2021 BEST HOME CINEMA AMPLIFIER UNDER £1500 Denon AVC-X3700H £1149 When you listen to class-leading products as often as we do, you know immediately when a new standard has been set. Such is the case with Denon’s latest 8K-ready home cinema amplifier. The sonic improvement it has made on the previous model, the Award-winning AVC-X3600H, is quite surprisingly marked. One of the AVC-X3700H’s seven HDMI inputs and two of its three outputs are full HDMI 2.1 sockets with support for 8K@60Hz and 4K@120Hz. All of its HDMI connections support HDR10+, Dynamic HDR and Quick Media Switching alongside HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision. For gamers, there’s VRR, ALLM and Quick Frame Transport to reduce lag and improve performance. The AVC-X3700H has 11 channels of processing and nine power amplifier…

View offers: whf.cm/BestProjectors2021 BEST PROJECTOR UNDER £2000 Epson EH-TW7100 £1599 Sticking with tradition has its advantages. In a world of laser and ultra-short-throw technologies, Epson has kept faith in its traditional 3LCD projectors. The EH-TW7100 may not be native 4K, and its bulb will need replacing after four years, but its reasonable price tag speaks for itself. The EH-TW7100 has Bluetooth for audio-out to a soundbar or wireless speakers, but there are sufficient HDMI and powered USB ports to handle a media streamer on top of other sources. It also runs at 3000 lumens – bright enough to get a decent picture even with some light in the room. The EH-TW7100 is easy to live with, thanks to its compact size and adjustable lens that can project a 100in image…

TEMPTATION AWARD Linn Klimax DSM AV £30,000 Up in the stratosphere of high-end audio kit there are some exceptionally talented products, many of which we have heard; so it takes some doing to create a device that beats them all. With the Klimax DSM AV, Linn has done just that. Linn has been in the streamer game longer than most, and it shows in the sophistication and quality of this range-topping Klimax DSM. There are three variants of the Klimax. One is intended to be used as a digital source in a two-channel music set-up, while the AV variant, the one we are talking about here, adds four HDMI 2.0 sockets and a single e-ARC-equipped output to an already extensive features list. The System Hub is the final Klimax DSM…

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION Tetsuya Itani Tetsuya Itani has an enviable CV. He started working as an engineer at Technics way back in 1980 and his first job was to take part in the development of the company’s first CD player, the SL-SP10, which was released two years later. He was a software engineer at the time and still holds many patents to do with CD player control protocols. Since those early days he has been instrumental in the design of various Laserdisc, DVD and Blu-ray players for Panasonic (Technics’ parent company), and helped to develop the HDMI standard, before returning to the premium audio brand for its re-launch in 2014. At Technics he has overseen the development of a series of class-leading products that have helped to establish the company as…

 View offers whf.cm/BBCDPlayers Up to £1000 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 £1000 to £6000 Naim…

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 “There’s no doubt the Pure Evoke H2 is an upgrade over the D2” 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 “The Stream 94i is the complete package, making it the best radio at this price” Up…

BUYER’S GUIDE BEST BUYS The only products worth considering 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 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Compatibility 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, CD HDMI out 2…

PVRs 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 Subscription boxes 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…

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…

View offers whf.cm/BBPortableMusicPlayers 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) “If you’re looking for a sonic upgrade over your phone, the Sony will offer it across the board” 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 justifies the price hike with a performance that takes transparency and entertainment to the next level”…

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 Music 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…

View offers whf.cm/BBAVHifiRacks Up to £500 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 “Want to give your system adequate support for a decent price? Atacama has you covered” 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 “As configurable an equipment rack as we’ve come across” £500 and above Atacama Elite Eco 12.0 £598 March 2013 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Those looking for a strong…

