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SOUND INVESTMENTS

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HOW WE TEST

EXPERIENCE. HERITAGE. We’ve been helping the world discover

Sony VPL-XW5000ES

Sony’s new laser projector is a stunner at the price

Grado RS1x

‘Exotic’ isn’t a word we have associated with Grado headphones… until now

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

Same old supreme Sennheiser sound, even if something else is missing

BEST HEADPHONES BELOW £150

Looking for a pair of headphones that deliver on great sound without breaking the bank? Read on...

Sennheiser HD 250BT

Wireless on-ears

SoundMagic E11C

Wired in-ears

AKG K72

Wired on-ears

Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus

Wireless in-ears

Earfun Air Pro

Wireless in-ears

Sony WF-C500

Wireless in-ears

Austrian Audio Hi-X15

Wired on-ears

Panasonic RZ-S500W

Wireless in-ears

Google Pixel Buds A-Series

Wireless in-ears

JBL Reflect Flow Pro

Wireless sport in-ears

Grado SR80x

Wired on-ears

Amazon Fire 7

A capable device that won’t burn a hole in your wallet

Tablet system

Apple iPad (2021) Q Acoustics M20 powered spea

Triangle Esprit Comete Ez

So you want your music to be fun and exciting? Try these Triangles

Vertere Phono-1 MkII L

Vertere’s Award-winning phono stage gets even better

Xiaomi F2 Fire TV

Amazon Fire TV loses the sticks but finds a telly

Devialet Dione

High-minded and high-priced, but is the Devialet Dione hi-fi?

7 REASONS WHY A DAC COULD BE YOUR MUSIC PURCHASE OF THE YEAR

Welcoming a DAC into your life can radically improve your enjoyment of music, says managing editor Becky Roberts

TOP FIVE LAUNCHES

Five products to look out for this month

BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK SYSTEMS

If you’re looking for the place where sound quality and affordability meet, this collection will show you the way

Micro system

Denon RCD -M41 DAB Dali Spektor 1 System

Portable DAC system

Chord Mojo 2 Beyerdynamic DT700 Pro X System

CD player system

Marantz CD6007 Marantz PM 6007 Elac Debut B5.2

All-in- one system

KEF LSX II System £1199 A piece of

Turntable system

Rega System One System £1199

Streamer system

Bluesound Node Rega io amp Wharfedale Dia mond 12.1

10 AFFORDABLE WAYS TO UPGRADE YOUR HI-FI SYSTEM

Don’t think that the quest for better sound always involves wallet-busting outlay. There are a number of inexpensive things you can do to give your set-up a lift – and some of them are completely free

BEST WIRELESS SPEAKERS BELOW £150

These affordable Bluetooth speakers prioritise great sound as much as portability and convenience

JBL Go 3

Sounds great on-the-go

Tribit Audio Stormbox Micro

A budget Bluetooth belter

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2

A little wonder for the money

Apple HomePod Mini

Small but mighty smart speaker

JBL Flip 6

Sonically impressive

JBL Charge 5

Still leading the charge

HOW TO BUY SECOND-HAND AND VINTAGE HI-FI SPEAKERS

If you’re after premium sound quality on a modest budget, buying used can do the trick. Try our tips for bagging some vintage speakers

Best free music streaming services

Because music plus free equals a top deal. Here are the best free music streaming services available on iOS and Android

SME Model 60

EXPENSIVE, YES. BUT YOU KNOW YOU WANT THEM

PrimaLuna Evo 300 Hybrid

EXPENSIVE, YES. BUT YOU KNOW YOU WANT THEM

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

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

It’s no good spending hundreds of pounds on your new speakers if you then don’t allow them to perform properly. Take care with positioning to get them to sing.

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

HOME CINEMA

ENJOY HIGH-DEF MOVIE THRILLS

HOME CINEMA AMPLIFIERS

POWERFUL SOUND THAT TRULY BRINGS MOVIES TO LIFE

PROJECTORS

BECAUSE A MASSIVE PICTURE IS HOME CINEMA

SET-TOP BOXES

THE BEST WAY TO ACCESS THE WORLD OF TELEVISION

SOUNDBARS & SOUNDBASES

A BRILLIANT WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR TV’S SOUND

SPEAKER PACKAGES

GOOD SURROUND-SOUND IS A MOVIE-MAGIC MUST View

VIDEO STREAMERS

DON’T RESTRICT STREAMING TO A LAPTOP – GET IT ON THE TELLY

SPEAKER PACKAGES GAMESCONTINUED CONSOLES

Games consoles Sony PlayStation 5 £450 Online ★★★★★

TELEVISIONS

MAKE THE FOCUS OF YOUR ENTERTAINMENT HUB A GOOD ONE

PORTABLE HEADPHONES

BIN THE BUNDLED BUDS AND INVEST IN BETTER SOUND

PORTABLE MUSIC PLAYERS

TREAT YOUR TUNES TO A DEDICATED MUSIC PLAYER

What is DSD audio?

What is DSD? How is it different from other music files and how can you listen to it?

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

CARTRIDGES

YOU CAN’T HEAR YOUR RECORDS WITHOUT ‘EM

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

SPEAKER CABLES

ONE OF THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE UPGRADES YOU CAN

SPEAKER STANDS

STANDMOUNT SPEAKERS NEED THE BEST SUPPORT YOU CAN

Know your stuff: Know speaker yourcables

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

7 BEST-PRODUCED TR ACKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY TO TEST YOUR KIT

T hese excellently produced recordings released since the