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PORTABLE HEADPHONES

BIN THE BUNDLED BUDS AND INVEST IN BETTER SOUND

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View Issues
What HiFi
May 2023
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Other Articles in this Issue


WELCOME
IT’S ALL IN THE ENGINE ROOM
FREE In-ear headphones worth £79.99! when you subscribe
HOW WE TEST
■ EXPERIENCE. HERITAGE. We have been helping the
TELEVISION
Philips 55OLED907
An irresistible combination of spectacular pictures, potent audio and Ambilight design
WIRELESS SPEAKER
Sonos Five
Does Sonos deserve a high five for its latest wireless speaker?
PROJECTOR
Xgimi Horizon Pro
This 4K projector is brilliant in many ways, but not so good in others
HEADPHONES
KEF Mu7
KEF’s attempt at premium wireless headphones falls short
AKG K371
AKG’s wired headphones are powerful, punchy and neatly put together
SMARTPHONES
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Is this Galaxy as Ultra as its name suggests?
Nothing Phone (1)
Is this new ‘flagship killer’ Nothing special?
IN-EARS
JBL Live Pro 2 TWS
JBL’s entertaining wireless earbuds hit the spot
MARK OF QUALITY
Mark Levinson’s director of engineering talks reference systems, favourite albums and high-end hi-fi electronics
TOP FIVE L AUNCHES
Five products to look out for this month
HOT AMP S! (WE LOVE YOU SO)
Six sizzling sub-£750 integrated amplifiers that deliver class-leading sound at the more affordable end of the market, and that you will love too
AMPLIFIERS
Cambridge Audio AXA35
A musical budget amplifier with all-round appeal
Marantz
PM6007
NAD
D 3020 V2
Rega
io
Rega
Brio
Cambridge Audio
CXA61
Cambridge Audio CXA81 vs Rega Elex Mk4: which integrated amp is the best?
New boy takes on Award winner in a thrilling head-to-head
Rega Elex Mk4 System
Our integrated amplifier champ deserves to be matched with this stunning system
THE BEST JOHN WILLIAMS MOVIE SCORES TO TEST YOUR HI-FI SYSTEM
Our go-to test tracks from the movie maestro’s epic collection
Rotel RA820BX (1984)
An ’80s amplifier that still holds up today
AV AMPLIFIERS
JBL Synthesis SDR-35 vs Arcam AVR31: which AV amplifier should you buy?
These two stunning amps lead the pack at their price point – and each has a particular advantage over the other
WHAT IS A HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER AND WHY SHOULD YOU BUY ONE?
Headphones don’t always get the partnering equipment they deserve. Here’s how to change that
CONVERSION EXPERIENCE
If you are yet to hear what today’s affordable DACs can do, our verdicts on six of the best of these pocket-sized powerhouses could change your life
DACS
AudioQuest DragonFly Black
The cheapest way to get the DragonFly quality
Zen DAC V2
An Award-winning budget DAC/headphone amp, improved
Go Blu
A super-small DAC/headphone amp that can do big things with your music
AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt
This tiny USB DAC justifies its hefty price tag
Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M
Cambridge’s generously featured DAC keeps the magic alive
Chord Mojo 2
‘Mobile Joy’ is in even more lavish supply in this reengineered sequel
Linn Selekt DSM: Edition Hub
■ Network streamer ■ £16,955 ■ ★★★★★ Linn’s
TAD DA1000TX
■ DAC ■ £12,750 ■ ★★★★★ “This is
BUYER’S GUIDE
BUYER’S GUIDE
The definitive guide to the best home-entertainment kit you can buy
HI-FI AMPLIFIERS
THE BEATING HEART OF YOUR HI-FI SYSTEM
CD PLAYERS & TRANSPORTS
GET THE RIGHT PLAYER AND CD CAN STILL SHINE
DACs
A DIGITAL-TO-ANALOGUE CONVERTER IS A MODERN HI-FI MUST
How to digitize your vinyl collection
Read more at... www.whathifi.com/features Turntables might not be cutting-edge
MUSIC STREAMERS
THE BEST WAY TO SHARE YOUR TUNES AROUND THE HOUSE
RADIOS
THE ORIGINAL WIRELESS IS STILL GOING STRONG
STEREO SPEAKERS
THEY BRING THE MUSIC TO YOUR EARS – SO CHOOSE WITH CARE
Positioning your speakers
Read more at... www.whathifi.com/features It’s no good spending
SYSTEMS
CONVENIENCE DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN LOWER QUALITY
TURNTABLES
DECKS TO KEEP THE VINYL REVIVAL THRIVING
WIRELESS SPEAKERS
FREE YOUR MUSIC WITH ONE OF THESE STREAMING WONDERS
BLU-RAY PLAYERS
ENJOY HIGH-DEF MOVIE THRILLS
HOME CINEMA AMPLIFIERS
POWERFUL SOUND THAT TRULY BRINGS MOVIES TO LIFE
PROJECTORS
BECAUSE A MASSIVE PICTURE IS HOME CINEMA
SOUNDBARS & SOUNDBASES
A BRILLIANT WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR TV’S SOUND
SET-TOP BOXES
THE BEST WAY TO ACCESS THE WORLD OF TELEVISION
SPEAKER PACKAGES
GOOD SURROUND-SOUND IS A MOVIE-MAGIC MUST
VIDEO STREAMERS
DON’T RESTRICT STREAMING TO A LAPTOP – GET IT ON THE TELLY
TELEVISIONS
MAKE THE FOCUS OF YOUR ENTERTAINMENT HUB A GOOD ONE
GAMES CONSOLES
Games consoles Sony PlayStation 5 £450 Online ★★★★★
PORTABLE MUSIC PLAYERS
TREAT YOUR TUNES TO A DEDICATED MUSIC PLAYER
Headphone jargon busted
What’s the difference between the various on-ear headphones? Our jargon buster explains the various types, and why you might want to choose one particular model over another
SMARTPHONES
SUPERB MUSIC AND VIDEO PLAYERS THAT MAKE PHONE CALLS TOO
Amazon Prime Video tips, tricks and features
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.
STREAMING APPS & SERVICES
THE BEST WAY TO GET YOUR STREAMING FIX
TABLETS
VIDEO, GAMES AND MUSIC ON A PORTABLE SCREEN
ACCESSORIES
ANALOGUE INTERCONNECTS
AV & HI-FI RACKS
HI-FI KIT CAN ONLY SOUND ITS BEST WITH THE PROPER SUPPORT
HEADPHONE AMPLIFIERS
HOW TO GET THE VERY BEST FROM YOUR CANS
MAINS PRODUCTS
A CLEAN POWER SOURCE IS VITAL FOR INTERFERENCE-FREE HI-FI
PHONO STAGES
EVERY RECORD DECK NEEDS A PHONO AMP
CARTRIDGES
YOU CAN’T HEAR YOUR RECORDS WITHOUT ‘EM
SPEAKER CABLES
ONE OF THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE UPGRADES YOU CAN MAKE
SPEAKER STANDS
STANDMOUNT SPEAKERS NEED THE BEST SUPPORT YOU CAN GET
Know your stuff: Know speaker cables
It’s not always easy to navigate your way through the terminology of hi-fi, so for those who haven’t yet mastered the art, here are a few speaker cable-based terms worth knowing
SONOS ERA 500
5 THINGS WE WANT TO SEE IN A FUTURE SONOS ERA 500 SPEAKER
T he Sonos Era 300 and Era 100
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