View offers Smartphone | £779 | whf.cm/iPhone13 The iPhone 13 has a big job to do. The previous generation brought some significant changes, including a revamped design, new processor and new OLED screen. So all those things are already in place; but has Apple managed to move the game on yet again, or is this more akin to a mildly tweaked ‘S’ model, as we’ve seen in the past? The first bit of good news regards the price. Those of you expecting the iPhone 13 to be more expensive than the previous model might be surprised to learn that there’s been no price hike. In fact, the iPhone 13 is £20 cheaper than the equivalent iPhone 12 was at launch, across all available storage sizes of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB.…

View offers Music streamer | £1299 | whf.cm/ArcamST60 The Arcam ST60 is the British company’s debut dedicated streamer. Unsurprisingly it uses the streaming architecture from its premium amplified sibling the SA30 (and naturally strips out the amplification stage), gifting owners AirPlay 2, Google Cast, uPnP playback and internet radio, as well as analogue and digital connections and support for MQA and Roon. That’s a sweeping offering in today’s streamer market – one inclusive of the popular streaming platforms that boast broad music service and device support, and that consequently taps into the emerging habits of this generation’s keen streamers. Despite such compatibility becoming more ubiquitous, of course, Arcam has entered the music streamer market with an impressively talented performer. The ST60 is self-assured in its delivery – big, full, solid…

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View offers: whf.cm/BestPortableMusic Players2021 BEST PORTABLE MUSIC PLAYER £500-£1000 Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 £599 Each new generation of Astell & Kern’s ‘entry level’ portable music players has proved more talented than the last – and so it is with the SR25. It doesn’t let its lineage down; indeed, it sets a new performance benchmark. The A&norma SR25 marks more of an evolution than a revolution of the brand’s entry-level player, but still it takes significant strides. The SR25 supports native DSD256 and 32-bit/384kHz audio. In a first for an Astell & Kern player, the SR25 expands Bluetooth support to include Sony’s LDAC codec alongside aptX HD and A2DP for high-quality wireless playback through a pair of compatible headphones. The 3.6in HD screen is now more responsive, thanks to a…

View offers: whf.cm/BestWirelessHeadphones2021 BEST WIRELESS HEADPHONES £150-£300 Sony WH-1000XM4 £279 These advanced over-ears represented such a significant step forward for Sony when they featured on these pages last year that we’re not at all surprised they’re here again this year. That’s not to say Sony has sat on its laurels: you can now specify these noise-cancellers in Midnight Blue and Silent White as well as Silver or Black. Fit is very comfortable and there’s just enough pressure to grip your ears and get a solid seal around them without the headphones feeling too loose – although we wouldn’t recommend using them during exercise. You’ll need to run Sony’s NC Optimiser (via the ‘Custom’ button) before you use the headphones for the first time. It optimises the noise-cancelling based on factors…

View offers: whf.cm/BestCDplayers2021 BEST CD PLAYER UNDER £500 Marantz CD6007 £399 It’s a second win this year for the Marantz CD6007, a machine impossible to differentiate from the model it replaced, the three-time Award-winning Marantz CD6006 UK Edition. Happily, the engineers didn’t take things quite as easy as Marantz’s design department. The CD6007 brought a change of DAC chip, to an AKM 4490, allowing the CD6007 to process hi-res PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD128, though you’ll need to use the front-panel USB Type A socket to get the files into the player. The CD6007’s build quality is excellent. It feels solid and operates with a slickness that belongs at a far higher price point. The disc mechanism is quiet and responsive, and we can’t think of a rival…

View offers: whf.cm/BestTurntables2021 BEST TURNTABLE £500-£750 Rega Planar 3/Elys2 £685 In last year’s Awards issue, we said that “Rega’s Planar 3/Elys 2 combination wins our Product of the Year title yet again. Though we said the same thing last year, and years before that, once again no rival we tested this time round even came close to knocking this excellent package off the top spot.” Well, let’s add one more year to that really rather remarkable record. This Planar doesn’t look very different from the original, dating back to the late 1970s; yet every part of this deck has been carefully developed, leading to regular hikes in performance. The changes between this generation and the last are significant. The glossy plinth is far smarter and more rigid than before, with…

