Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2023 i What Hi-Fi?

Portable music player | £799 View offers whf.cm/SR35 “It’s déjà vu all over again,” one of the famous malapropisms by baseball legend Yogi Berra, feels like a fitting reaction to unboxing the Astell & Kern A&norma SR35. We get the overwhelming sense that we have been here before. And again before that. It’s understandable really; the new SR35 is the fourth iteration of this portable music player we have reviewed in as many years, and the model’s appearance has varied little more than Mickey Mouse’s over their careers. Either the South Korean portable audio specialist is needlessly determined to compete with the annual smartphone launch cycle, or it keeps finding ways to improve upon its entry-level player and cannot resist sharing it with the world. Let’s go with the latter.…

Streaming system | £599 View offers whf.cm/PowernodeEdge It could be reductive to call the Bluesound Powernode Edge a smaller, more affordable, cut-down version of the five-star Bluesound Powernode (2021) system, but it’s not far from the truth. This model offers network streaming smarts, a complement of connectivity and amplification in a very neat and compact box to which you just need to add speakers. It couldn’t be simpler – and it’s the most affordable just-add-speakers all-in-one system that we have yet seen. Canadian brand Bluesound has a knack for creating modern-looking boxes that fit and blend into any space, yet still offer a wealth of streaming connections and great sound quality. But this is fast becoming a fiercely fought category. The art of downsizing Looking at the two Bluesound Powernode units…

4K TV | £1599 | view offers whf.cm/Sony_X90L TV tech is progressing with such speed that ‘standard’ OLED and QLED TVs are starting to fade into the background as QD-OLED and MLA models start grabbing the limelight. But before you go feeling sorry for those plucky OLEDs and QLEDs, spare a thought for their even less glamorous siblings, the standard LCD TVs. No organic materials, no Quantum Dots and no Mini LEDs; surely a ‘traditional’ LCD TV stands no chance? Sony’s mid-range X90L – the latest in a long line of very popular X90 models – says otherwise. The 55in version of this TV that we are reviewing here (the XR-55X90L, to give it its full title) is priced at £1599. That makes it usefully more affordable than the superb…

1 Technics EAH-AZ40M2 £129 After launching two sets of wireless earbuds earlier this year, Technics is back to complete the hat-trick with the EAH-AZ40M2 noise-cancelling wireless earbuds; and it has Apple and Sony in its crosshairs with this one. Competitively priced and boasting “clear sound with a sense of range and depth”, these Mark 2 buds improve on the originals with noise cancellation and three-way Bluetooth multipoint. At £129, they undercut their AirPods 3 rivals while offering additional features – making them a serious proposition. • whf.cm/TechnicsBuds 2 ViewSonic X2-4K $1600 (£TBC) A projector made for the Xbox Series X for super-sized cinematic gaming? Sounds good to us. The ViewSonic X2-4K is (as the name suggests) a 4K HDR projector that is designed with the Xbox’s gaming features in mind……

View online review whf.cm/PM6007 £369 The Marantz 6000 Series has allowed the company to have a firm grip on the budget hi-fi market over the past few years. And the 6007 continues that form, picking up a What Hi-Fi? Award in 2022 – which means it is our current champ in the sub-£500 category. The 6007 sees Marantz refining the 6000 Series’ Award-winning recipe still further. The AKM AK4490 DAC replaces the Cirrus Logic CS4398 found in the PM6006 UK Edition, and it is complemented by two digital filters – a slow roll-off and sharp roll-off – that users can choose between when playing from a source connected to either of its two optical or single coaxial inputs. Such versatility has trickled down from the brand’s more premium digital processors, such…

