Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2025 i What Hi-Fi?

View Offers Wireless speaker | £299 | whf.cm/XBoomGo_XG8T What is it about Bluetooth speaker manufacturers and the word ‘boom’? There are plenty of brands attaching the term as a suffix or prefix to the names of their portable speakers, including a raft of Ultimate Ears models, offerings from Soundcore and Anker, plus quite a few members of the expanded LG stable. Motion Booms, Juice Booms, Extreme Booms, Wonderbooms; the list is endless. Boom or no Boom, Bluetooth speakers of all shapes and sizes abound, so LG’s plus-sized XBoom Go XG8T needs to bring its A-game if this boom isn’t going to turn into a disappointing bust. Disputed territory Its £299 pricetag puts the LG in direct competition with some distinctly esteemed rivals, such as the five-star Bose SoundLink Max and…

View Offers 65in Mini-LED TV | £950 | whf.cm/Omni_Mini_LED The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED is the top dog in the retail giant’s line of own-brand TVs. That makes it the most expensive option firmly in the mid-range, rather than the ‘affordable’, price bracket usually targeted by Amazon TVs. To justify its jump in price, Amazon has loaded the TV with a wealth of upgrades that make it a radical upgrade on the standard Omni QLED model. The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED is available in four sizes – 55, 65, 75 and 85in. The 65in model we have here cost £1150 when it launched at the end of last year, but we are already seeing sporadic price drops, and at the time of writing it is selling for £950,…

Back in the day, we might well have run a B group test such as this one with the headline ‘Clash Of The Titans’ – before that phrase shot up the Biggest Clichés Of All Time chart on its way into the Top Ten. The fact remains, though, that the five floorstanders we have gathered together here are all major players in the sub-£1000 price bracket. All are five-star products and several are multiple What Hi-Fi? Award winners. Titans, every one. That means factors such as style and the particular requirements of your listening room are likely to carry more weight than usual. Be that as it may, we have not shirked our duty to pick a winner. But why now? Why are we choosing this moment to pit these…

It isn’t always easy to build a ‘separates’ hi-fi system, where every component (amplifier, speakers and at least one source) is housed in a separate box. You need space, a fair budget and the time to research what components go well together and how to best set them up. Understandably, then, the sort of time, cost and living space required for separates building means that it certainly isn’t for everyone! And that’s where all-in one hi-fi systems come in. One-box hi-fi systems are becoming an increasingly popular way of listening to music, for those after a good degree of proper hi-fi sound in a more convenient and space-saving form factor. An all-in-one system, such as those we round up over the following pages, offers network streaming, amplification and speakers, all…

View online review whf.cm/ZeppelinPro There’s something about a massive, blimp-shaped unit called the ‘Zeppelin’ which commands your attention. Like the Sony Walkman, the Routemaster Bus or Mario’s blue dungarees, the B&W Zeppelin is a true design classic. The original model made its debut way back in 2006, and was designed as a dock for the iPod Classic. This Zeppelin Pro Edition uses upgraded drivers and improved streaming support to deliver, B&W hopes, a better-sounding spin on its four-star 2021 Zeppelin iteration. These aren’t mere tweaks and tinkerings; the tweeters used have trickled down from the brand’s current 600 S3 Series of loudspeakers, while enhanced conedamping for the midrange units teases a more open, revealing midrange. The B&W Zeppelin from 2021 launched at £699 but has since dropped to around £529…

View online review whf.cm/Evo_One The world of all-in-one systems isn’t as overstuffed as the land of Bluetooth speakers or wireless earbuds, but there is still plenty of quality competition for Cambridge Audio’s new and somewhat boastfully named The One. The Naim Mu-so 2 has been around for more than five years, yet continues to earn plaudits at its ever-reducing price, whereas the stunning Ruark Audio R410 is the bruiser to beat on this block. Some decent alternatives are out there, but is the Evo the ‘One’ for you? Classy looks Built like a sort of scaled-down Brutalist structure, the Evo One’s careful blending of a rectangular exterior with that dominant front grille makes for a pleasing fusion of hard and soft. It’s a classy system and, when put up against…

