Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?|December 2025

BIG SOUND AND BIG SCREENS

One of the benefits of this time of year – for the magazine, at least – is that, because of the stresses and deadlines of our team’s Awards-testing requirements, we have plenty of great products to cover in the issues leading up to the annual best seller. (Yes, it’s that time again: you won’t want to miss our 2025 Awards issue – it’s in the shops on the 14th of November.) It’s great, then, to be able to bring you a round-up of some truly remarkable floorstanding speakers (p30), some of the best you can buy from £2000. If you have the room and the budget to spare, you can’t beat a pair of floorstanders for the perfect combination of power and finesse. Also in this issue we have some extraordinary…

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What Hi-Fi?|December 2025

Monitor Audio Bronze 50 7G

View offers Standmount speakers | £499 | bit.ly/Monitor_Bronze50_7G Monitor Audio’s Bronze speakers – especially their ‘2’ moniker standmounts – were our go-to recommendation for budget speakers for many years. The five-star Bronze BX2 (from 2010) and the Bronze 2 (from 2015) have multiple Awards to their name. While the last model, the three-star Bronze 100, didn’t reach the impressive heights of their more celebrated predecessors, we have high hopes that the brand is back on fighting form with the new seventh generation of Bronze speakers. Previous generations of this Bronze standmounter usually sat in the £250-£350 range in the UK, but the new Bronze 50 7G is yours for £500, which brings it into direct competition with the Award-winning Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 (now £449). The speakers are also…

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What Hi-Fi?|December 2025

Fell Audio Fell Amp

View offers Integrated amplifier | £599 | bit.ly/Fell_Amp Fell Audio is backed by British retailer Peter Tyson and currently makes just two products, the Fell Disc CD player (£499, see p20) and the integrated amplifier on test here. At the time of writing, the Fell Stream music streamer is shown on the company’s website but is not available to buy. All are pitched at the affordable end of the market, which is relatively sparse in terms of quality products. It seems that Fell Audio has identified a genuine gap in the market. On paper, the Fell Amp should be a winner. It is as though Fell, no doubt with insights offered by its retailer parent, has come up with the ideal template for the ultimate affordable stereo amplifier, and ticked…

View offers whf.cm/BBCartridges Cartridges 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…

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What Hi-Fi?|December 2025

GREAT MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES YOU CAN STREAM RIGHT NOW

Today’s streaming services offer a raft of great musical content. Whether you’re drawn to the raw energy of live performances or fascinated by the stories behind iconic albums, these documentaries and concerts will put you front row, and your home audio system through its paces. IRON MAIDEN: FLIGHT 666 BBC iPLAYER Bruce Dickinson’s cockpit takes centre stage as the Iron Maiden frontman pilots the band’s Boeing 757 on their 2008 world tour. What sets it apart is its unique perspective on the logistics and passion required to bring metal to the masses across six continents. The film captures thunderous live performances, camaraderie between band members and the sheer hysteria shown by Maiden’s fanatical fans, the Troopers. Exceptional concert footage shines on a proper stereo hi-fi set-up – from the roar…

3 min

What Hi-Fi?|December 2025

HOW WE TEST

EXPERIENCE. HERITAGE. We have been helping the world discover the best in hi-fi and home entertainment for almost 50 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 or…

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What Hi-Fi?|December 2025

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X

View offers Open-back headphones | £189 | bit.ly/DT990_ProX Beyerdynamic’s wired headphone pedigree is impressive. In fact, to some, the 100-year-old German brand is synonymous with wired performance, a reputation it has earned thanks to mighty chart-toppers such as the premium Beyerdynamic T1 (3rd Generation) (currently £899) and the formerly Award-winning Beyerdynamic Amiron (tested at £545). The weight of expectation sits heavily upon the metaphorical shoulders of the DT990 ProX open-backed can, then – not least as they are the follow up to the five-star DT 900 Pro X. The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X cost £189, a lower initial price than the £219 launch cost of the DT 900 Pro X. That makes them something of a mid-range proposition in wired headphones terms. If you want to step up to…

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What Hi-Fi?|December 2025

TCL 98C7K

View offers 98in TV | £2399 | bit.ly/TCL_98C7K While TCL and fellow China-based brand Hisense aren’t the only companies selling king-sized TVs, they are certainly working harder than their rivals to make the super-sized screen market their own. This is an all-out attack in terms of both the sheer range of TV whoppers these brands are producing, and the increasingly aggressive prices they are attaching to these potential home cinema heroes. With the 98C7K, though, TCL takes the massive-TV world to a whole new bang for your buck level. A radically revamped panel design and a sound system crafted in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen, all delivered at little extra cost over previous models, make this one of the most enjoyable TVs we have ever spent time with. Getting any…

12 min

What Hi-Fi?|December 2025

Samsung The Premiere 5

View offers UST projector | £1999 | bit.ly/Samsung_Premiere_5 Samsung’s The Premiere series has played a key role in popularising ultra-short-throw projectors. These all-in-one solutions can achieve a huge cinematic picture and sound experience from relatively compact form factors. The Premiere 5 packs Samsung’s Tizen operating system and a unique touchscreen interface mode into a super-compact chassis designed to be picked up and moved around the house. It’s a unique proposition for sure, and the fun factor is definitely there; it’s just a shame that it doesn’t really shine – especially considering its hefty price tag. Let’s start with a positive. The Premiere 5 is a neat-looking unit, and it feels premium in the hand, too. Its top-mounted lens can project an image up to 100in when placed just 43.3cm from…

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