View online review whf.cm/LencoL85 £120 This Lenco is a semi-automatic, belt-driven turntable with a built-in phono stage that even supports USB recording. It’s a beginner’s turntable that gives you all the basics with promise of more exciting things, while still being enjoyable in its own right. And it costs less than £150. Lenco has tried to make the turntable experience as easy as possible, and this is by far the best plug-and-play machine we have come across at this budget price. At first glance it looks and feels like a toy. It is made predominantly of plastic, and is very light – but on a closer look, we don’t have any complaints with build quality. The plinth, platter and tonearm are all nicely made, they all fit together neatly, and…

 View online review whf.cm/AXC35 £349 Those familiar with the British firm’s five-star AXA35 amplifier from the same AX series will note the Cambridge Audio AXC35’s near identical dimensions, colour scheme and looks. This slimline CD player stands just 75mm tall, and though we don’t recommend stacking your hi-fi components, its stackable dimensions are no bad thing provided you are on board with the understated, purposeful aesthetic that typifies the series. For the design minimalist, there are refreshingly few flourishes to the AXC35’s build, and this carries through to the accompanying remote control. As with the AXA35, the system remote that comes with the Cambridge Audio AXC35 looks like an entry-level DVD player remote minus some of the buttons. If you run your thumb along it, you can even feel through…

View online review whf.cm/Dali_Spektor2 Dali’s Spektor 2 stick to the classic budget standmounter formula like Superglue sticks to fingers. There’s everything we would expect from a typical £250 box here, from two-way driver configuration and ported bass tuning through to the 25mm dome tweeter and 13cm mid/bass driver. But as with any dish, culinary or acoustic, the list of ingredients tells you only so much – and those familiar with Dali will know it has something of a talent for budget boxes. The Spektor 2 are pretty compact at just 29cm high and are nicely made with good general fit and attention to detail. Let them run in over a couple of days and supply them with a good system, and these speakers sparkle. Their rated sensitivity is a little…

View online review whf.cm/BoreaBR03 £349 It is going to take a special pair of speakers to stand out from the crowd, and these Triangle standmounters do just that – delivering a huge sense of scale, much larger than even some formidable rivals. There’s detail and insight across the frequency range and, given their size, the quantity of bass is perfectly acceptable. There is plenty of weight to the relatively simple, yet hefty bassline that accompanies Eminem’s No Regrets. Some might lust after a more musclebound delivery, but it’s the detail and quality of bass that gives the Triangles an edge over many rivals at the money. There is texture in spades. The Boreas also demonstrate an excellent sense of timing. There is plenty of precision and no trace of lag…

THE SYSTEM STREAMER BLUESOUND NODE (2021) I £549 AMPLIFIER NAD D 3020 V2 I £399 SPEAKERS ELAC DEBUT B5.2 I £249 TOTAL PRICE £1197 For a hi-fi system to be able to lay claim to being completely modern, it must, surely, have a streamer as at least one of its sources. That, then, is where we begin with this neat stereo system – to which other hardware can, naturally, be added in due course. The issue here, as you will see from the system price above, is that a streamer of any decent and desirable quality doesn’t come particularly cheap. The latest version of the excellent Bluesound Node takes up almost half the budget of this impressive set-up. Extremely easy to use But that money buys you the best at…

View online review whf.cm/HT-SF150 £129 Sony is behind some of the most impressive top-tier Dolby Atmos soundbars out there, but with the HT-SF150, the company is seeking to extend its form at the cheaper end of the soundbar market. The SF150 sets out to be a simple, constructive step up in sound, and while it may not have the most sophisticated delivery, it certainly offers a significant sonic enhancement for little outlay. This feels like a solid, well-built speaker. At 90cm long with a wrap-around grille, elephant-skin vinyl and 66mm height, the SF-150 wouldn’t look out of place perched beneath a TV many times its price. Behind the grille are the two wide-spaced speaker pairs that make up this 2.0 sound system, each comprising a tweeter and a mid/bass race-track…