We get a lot of requests and feedback from our readers about WiiM; the bargain hi-fi brand certainly has many fans out there, who are only too keen to extol its virtues. And, while we have been chastised over our reviews of some WiiM products (we’re mainly looking at you, WiiM Amp), for some of the brand’s offerings we are in full agreement with the enthusiasts. The £220 Pro Plus, WiiM’s budget musicstreaming offering, is a remarkable achievement, with a performance that you would need to spend twice as much to better. That it won a What Hi-Fi? Award was one of the least surprising announcements we made back in October 2024. The more recently launched WiiM Ultra, however, has possibly a greater challenge. It is much closer in price…

From 75in 4K TVs to turntables, and from portable Bluetooth speakers to Dolby Atmos surround-sound packages, here’s where you will find the perfect hi-fi and AV product, fast. NEW ENTRIES THIS MONTH The Cyrus 40 AMP enters with a fanfare. We said: “It’s everything we want in a modern Cyrus integrated amplifier.” Then there is a real treat for streaming fans in the shape of the beautifully packaged WiiM Ultra, plus Technics’ multi-talented EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds and a sweet-sounding pair of overears – the IO-8 – from Dali. HOW TO POSITION YOUR SPEAKERS It’s not just a case of ‘plonk ’em down and plug ’em in’; getting your speakers set up properly can make all the difference to how they sound. We show you how to get it right on…

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 Best video streamer under £100, Awards 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 £169 Best video streamer, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It has a fantastic UI and design, a huge library of 4K HDR content, and the best…

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…

View offers whf.cm/BBAudioCables Up to £150 Chord Company C-Line £63/m Best analogue interconnect under £100, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 Co ClearwayX ARAY Analogue RCA £130/m Best analogue interconnect over £100, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Evolution of a well-regarded interconnect that reveals greater texture, control and dynamics from your system’s performance than before.  Balanced/Single-ended Single…

View offers whf.cm/BBSpeakerCables Up to £10/m Cartridges 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 QED Reference XT40i £11/m May 2020…

EXPERIENCE. HERITAGE. We have been helping the world discover the best in hi-fi and home entertainment for more than 45 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 extensive, bespoke reviewing facilities in London and Reading. 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 any 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…

View Offers Network streamer | £1995 | whf.cm/Lumin_U2_Mini Formed in 2012, Lumin has been in the high-end streamer market longer than most, and that experience shines through in the U2 Mini network transport. It’s a slick, stable performer that could be perfect for those with a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) in their system but who are yet to get into streaming. In a nutshell, this transport fetches the digital music file from wherever it is and passes it to an external DAC (which then converts the digital data to an analogue signal that your amplifier can use). Of course, it is far more common to find music streamers on the market that combine the streaming platform with a built-in DAC, but if your system already contains a digital-to-analogue converter – built…

View Offers Wireless earbuds | £179 | whf.cm/Linkbuds_Open 2024 was the year of the open earbud. Traditional wireless earbuds haven’t gone the way of the dinosaur, of course, but last year it was hard to escape the increasing numbers of open-style designs that eschewed an in-ear fit for a whole new twist on the humble earbud. And there is a lot of competition around Sony’s chosen £179 price point. Sony’s original LinkBuds (WF-L900) had a ringed configuration in which the driver sits on the ear canal rather than inside it, and these latest LinkBuds Open (WF-L910) resemble them closely, sporting, as they do, that same ‘doughnut’ ring driver configuration. The big difference over the originals is the inclusion of an in-ear wing hook replacing the smaller, subtler silicone loops. These…

