When was the last time you really listened to music? No office chatter, no train announcements – just you, at home, with an infinite universe of auditory creativity awaiting your exploration. Can’t remember? Over the next 18 pages, you’ll find the remedy. Happy listening!

[ Words Esat Dedezade, Sam Kieldsen, Simon Lucas ]

HARMAN KARDON AURA STUDIO 4

£299 / go.stuff.tv/Studio4

T wenty-three years ago, Harman Kardon and Apple introduced the iSub — an icon that blended form and function so well we could happily call it a technological sculpture. The Aura range has always respectfully paid homage to the iSub, and this latest iteration carries the torch forward with pride.

Lyrical waxing aside, this is, at its core, a simple Bluetooth speaker. There’s no Wi-Fi streaming, no built-in smart assistant, or even an aux-in. Instead, the Studio 4 presents itself on two key merits: its incomparable design, and sound quality. We’ll start off with the former, because it’s clearly the main draw.

Featuring fabric, aluminium and plastic, the Studio 4 is a beautifully well-made device of reassuring heft. The plastic dome, coupled with the inner 3D pattern, almost resembles a futuristic upturned acorn. This is a good thing. It stands out from the crowd, and once the LEDs start flashing from its core in time to the music, the effect is mesmerising. It won’t light up the room like a disco ball, but for background ambience it’s a very pleasant feature to have.

There are five preset colour combinations – and you can turn them off completely, which is something we’d probably do during the day to save our already distracted minds from another slice of tech stimulation. Controls are simple enough, with a range of touch-sensitive buttons equally spaced out along the front edge.

Now then. The sound. You might expect more style than substance, given its flashy nature and the fact that it’s stuck on Bluetooth 4.2. You’ll forget all that, however, when you finally open up Spotify and fire off some tunes.

Considering the Studio 4’s compact dimensions, you’d be forgiven for hunting around the room for a hidden sub, such is its low-end prowess. Granted, the lack of an app with EQ controls might put off pure audiophiles who demand a more neutral sound, but for most people’s needs the balance of this speaker will keep the party going well into the early hours. And that’s all without mentioning the vast, room-filling, multi-directional clarity, which really defies its small footprint.

In short, the Aura Studio 4 is a fun, energetic listen that will make your body move whether you want it to or not. And if that’s not a win, then we don’t know what is.

Key specs

● 100W ● 6x 1.6in drivers, 1x 5.2in sub ● Bluetooth 4.2

● 284x232x232mm, 3.6kg

STUFF SAYS Not the most accurate or feature-packed speaker, but a whole lot of fun ★★★★★

HI-FI AMPS

REGA ELICIT Mk5

£2000 / go.stuff.tv/Elicit5

Rega is not the sort of company to rush things. So the fact that the latest version of its extraordinarily accomplished Elicit stereo amplifier includes some (whisper it) digital elements can mean only one thing: non-analogue audio might just have what it takes to stick around.

But just because everyone else acknowledged this before Rega, that doesn’t mean the company has abandoned its principles. Sure, there’s a 24-bit/192kHz

Wolfson DAC on board that’s accessible via the digital optical and digital coaxial inputs on the rear panel; but there are also four line-level inputs and a moving-magnet phono stage for turntables. Rega has not forgotten where it’s coming from.

And no matter which of the inputs you use to feed music into the Elicit, what comes out is exactly the sort of thing Rega has spent 50 years and more perfecting. Think of words like ‘direct’, ‘revealing’ and ‘eloquent’… and perhaps we should chuck in ‘insightful’ and ‘robust’ while we’re at it. If you insist on getting the complete sonic picture, the Elicit Mk5 is exactly the sort of listen you’re after.

You need to do the right thing where partnering equipment is concerned, of course – a high-class turntable is the perfect start, and the loudspeakers you connect will need to be similarly talented. But once that’s taken care of, this amp’s bold and assertive voice never stops being engrossing. Its rhythmic expression is instinctive, its dynamism and tonality are impeccable – and this is true no matter what sort of music you like to listen to, or which input it’s being served to. It attacks with determination when the music demands it, and it can soothe when the need arises.

‘Multi-talented’ just about covers it. The Rega Elicit Mk5 has the sort of ability that could make it the only stereo amplifier you’ll ever need.

Key specs

● 2x 105W ● 24-bit/192kHz

● 432x340x82mm, 12.5kg

STUFF SAYS New functionality + established Rega sound quality = a massive win ★★★★★

NOW ADD THIS… Norstone Esse HiFi

If you’re spending two grand on an amplifier alone, you’re clearly taking hi-fi seriously… and that means you need a proper rack to put your hefty separates on. Made of lacquered steel and tempered glass, this one looks a bit more sharp than the usual wooden shelving lumps. £219 / norstone-design.com

ALTERNATIVELY…

NAD C3050

‘Modern retro’ is becoming an established thing in hi-fi circles – but the products that move the game on, rather than simply being pastiches of models from deep in the last century, remain scarce. Happily, the C3050 is no mere tribute act: yes, it’s got the wood-effect vinyl wrap and the illuminated VU meters we all remember from childhood (or from TV programmes about older people’s childhoods, maybe); but on the inside it’s all business. A hi-res DAC, wireless connectivity, a turntable-friendly phono stage and an HDMI socket are just the start. £1299 / nadelectronics.com

MARANTZ PM6007

Marantz has been ruling the affordable amplifier market for longer than Manchester City have been dominating the Premier League – and just like Pep’s all-stars, it’s showing no signs of letting up. The PM6007 is a frankly extraordinarily accomplished and well-specified device considering its modest asking price – and it doesn’t ask you to make any real compromises. You get a stack of analogue and digital inputs, sound that’s punchy and convincing no matter if you’re listening to hi-res digital audio or vinyl, and build quality similar to that of a bank vault. Champion. £399 / marantz.com

MISSION 778X

It’s been a while since Mission had a new stereo amplifier for sale – 40 years, in fact. But just because the company decided to brand all its amps ‘Cyrus’ after 1983, that doesn’t mean the 778X hasn’t been worth the wait (as much as any hi-fi amp can be worth waiting four decades for, anyway). Mission has poured a mixture of digital, analogue and turntable-friendly smarts into one of those half-width boxes it’s always liked, and has liberated big, punchy and politely attacking sound that’s always just about on the right side of ‘controlled’. Welcome back, Mission. £549 / mission.co.uk