■ Power amplifier ■ £5700 ■ ★★★★★ WHAT HI★FI? FOR • Musically cohesive and dynamically capable• Excellent detail resolution• Impressive punch AGAINST • The new Naim look may not be to all tastes• Needed a second sample to convince us VERDICT This sixth generation of Naim’s iconic amplifier is a terrific performer that proves more capable and versatile than ever “It delivers the music’s savage dynamic shifts with enthusiasm, and that makes the Naim a thrilling listen” Naim is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Over that time, we doubt it has produced anything more iconic than the NAP 250 power amplifier. This product was introduced in 1975, just a couple of years after the company was formed, and somehow managed to encapsulate everything the brand stood for. The design evolved both…

View offers whf.cm/BBHomeCinemaAmps £500 and above £500 to £2000 Denon AVR-X2800H £869 Best home cinema amplifier £1000-£2000, Awards 2022 ★★★★★ The AVR-X2800H ups the ante with more HDMI 2.1 inputs, a new user-friendly interface and a more responsive, coherent and spacious sound. Power 7 x 95W Dolby Atmos Yes HDMI in/out 6/2 Sony TA-AN1000 £999 July 2023 ★★★★★ Sony has delivered an AV amp that has reignited the same excitement that we felt with its last model, here with additional dynamics, scale and accuracy. Power 7 x 85W Dolby Atmos Yes HDMI in/out 6/2 Denon AVC-X3800H £1499 Best home cinema amplifier over £2000, Awards 2022 ★★★★★ Despite being more expensive than its predecessor, the AVC-X3800H’s updated feature spec and new and improved sound make it an excellent buy.  Power 9…

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 (Gen 2) £449 Best soundbar under £500, Awards 2022 ★★★★★ A compact soundbar that pumps out an exceptional sound for its size and price. Now with Dolby Atmos capabilities. Impressive. Size (hwd) 7 x 65 x 10cm Inputs Optical, HDMI ARC, AirPlay Sub No £500 to £1000 Yamaha YSP-2700 £699 February 2017 ★★★★★ With a spacious, involving sound the YSP-2700 is the most convincing surround experience you’ll get outside of a full 5.1 surround system. Size (hwd) 5 x…

View offers whf.cm/BBTelevisions Up to 43in Samsung UE43AU7100 £449 Best 40-43in TV, Awards 2021 ★★★★★ Samsung’s miniature hero proves you don’t need a bottomless bank account or a cavernous room to enjoy great picture quality. Type LCD/LED HDMI 3 Resolution 4K ARC/eARC eARC “Shows a level of maturity, confidence and understanding of the many elements that go into producing a truly satisfying TV picture” 48in to 50in TCL 55RP620K £449 November 2021★★★★★ For those after an app-happy and user-friendly experience, and a good panel size without having to spend too much, this is a winning combination. Type LCD/LED HDMI 4 Resolution 4K HDR Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG “There are no app gaps from any of the top tier services, with Dolby Vision and 4K support on Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and…

■ 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, Reading and Bath. We conduct all our tests as a team – our opinions and conclusions are always the result of collaboration. HOW WE SCORE All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole – not an individual reviewer. Each product will be listened to and/or viewed by several members of the test team, who will then discuss the final verdict before it appears…

View online review whf.cm/NAD_C538 £210 In the AT-LP3, Audio-Technica has fashioned a turntable with all the ease of use and affordability of ‘suitcase’ record players, but one that also follows the rules of hi-fi. We need those rules: particularly ones that tell us no matter how much technology you use to make things simpler for the listener, it should never steal the spotlight away from the performance. As well as being fully automatic, meaning you need only jab a few buttons for your record to play and the needle lift itself at the end, it also has a built-in phono stage, use of which is optional, a fool-proof set-up and a cartridge that can easily be swapped out for another moving-magnet alternative. It is marginally less weighty, less physically substantial…