View offers: whf.cm/BestStandmountSpeakers2021 BEST STANDMOUNT SPEAKER £750-£1500 KEF LS50 Meta £999 We still find it hard to believe that this iteration of our beloved LS50s are even better than the ones that first arrived in 2012. But somehow, unbelievably, with these Metas KEF has improved upon an already winning formula. They don’t look any different from the LS50s – KEF having concluded that little could be improved on their beautifully made enclosure. The only obvious changes are to the back panel, which has been tidied up and made to look neater. The Uni-Q driver array, though, has been thoroughly reworked, taking in the refinements KEF has developed over the past few years and, crucially, adding something new in the form of MAT (Metamaterial Absorption Technology). Here, the rearward sound feeds…

View offers: whf.cm/BestTelevisions2021 BEST 48-50in TV OVER £1000 Philips 48OLED806 £1299 In a world of ever larger TVs, the 48-inch OLED remains a beacon of hope for those with more modest needs. This Philips model is one of the second generation of such TVs, which promise genuine flagship performance at a more manageable screen size – something that’s impossible to find on the LCD side of the market. The 62 x 107 x 28cm dimensions might not mean a huge amount on paper, but what it really amounts to is the kind of size and shape that will work in almost any home. Philips’s famous four-sided Ambilight system features, with four backwards-facing strips of LED lights around the rear edge of the set that change colour to match the on-screen…

View offers: whf.cm/BestSpeakerPackages2021 BEST SPEAKER PACKAGE OVER £1500 Dali Oberon 5 5.1 Speaker Package £1699 Home cinema speakers are about lifting your home entertainment onto a higher plane of existence. It’s all there on your video content just waiting to be unlocked: a beautiful soundtrack, clean dialogue, hard-hitting bass and surround sound effects. And Dali’s Oberon 5 5.1 package turns the key with panache, comfortably beating every rival around it for clarity, detail and expression. It comprises the multi-Award-winning Oberon 5 floorstanding speakers as right and left channels, sandwiching an Oberon Vokal centre, with a pair of Oberon 1 standmounters delivering surround effects. And providing the low end punch is a 170W Sub E9-F. The Oberon 5s have a fairly large and lightweight 29mm soft-dome tweeter, which can dip into…

View offers: whf.cm/BestVideoStreamers2021 BEST VIDEO STREAMER OVER £100 Apple TV 4K (2021) £169 It may not be overwhelmingly exciting, but Apple has performed a nip here and a tuck there and produced an Apple TV 4K that’s good enough to set the standard in this video streamer category. The most significant upgrade is the processor: Apple has swapped the A10X Fusion chip of the old model for the A12 Bionic. The company claims that this change results in “more realistic games, more lifelike videos and more immersive sound.” Combined with the new remote, complete with iPod style click-wheel, it certainly produces a snappier user experience. The processor also combines with a new HDMI 2.1 socket to add support for 4K HDR content in frame rates of up to 60fps, whereas…

HALL OF FAME Marantz PM6007 £479 Marantz has ruled the roost over the £500 integrated-stereo-amplifier market for well over a decade now. Its weapon of choice over that time has been the 6000 series of amplifiers, of which the PM6007 is just the latest. The Midas touch started with the introduction of the PM6002 in 2008, and ever since then this model line has consistently dominated its sector, leaving a trail of What Hi-Fi? five-star reviews and Best Buy Awards. True to that pedigree, the PM6007 is now a two-time winner of our Best Buy at this sweet-spot price, apeing the success of its immediate predecessor – and the machine from which it is evolved – the PM6006 UK Edition. That’s quite some record for the now-Japanese specialist hi-fi company…

View offers whf.cm/BBHifiSpeakers Standmounts up to £200 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 “The way these speakers handle dynamics is impressive” Standmounters from £200 to £500 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 “These new Debuts should be considered one of the company’s finest efforts” Dali Oberon 1 £349 February 2019 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ About…