I remember being around four years old and all the adults in the house made the mistake of leaving me alone with the family hi-fi. The unit was a cassette receiver from a brand called Elizabethan, and I recall very little about it now apart from the stack of dials on the front and its rather fetching fake-wood finish. It was playing some classic Bollywood song from the ’60s, and for the first time ever, I noticed the tone controls on the amplifier. Being so young at the time, I had no idea what the words ‘treble’ and ‘bass’ meant, of course. But once the dials were twiddled in a random fashion, I knew the one marked ‘bass’ did good things and should always be turned up to the max. The…

View online review whf.cm/Revo_SuperConnect In the same way that we once feared vinyl and CD would all but die out thanks to the rise of online music streaming, there was a great deal of anxiety that the good old-fashioned radio would soon go to the wall when portable MP3 players, HomePods and smart speakers emerged from the technological oven. That hasn’t, thankfully, quite happened. There’s still a great demand for having a classic radio as a staple of many domestic audio set-ups, even if the simple requirement of being able to transmit Classic FM and Radio 4 in the kitchen has evolved to necessitate and include a more wide-ranging list of tasks and functions. A modern radio often needs to be a jack-of-all-trades while retaining the signature look, feel and…

View online review whf.cm/Mu-soQb2 The first draft of this review was excellent. Yet, like every article we publish, it still had to go to the sub-editors – their job being to tinker and tidy up, retaining the character of the writing, while making it clearer and more exciting to read. And if these words still appear in this review, then we can be sure they are confident that this is precisely what they have done. So, we know full well the value of revisions. But still it was quite the surprise when first we heard those made by Naim with its second generation of the Mu-so Qb wireless speaker. The previous iteration, simply the Mu-so Qb, was great, earning five stars when it was first reviewed, but this version is…

View online review whf.cm/RuarkR410 The idea of the ‘music system’ never really went away – it just needed a moment to catch up with consumer requirements. Ruark Audio’s contribution to the all-in-one market is the fully loaded, specified-to-compete R410. It is a rather premium system – its £1299 price tag puts the R410 up against some pretty formidable all-in-one competition. Over the previous pages you will have already seen that Cambridge Audio’s new Evo One, plus established Naim rivals and JBL, B&W and Revo models are all ready to offer a viable alternative. Ruark Audio has worked its specific magic with the way the R410 looks. Those 15 x 56 x 29cm (hwd) dimensions are just correct, somehow, and the aesthetic is reassuringly familiar. From the little metal legs on…

• Integrated amplifier • £32,500 Can we put the Telos 690’s price to one side, just for a bit? We know that’s a hard thing to do given just how much Goldmund’s only stereo integrated amplifier costs; but indulge us, if you can. Let’s dream a little. Imagine for a few minutes that you are lucky enough to have the kind of disposable income that allows you to buy an amplifier like this. Assume that the rest of your system is of the required level and your room is sufficiently well-behaved to reveal the sonic benefits of such a high-end product. Got that in your head? Good. If you were in that situation, the first thing that might surprise you is just how much choice is available. You could easily…

View offers whf.cm/BBStereoAmps Stereo amps up to £500 Rega io £379 Best stereo amplifier under £400, Awards 2021 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Those who are happy with a no-fuss, purely analogue amp and w ho 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 x3, MM, optical, coaxial, BT Outputs Headphone Rotel A8 £399 Best stereo amplifier under £500, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A fuss-free, well-built product that sets an enviable standard for sound quality at this level. The A8’s understated…

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 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. But 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 Technica’s AT-LP5 and…

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 Rega Fono Mini A2D Mk2 £110 April 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It is the quality of the sound that continues to impress. Quite simply, we haven’t come across a better-sounding alternative at this entry level. Type MM Dimensions (hwd) 3 x 10 x 10.5cm 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…