 View online review whf.cm/CD6007 £349 No one could accuse Marantz of pushing the boundaries on the CD6007, but it didn’t really have to. The company has taken an already excellent CD player – its 6006 UK Edition predecessor – and made it a bit better. At this point in CD’s life arc, at the affordable end of the market at least, that’s all it takes to ensure class leadership. The big news here is the change of DAC chip to an AKM 4490 (the CD6006 used a Cirrus CS4398), allowing the CD6007 to process high-resolution files. Not through the CD disc drive, of course. You will need to use the front panel USB Type-A socket to get the files into the player, as there are no other digital inputs here.…

TOTAL: £897 THE SYSTEM CD PLAYER NAD C 538 I £299 STEREO AMPLIFIER CAMBRIDGE AXA35 I £349 STEREO SPEAKERS DALI SPEKTOR 2 I £249 TOTAL PRICE £897 When it comes to a hi-fi system that will do sterling service without breaking the bank, we would urge you not to discount equipment that What Hi-Fi? has awarded four stars. It might seem the obvious and desirable thing to plump for five-star (or – hey, even better! – Award-winning) products, but you run the risk of pricing yourself out of the market for gains that may not even benefit you and your particular needs. A four-star product may be the perfect fit for the system you are after. The value of the ‘old’ ways And, while a thoroughly modern hi-fi system might,…

Well known fact: most modern televisions – including many of the affordable ones – look terrific. Equally well known fact: most of them – including many of the expensive ones – sound as flat as the panels they are made of. Lesser-known fact: for very little cash you can significantly boost the sound quality of any flatscreen TV by hooking it up to one of the many affordable soundbars on the market. It’s this lesser-known truth that we at What Hi-Fi? are keen to propagate, which is why we have assembled this standout trio of modestly priced soundbars to help you improve on the sound offered by your TV’s onboard speakers. These soundbars vary in size, shape and features so you can pick the one that best suits your needs…

View online review whf.cm/Streambar £130 This 4K streamer and TV audio combo will work with any television with an HDMI input, outputting 4K HDR at up to 60fps for those with compatible sets. Everyone else will get 1080p Full HD, with lower resolution signals upscaled. It’s a fine way of turning a TV smart, but its impressive array of apps means it could also be used to combat any blind spots in your telly’s own arsenal. Services such as Now TV and Apple TV, which aren’t yet universally built in to sets, sit among the usual suspects such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and a full house of UK terrestrial catch-up apps. This is a Roku streamer built into a soundbar, rather than the other way round, so it’s good to…

View online review whf.cm/Go3 £34 JBL’s most popular and pocketable speaker is so-named to invoke a call to action – to ‘Go’ out and seek adventure. One look at the latest version, the JBL Go 3, however, and we want to head for a shower; it really does look like a soap on a rope. Though it is still a small speaker, it’s almost 1cm thicker, 30g heavier and has a more rounded feel than previous Go speakers. It has a chord loop on its left side when looking at the branding, which is a useful addition despite not being able to stretch or detach. Underneath that, you will find the USB-C charging port, which no longer needs a cover to boast an IP67 rating for dust and water ingress.…

View online review whf.cm/Flip6 £99 JBL’s focus with the Flip series has long been on portability and sound quality. To that end, the Flip 6 now supports Bluetooth 5.1, improved IP67 water- and dust-proof rating and a reworked driver configuration to boast even better sonics. It is still ‘just’ a Bluetooth speaker though, with none of the voice assistance and fancy features of rival speakers. JBL has eased off on the “ruggedised” rubber accents on the edges of the tubular speaker, and the passive bass radiators now feel cool, textured and metallic rather than smooth and rubbery. Stability is aided by a little rubber foot beneath the panel. Under the fabric jacket, this burrito-sized speaker has been significantly augmented. It retains the same racetrack-shaped driver (driven by 20W of amplification)…

View offers whf.cm/BBDACs Up to £300 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 V2 £159 Best DAC under £200, Awards 2022 ★★★★★ A good jump in quality over the Award-winning original, to keep features and performance best in class – and for not much…