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)…

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 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…

View offers whf.cm/BBSoundbars Up to £500 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 £500 to £1000 Sonos Playbar £699 August 2017 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It’s not perfect, but it still has the sonic heft and all-round quality to edge…

View offers whf.cm/BBTelevisions 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 As long as you’re not expecting the moon on a stick, you will be delighted by its performance” Up to 43in 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 “The Roku TV smart platform is pretty close to flawless. It covers all the major streaming services” Samsung UE50TU8500 £499 Best 48-50in…

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 “The iPhone laps up the power and drama of the track. Dynamics are excellent” Android iOS 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 “Samsung’s careful refinements make the S9 a pretty impressive package” Sony Xperia 1 III October 2021 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Sony’s latest flagship…

View offers whf.cm/BBPortableMusicPlayers 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 Up to £200 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,…

View offers whf.cm/BBCartridges 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 “The sound it delivers is clear, informative and fun. We can’t ask much more than that” 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 “There’s plenty of attack here as basslines are punched out with glee and no shortage of passion ” Cartridges…

View the full article online whf.cm/SkyGlass After a short stint in the rumour mill, Sky Glass has been unveiled, and it’s a… TV! Not just any TV, though. Sky Glass is a TV with the Sky service built-in – and you don’t need a dish to use it. It’s got integrated Dolby Atmos sound and support for Dolby Vision. Most enticingly of all, it can be yours for the eye-openingly low price of just £13 per month. Sort of. So just what is Sky Glass all about? HOW MUCH DOES SKY GLASS COST? The Sky Glass TV is available in three sizes – Small (43in, £649 upfront), Medium (55in, £849) and Large (65in, £1049). Sky Glass can be paid for monthly – for example, the Small set costs £13 per…

 JOE COX Global editor-in-chief “A supremely impressive modern hi-fi system”  JOE NAIM UNITI ATOM PAGE 74 KETAN BHARADIA Technical editor “It’s tough to make an affordable floorstander that is musical and well engineered. Wharfedale has managed just that with the Diamond 12.3” WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 12.3 SPEAKERS PAGE 68 ANDY MADDEN Deputy editor “Sony’s superb wireless earbuds tick all the boxes” SONY WF-1000XM4 PAGE 39 BECKY ROBERTS Hi-fi editor “The most appealing way to add streaming to your system on a budget” BLUESOUND NODE (2021) PAGE 48 TOM PARSONS TV & AV editor “With its incredible home cinema sound, the SDR-35 AVR proves that specs aren’t everything” JBL SYNTHESIS SDR-35 PAGE 89 DAN SUNG Staff writer “There isn’t a single projector I’ve looked at that hasn’t made me wish I was testing the N5 instead. This…

View offers CD player | £1995 | whf.cm/CyrusCDi-XR Cyrus has dominated the premium CD player market for more years than we care to remember. Its long-running and still current CDi model has won the premium CD player category in our Awards every year since its introduction in late 2013 – including this year. That level of success says as much about the CDi’s quality as it does the state of the CD player market. Cyrus’s new XR range, which the CDi-XR is part of, sits above the existing Classic series and also comprises two integrated amplifiers, a preamp, an outboard power supply and a dedicated CD transport. The CDi-XR looks a little too familiar for an all-new product, with the same half width casing the brand has been using for…

114 TOP AWARDS OF THE YEAR AWARDS CATEGORIES Wired headphones 28 Portable music players 32 Tablets 34 Smartphones 36 Wireless headphones 38 Wireless speakers 42 Radios 46 CD players 47 Music streamers 48 Streaming services 51 Turntables 52 DACs 56 Stereo amplifiers 60 Standmount speakers 64 Floorstanding speakers 68 Music systems 72 Multi-room systems 75 Accessories 76 Set-top boxes 79 Televisions 80 Soundbars and soundbases 85 AV amplifiers 88 Speaker packages 90 Blu-ray players 93 Projectors 94 Video streamers 96 Readers’ Award 97 Temptation 98 Hall of Fame 99 Innovation 100 Outstanding Contribution 101…