View Offers 55in OLED TV | £1900 | whf.cm/LG_C5 LG’s popular C-series TVs have long been the go-to, easy-to-recommend OLEDs that suit people’s needs and exceed their expectations. Their success is due to a simple yet thoroughly effective formula that pairs exceptional picture quality with an uncompromising feature set, all while undercutting its flagship G-series TVs and mid-range OLEDs from rival brands such as Sony and Panasonic. It’s no wonder that LG has seen such success with its prior C-series models, but it has been using this formula for quite some time, and with the OLED market constantly evolving to include new panel technology, we can’t help but wonder if LG is resting on its laurels. Clearly, we needn’t worry too much, as the C4 proved to be an improvement over…

View Offers Soundbar | £799 | whf.cm/Theatre_Bar_8 Sony has been on a roll with its soundbars for a while now, with no new model having received less than a four-star rating from us since way back in 2019. The current flagship model, the Bravia Theatre Bar 9 is, in fact, the best soundbar the brand has ever produced. Hopes are high, then, for this step-down model, the Bravia Theatre Bar 8, which features the same styling and broad technology in a smaller and more affordable package. But what should be a recipe for soundbar success actually turns out to be an uncharacteristic misstep for the usually super-consistent Sony. The launch price of the Theatre Bar 8 was £999, but you should be able to get it for less (at the time…

View Offers Video streamer | £99 | whf.cm/Google_TV Chromecast is dead; long live the Google TV Streamer. This bigger and more feature-rich streaming box is designed to sit on your media unit rather than dangle from an HDMI socket behind your TV. While a more powerful streamer from Google is exactly what we’ve been asking for, this one is a pretty significant step up in price compared with the Chromecast with Google TV; £99 is a tough pill to swallow when the old model cost £60. This increase also puts the TV Streamer closer to the Product of the Year-winning Apple TV 4K (£149) and the not-quite-as-impressive Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Generation (£140). This clean, simple-looking box is no bigger in width than an average smartphone in landscape orientation.…

1 TCL QM7K TV Series TCL has launched its new QM7K television series, offering new features such as improved Mini LED tech, enhanced brightness and, perhaps most interestingly, Bang & Olufsen-flavoured audio. One of the new line’s most vaunted features is TCL’s ‘Halo Control System’ which, in short, aims for more precise backlighting control. The system features a Super High Energy LED chip design that increases brightness by 53 per cent, as well as 10 per cent better light efficiency when compared with previous models. The QM7K series comes with a built-in 2.2-channel audio system developed in partnership with Bang & Olufsen, ousting the Onkyo-branded speakers which TCL has tended to favour with its other recent models. Currently we have only US prices to go on, and these range from $1300…

Sony’s WF-1000XM5 have been our favourite wireless earbuds since they launched in 2023, with their stunning sound quality standing head and shoulders above the competition. They are our current Award-winners and Best Buys in the £150-£300 bracket which, considering the volume of earbuds available in that price range, is no mean feat. Many earbuds have tried to beat Sony’s blend of features, design and outright sound performance since then, and while some have come close (Bose’s ANC earbuds, for instance), none have dethroned them in our estimation. Technics might be about to change that. The brand has launched its flagship wireless earbuds for 2025, the EAH-AZ100, and their stellar performance across fit, features and sound has impressed us. Technics EAH-AZ100 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: price The Sony WF-1000XM5 cost £259 upon…

View online review whf.cm/JBL_Authentics500 From its burly dimensions to its retro good looks and powerful, attention-grabbing sound, the largest member of JBL’s Authentics range of wireless speakers is also one of its most sonically outgoing. Were the Authentics 500 a party-going pal, it would be the one dancing on tables with its shirt off, belting out Wonderwall at the top of its lungs as it reaches for its sixth Peroni of the night. The JBL Authentics 500 doesn’t come cheap. The hefty wireless speaker retails at around £530. That sees it occupying a tough section of the market, just above some seriously competent rivals. The recent five-star Audio Pro C20 costs only a comparatively modest £450, while our current king of spatial audio, the smart and superb Sonos Era 300,…

