THE 10 BEST PIANO TRACKS TO TEST YOUR HI-FI

NOT ALL ABOUT THE MONEY…

You don’t have to spend a fortune to

Technics SL-G700M2

A digital source that looks forward but also caters for the past

Astell & Kern A&norma SR35

Astell & Kern won’t stop; its ‘entrylevel’ music player just keeps getting better and better

Sony Xperia 1 V

Sony’s flagship smartphone is still about as cinematic as a phone can be

LG USC9S

A strong feature set? Tick. Wide compatibility? Tick. Good-quality sound? Hmm...

Bluesound Powernode Edge

The just-add-speakers system in its most compact and affordable guise yet

Roberts Revival Uno BT

Roberts’ classy Revival Uno BT radio looks and ( just about) sounds the part

Sennheiser HD 660S2

Will Sennheiser’s latest audiophile headphones become a cult classic?

Sony XR-55X90L

Sony’s latest X90 LCD TV could be king of the mid-range

THE PROS AND CONS OF BUYING A SINGLE-BR AND HI-FI SYSTEM

Matching stack, or mix and match? Finding the right answer to that question depends on a variety of things – including your own aesthetic requirements

TOP FIVE LAUNCHES

Five products to look out for this month

NOTE PERFECT

Spend wisely and get great hi-fi performance for less of your hard-earned cash

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AXA35

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

MARANTZ PM6007

Marantz refines its Awardwinning budget amp recipe

NAD D 3020 V2

It’s difficult not to love this spruced-up version of NAD’s classic amp

REGA IO

Signature Rega sound in a highly accessible package

LENCO L-85

TURNTABLES

AUDIO TECHNICA AT-LP3

This brilliant budget turntable combines features and performance to great effect

NAD C 538

CD PLAYERS

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AXC35

This slimline, nofrills CD player is a capable contender

MARANTZ CD6007

A small but significant improvement on its predecessor

Q ACOUSTICS 3010i

SPEAKERS

DALI SPEKTOR 2

These Dalis offer a degree of entertainment their rivals struggle to match

WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 12.1

Surprisingly sophisticated standmounters for their size and price

ELAC DEBUT B5.2

These are very talented speakers for the money

TRIANGLE BOREA BR03

Triangle’s talented standmounters take the fight to the established class leaders

CD PLAYER SYSTEM

SYSTEMS

TURNTABLE SYSTEM

SYSTEMS

STREAMING SYSTEM

SYSTEMS

A FAIR HEARING

It needn’t cost the earth to get a soundbar that does justice to your TV’s images

HISENSE HS214 2.1

It’s hard to dislike Hisense’s inexpensive but effective soundbar

SONY HT-SF150

A budget soundbar that’s a clear step up from your TV’s speakers

ROKU STREAMBAR

Is it a streamer? Is it a soundbar? Whatever it is, it’s great value

THE BEST VINYL SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES FOR RECORD COLLECTORS

Fancy vinyl deliveries straight to your door? The choice is widening

YOU CAN CALL ME AL FRESCO

Affordable and super-portable Bluetooth speakers that can get the party started wherever you are

JBL GO 3

How does this soap-sized speaker scrub up for sound?

TRIBIT STORMBOX MICRO 2

A tiny budget speaker that makes a big impact

ULTIMATE EARS WONDERBOOM 3

Is this small wonder still a winning formula?

JBL FLIP 6

JBL continues an inspired run of form with the talented Flip 6

KEF Reference 1 Meta

EXPENSIVE, YES. BUT YOU KNOW YOU WANT THEM

Naim NAP 250

■ Power amplifier ■ £5700 ■ ★★★★★ FOR

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

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

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

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

HEADPHONES

BIN THE BUNDLED BUDS AND INVEST IN BETTER SOUND

PORTABLE MUSIC PLAYERS

TREAT YOUR TUNES TO A DEDICATED MUSIC PLAYER

SMARTPHONES

SUPERB MUSIC AND VIDEO PLAYERS THAT MAKE PHONE CALLS TOO

STREAMING APPS & SERVICES

THE BEST WAY TO GET YOUR STREAMING FIX

TABLETS

VIDEO, GAMES AND MUSIC ON A PORTABLE SCREEN

ANALOGUE INTERCONNECTS

DON’T SKIMP ON CABLES: THEY’RE A TOP-VALUE UPGRADE

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: speaker cables

Read more at... www.whathifi.com/advice It’s not always