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 under £300, Awards 2022 ★★★★★ 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 the size of a shoe, these articulate and bold-sounding speakers have a wonderfully…

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 £100-£300, Awards 2021 ★★★★★ 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…

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 QED Reference XT40i £11/m May 2020 ★★★★★ If you’re looking to upgrade your system by investing…

Network streamer/CD player | £2899 View offers whf.cm/SL_G700M2 We reviewed the original generation of the Technics SL-G700 back in 2019. At the time it seemed like a canny choice of source product that managed to straddle generations of digital music with CD and streaming, aimed at those who want to upgrade a traditional premium system but still have an eye for the future. The passing years haven’t changed our view of Technics’ proposition one bit; the mildly fettled SL-G700M2 version admirably fulfils that same brief in 2023. Beautifully made It will take more than a casual glance to uncover the differences between the two generations of this product. The casework is identical – not that we are complaining. The Technics SL-G700M2 remains a solid and beautifully made box, displaying a…

While old and new may blend wonderfully when it comes to barn conversions and Lucy Dacus covering Carole King, it doesn’t always in the case of hi-fi system aesthetics. We should know – on our rack we have an old-school, dial-heavy Marantz integrated amplifier sitting below a sleek, minimalist Cambridge Audio streamer. And, to make it worse, one is silver, one is black. The company badges don’t remotely line up. Visually, they are as compatible as wedding invitations and the Goosebumps font. On the flip side, there are surely very few things more beautiful to the eye of a hi-fi enthusiast than a handsome rack of matching separates. Naim’s streamlined black-punched-with-illuminated-green, heavy metal components spring to mind, as do the attractive tiers of blue glow that come from the marriage…

View online review whf.cm/AXA35 £349 The Cambridge Audio AXA35 is a 35W per channel stereo amplifier, positioned at the budget end of the market. Out of the box, it looks understated and reasonably elegant for an affordable amp. The dark grey finish that Cambridge has adopted for many of its recent products looks stylish and helps add a sense of purpose. You are confronted by quite a slender hi-fi separate, just over 8cm tall. This, combined with a minimalist front panel, makes rivals such as the Marantz PM6007 look fussy in comparison. From the front, it appears as though the AXA35 is floating, an illusion created by a thin plastic wedge running under the front edge, which lifts up the chassis and is set back just enough to blend…

View online review whf.cm/io £420 To pack such performance into this price point, Rega has, as with most of its amplifiers, stuck with analogue-only connections with the io. Analogue-only is common at this end of the market, and so the io sports two line-level inputs – two fewer than its step-up sibling the Brio – and a moving-magnet phono input, so you can hook up a turntable as well as a couple of other components such as a CD player and streamer. A 3.5mm headphone jack completes the io’s fairly modest connectivity list. It sits on the front panel alongside a volume dial and a small plastic button that cycles through the inputs. The amp’s plastic front panel gives it a pretty unremarkable aesthetic. In this respect, Rega certainly isn’t…

 View online review whf.cm/NAD_C538 £299 The arrival of a new CD player is no longer a regular occurrence at What Hi-Fi? towers. What was once a torrent of shiny new disc spinners has now slowed to a sporadic trickle, thanks firstly to download sites and then the subsequent rise of streaming services. Ironically, the revival of interest in vinyl hasn’t helped either. NAD is no stranger to making CD players. The company’s history is littered with five-star products and Award winners, and this one goes into a sparse sector where the shadow of Marantz’s pricier but excellent CD6007 looms large. “IT DOESN’T SET NEW STANDARDS FOR BUDGET CD PLAYERS, BUT IT DOES DELIVER ENOUGH IN THE WAY OF DETAIL AND CLARITY TO KEEP MOST PEOPLE HAPPY” There’s no mistaking a NAD…