View offers: whf.cm/BestTablets2021 BEST TABLET £250-£750 Apple iPad Air (2020) £579 When this fourth-generation iPad Air appeared towards the end of 2020, it had a brand-new design, complete with a new Touch ID sensor and speaker layout, as well as a bigger screen, more powerful processor and improved main camera. No wonder it made a splash. Its design mirrors that of the iPhone 12, and if you like the look and feel of that smartphone, you’re going to love the iPad Air 4. Curiously, it comes with a USB-C port instead of Lightning, but those flat sides and crisp edges give the tablet a more purposeful appearance from the off – and, crucially, hide speaker grilles on both the top and bottom. It makes for quite the contrast, switching from…

View offers: whf.cm/BestWirelessSpeakers2021 BEST HOME WIRELESS SPEAKER OVER £500 Naim Mu-so Qb 2 £749 For a product to have made it to the top table of our Awards, you can be sure a lot of work has gone into making it. We can thank the hi-fi engineers for that, those backroom boys toiling away in the lab, constantly improving their products to serve a rapidly evolving market. In the case of Naim’s engineering team, not only did they bring us the excellent Mu-so and its 2nd-generation follow-up, they also created its cube shaped descendant, the Mu-so Qb, which, in due course, spawned the phenomenal Qb 2 that we see here. First you are lured in by the unit’s asymmetrical curves, then you’re wooed by that gorgeous rotary volume dial with…

View offers: whf.cm/BestDACs2021 BEST DAC £500-£1200 Chord Qutest £1195 When this powered DAC was launched in 2018, Chord called it the ‘world’s most advanced’. It may be that’s no longer the case, but as the Qutest has now bagged our Product of the Year Award for the fourth year running, it’s hard to argue that it’s still right at the top of the tree. To Chord’s credit, a superlative was really the only way it could go when naming a successor to the three-time Award-winning 2Qute, and the Qutest justifies it. It’s not wholly surprising, considering it’s largely based on yet another Chord Award winner, the Hugo 2. It uses the same DAC architecture, software coding and frequency-shaping filters, but ditches the headphone amplifier and rechargeable Li-on batteries that make…

View offers: whf.cm/BestFloorstandingSpeakers2021 BEST FLOORSTANDING SPEAKER UNDER £500 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 £499 Speakers at this level have a difficult job to do: they have to be forgiving enough to sound acceptable with budget all-in-one electronics but still have the transparency to make the most of the best price-compatible separates. The Diamond 12.3 are masters at juggling these almost contradictory demands. They’re smooth, even-handed and wonderfully refined for the money. Feed them a poor signal and they are skilled at revealing the shortcomings without shouting about them. They’ll round off rough edges and downplay unwanted aggression without sounding like they’re smothering the life out of the music. But given a good source and suitably capable amplification, they perform superbly. They resolve a large amount of information but also present it in…

View offers: whf.cm/BestAccessories2021 AudioQuest Rocket 11 £12.50/m AudioQuest seems to collect Product of the Year Awards the way a squirrel hoards nuts. And those gongs are well deserved, because the Rocket 11 is still the go-to speaker cable for us. Let’s talk about how flexible it is. It’s easy to bend the cable around tricky tight corners to reach your kit without fear you’ll break or damage the cabling. It uses semi-solid concentric conductors and long-grain copper to improve performance and reduce any interference that might degrade the sound quality. Thoughtful touches such as marking the left and right cables, labelling which end goes into the amplifier and which end plugs into the speaker, and designing it so that you can use them in a singlewired or bi-wired configuration if…