View online review https://whf.cm/Mu-so2 Die Hard 2, Once Upon A Time in Mexico and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are all examples of how a sequel can work by simply repackaging a successful recipe. The Naim Mu-so 2nd Generation (or Mu-so 2) is a similar case of a tale twice-told. Put it side-by-side with the original Mu-so and the two near-identical aluminium boxes may lead you to initially dismiss this as a soft update. But to judge the Mu-so 2 by its cover would be to undermine the progression it brings to the Mu-so line. According to Naim, 95 per cent of the Mu-so 2 is new for this model: drive units, digital signal processing, connectivity and cabinet. Eleven years ago, the Mu-so arrived to a chorus of praise. Such was the…

Yes, £16,000, and they’re not even flagships. But while the Sony Bravia Projector 8 and JVC DLA-NZ800 might be step-down models, they are eminently capable of delivering a stunning homecinema experience with a picture of up to 200 inches across. Wondering which projector is right for you? We have reviewed both models, and have pitted them head to head in every category to see which takes the Oscar, and which will have to make do with a BAFTA. Sony Bravia Projector 8 vs JVC DLA-NZ800: price Neither model is the kind of thing you buy on a whim to use for the odd movie night. With prices like these, they are aimed at proper home cinema buffs, most of whom will have their own cinema room. There’s really not much…

 View offers whf.cm/BBMusicStreamers Up to £500 WiiM Pro Plus £219 Best music streamer under £300, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ As a first, affordable introduction to the many and various charms of music streaming, the WiiM Pro Plus is hard to lay a glove on at the price. Outputs RCA line-level, coaxial, optical WiiM Ultra £349 April 2025 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This streamer puts in a mature, engaging performance; its combination of features, connectivity and terrific user experience for the price is unparalleled. Outputs RCA line-level, coaxial, optical, subwoofer 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…

 View offers whf.cm/BBSpeakerPackages £1000 and above Wharfedale DX-3 HCP £499 Best speaker package under £500, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The DX-3 HCP delivers sound above and beyond what most soundbars are capable of while being half the price of most models that we recommend. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 12 x 31 x 12 cm Finishes 2 “All of the sound effects are detailed and placed accordingly, without sounding cluttered or claustrophobic” 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…

View offers whf.cm/BBMobilePhones iOS Apple iPhone 16 Pro £999 Best smartphone over £500, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Apple’s attention to detail is almost unrivalled. It’s a formidable smartphone for watching movies, and it’s equally impressive when it comes to music too. OS iOS 18 Size (hwd) 150 x 72 x 8.3mm Storage 128GB-1TB “The bottom line is that this iPhone delivers a balanced, sharp and bright image that looks stunning” Android Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 £1799 November 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Best described as an OLED TV that will fit into your pocket, this would be an ideal AV companion for a long-haul flight or road trip. OS Android 14 Finishes six Storage 256GB-1TB “The sharp outlines result in a picture oozing threedimensional depth;…

View offers whf.cm/BBPhonoAmps Headphone amplifiers Austrian Audio Full Score One £1299 February 2025 ★ ★ ★ ★★ If you are obsessive about getting the most from your hi-fi headphones and have sources of sufficient quality, this amplifier is warmly recommended. Inputs Stereo RCA in parallel with balanced XLR Outputs XLR, 6.3mm x2 “The Full Score covers itself in glory by delivering the title track’s explosive punch and instrumental complexity so well”…

View offers whf.cm/BBCartridges Goldring E3 £90 Best cartridge under £100, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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” Sumiko Rainier £160 Best cartridge £100-£250, Awards 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This Sumiko is a little gem. Set it up with care and have a little patience, and you’ll find this to be one of the best performers anywhere near this price.  Type MM Tracking weight 1.8-2.2g (2.0g recommended) “Get in some hours of use and the presentation blooms into something that’s surprisingly musical and engaging” Ortofon Quintet Blue…