THE SYSTEM TURNTABLE REGA PLANAR 1 I £299 AMPLIFIER REGA IO I £420 SPEAKERS WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 12.3 I £499 TOTAL PRICE £1218 We confess we have taken a slight detour with this turntable set-up. If funds are tight you can bring the overall system price down to less than £1000 by replacing the speakers with their 12.1 standmount siblings – although you would still need to budget for stands to place them on, of course. And we don’t often include floorstanders in our systems, so this seems a splendid opportunity. We didn’t have any pause for thought about the other two pieces of electronics in this set-up, though. The Rega pairing here is rather a no-brainer at this sort of money; and the family ties lend a lovely synergy that…

View online review whf.cm/HS214 £79 Compact soundbars are by definition limited in size, meaning that adding some low end to proceedings is typically the preserve of larger, mid-range models. But obviously no one told Hisense, whose cheap and cheerful HS214 has a 75mm down-firing woofer on its underside, adding a welcome touch of bass to this petite, straightforward and affordable TV speaker upgrade. The HS214 has a classic soundbar aesthetic with a black grained vinyl-look top, metal grille and two ports sitting at either end of the 65cm long chassis. Underneath it sports two front-firing full-range drivers, while mounted in the base of the cabinet is a dedicated bass unit. “WATCHING DICAPRIO GRAPPLE WITH A BEAR IN THE REVENANT ON BLU-RAY, THAT EXTRA BIT OF HEFT MEANS EACH BLOW AND…

As if it were waking up in a post-apocalyptic world, vinyl’s revived form remains pretty well unchanged despite its surroundings being startlingly unfamiliar amid Bluetooth turntables and online album shopping. A music-subscription service was once essentially a means of acquiring new albums without rooting around the record stores, but the ubiquity of music and easy access to information on the internet means that mailing out 7-inch singles of the top 10 isn’t really a steady business model any more. Or is it? While the pandemic was hard for many of them, there are still more vinyl-subscription services on the market than you might think. And they all share one aspect, whether they are mixing LPs with food or wine, pressing exclusive records or playing the role of record-store-manager-cum-sonic-guru: these are…

View online review whf.cm/Micro2 £60 The Stormbox Micro 2 builds on everything that earned the original five-stars, with added features and the promise of improved sound quality. The petite and portable design remains, with the woven texture on top and rubberised bottom half giving you plenty of grip. It’s a practical, well-made design for indoor and outdoor use, that also feels rather smart. There are smaller buttons for power and Bluetooth pairing, with LEDs indicating battery level that can be read at a glance. The multi-function button plays, pauses and skips songs, and a long press summons voice assistants. It’s no exaggeration that the Micro 2 is one of the easiest to use wireless speakers we have tested. The Micro 2 is still palm-sized, and so easy to carry around the…

■ Standmount speakers ■ £7500 ■ ★★★★★ We first came across KEF’s Reference 1 speakers back in 2018. They made quite an impression due to a truly compelling blend of an insightful yet balanced presentation, superb build and thorough engineering. But it is never sensible to stand still for long in the hi-fi industry, so five years on from that original review we are sitting in our test room, having just unpacked the new Reference 1 Meta. We were introduced to KEF’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) a few years ago through the company’s updated LS50 Meta speakers. The MAT element sits at the rear of the tweeter and takes the form of something looking like an ice-hockey puck. Inside that housing is a maze-like structure that is designed to absorb…

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 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 under £500, Awards 2022 ★★★★★ 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…

View offers whf.cm/BBHifiSystems Up to £500 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 2022 ★★★★★ 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 Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 £499 February 2023 ★★★★★ We are big fans of systems such as this. They are neat, well-featured and the best of the breed represent excellent value. This is one of them. Inputs USB, line-in/phono, opt, Bluetooth, HDMI (ARC) Outputs Subwoofer £500 to £1500 Marantz…

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 2022 ★★★★★ 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 over £100, Awards 2022 ★★★★★ 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,…