View offers: whf.cm/BestSoundbars2021 BEST SOUNDBAR £1000-£1500 Sony HT-A7000 £1199 Standing proudly on its own two rubberised feet, the HT-A7000 doesn’t require any additional speakers to justify its hefty price point or its position as Sony’s flagship soundbar. This 7.1.2 slab of sound packs two up-firing speakers, two beam tweeters, five front-facing drivers and a built-in dual subwoofer into a single chassis. If you want to add to the HT-A7000, you can almost double its price with a choice of subwoofers and surround speakers. Now, while we understand that low frequencies are most faithfully reproduced by larger drivers, and that reflected surround sound is no match for direct audio, often we’ve found multi-box systems aren’t as cohesive as a whole. At a hefty 8.7kg and 8cm high, the HT-A7000 is made…

View offers: whf.cm/BestBlurayPlayers2021 BEST 4K BLU-RAY PLAYER OVER £250 Panasonic DP-UB820EB £299 If you’ve bought into the 4K Blu-ray format and have a suitable home cinema set-up, you need a dedicated player that can deliver on multiple fronts. The Panasonic DP-UB820 is just that, supporting all major HDR formats, delivering a hugely immersive and impactful picture, backed up by a strong audio performance. The DP-UB820 borrows much of its picture-processing tech from the company’s flagship 4K machine, the DP-UB9000, but at less than half the price, which makes it a great buy. The full range of surround-sound codecs on 4K Blu-ray and streaming services are handled, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It also covers all the bases for HDR, with HDR10, HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision support. All the key…

READERS’ AWARD Cambridge Audio Evo 75 £1799 The product categories that we celebrate at the What Hi-Fi? Awards have, predictably, evolved over time, but there remains one award that stands apart from the rest, because it’s the one decided by you, our readers. As is customary, this winner was chosen from a shortlist compiled from our most popular reviews of the year, with thousands of votes subsequently cast on the What Hi-Fi? website. And, for the first time in a few years, it’s not a pair of speakers. The Cambridge Audio Evo 75 is, to use some ’90s marketing speak, very now. Just-add-speakers streaming systems have exploded in popularity and availability this year, and this Cambridge Audio certainly ticked our boxes, as the five-star review testified; and it seems to…

INNOVATION Apple Spatial Audio It’s notoriously difficult to create surround sound, let alone Dolby Atmos, via two drivers that are right next to your ears. A huge amount of processing is required in order essentially to trick your brain into thinking the sound is coming from all around you. Even if a device succeeds in this regard, it can struggle to deliver the sense of distance that you get from a true surround-sound system and, worse, sound effects can take on a synthesised quality that undermines the immersive quality that the tech is designed to deliver. That’s not the experience you get from Apple Spatial Audio. Play an Atmosintensive movie via an iPhone or iPad and pop on a pair of AirPods Pro or, ideally, AirPods Max headphones, and it’s…

View offers whf.cm/BBStereoAmps Stereo amps up to £500 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…

View offers whf.cm/BBMusicStreamers Up to £500 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 Bluesound Node (2021) £549 December 2021 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ For this outlay the Node 2021 represents one of the most entertaining and comprehensive ways of adding music streaming to your hi-fi system. Outputs RCA, coaxial, optical, subwoofer, 3.5mm £500 to £1000 Cambridge CXN V2 £799 Best music streamer £500-£1000,…

Read more at… www.whathifi.com/features 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 sounds from a tweeter are more directional, and having them at ear level ensures optimum performance. So try to choose stands that will have your speaker at the right…

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 “The same sense of fun as the previous model, but there’s a touch of maturity with the Roll 2” 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 “The Wonderboom 2 delivers a sound as…

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 “It has all the detail, attack and deftness to deliver exhilaration in spades” 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 “This compact set really hits the spot with its great clarity, integration, expression and ample bass weight”…

View offers whf.cm/BBHeadphones BUYER’S GUIDE BEST BUYS The only products worth considering 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…

BUYER’S GUIDE BEST BUYS The only products worth considering 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 £50 and above 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…

View offers whf.cm/BBMainsProducts 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 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/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) “The Mosecos may just be our new favourite affordable speaker stands” 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 “£200 for a pair of speaker stands? When they’re this good, we don’t mind”…