PARKLIFE, AND THE BEACH BOYS

We’re not out of the woods yet, of

HOW WE TEST

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

HOW WE SCORE

All review verdicts are agreed upon by the

Cambridge Audio Evo 75

This premium just-add-speakers streaming system is a triumph of design and a real beauty – both to look at and listen to

Sony XR-55A90J

It’s rather expensive, but Sony’s flagship 2021 OLED TV turns out to be a cut above its rivals

Bowers & Wilkins PI7

B&W’s first attempt at true wireless headphones boasts impressive sound quality, but is that enough to justify the hefty price tag?

Meze Audio 99 Classics

These wired over-ears are as delectable as their name

Lindy BNX-80

Decent, well made noise-cancelling wireless on-ears for a fair price

Sony HT-SF150

A clear – and affordable – improvement over most TVs’ sound

Samsung HW-Q800A

The Korean company has been working hard to improve its soundbars with sonic enhancements and extra features. Here’s the result

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO EVO:

“I CAN ACCEPT ‘LIFEST YLE’, BUT  THIS IS A PROPER HI-FI PRODUCT”

TOP FIVE LAUNCHES

Five products to look  out for this month

IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE…

…play on, with one of these marvellous maestros. A Bluetooth speaker will bring you closer to your loved ones when you meet outside this summer

Klipsch The Fives

They may look like stereo speakers, but this powered speaker system is a one-stop shop for home audio

Pro Ac K1

■ Stereo speakers ■ £5995 ■ ★★★★★ WHAT HI★FI?

Tribit Audio Stormbox Micro £50

TECH SPEC Battery life 8 hours Waterproof? Yes

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 £70

TECH SPEC Battery life 13 hours Waterproof? Yes

JBL Flip 5 £90

WHAT HI☆FI★★★★★ W hen it upgraded the Flip

Sonos Roam £159

WHAT HI☆FI★★★★★ I t’s fair to say Roam

JBL Charge 5 £160

W hen it comes to rugged, portable, no-nonsense

Audio Pro Addon C3 £18 9

TECH SPEC Battery life Up to 15 hours

A pocketful of miracles

Even the most affordable of portable DACs can transform the quality of your music – and they’re as easy to carry around as your loose change or keys

Audioquest DragonFly Black v1.5

A lthough caterpillars and butterflies are typically used to

Astell & Kern USB-C Dual DAC Cable

F or a relatively simple product, Astell &

Audiolab M-DAC nano

P erhaps you're drawn to the idea of using

Audioquest DragonFly Red

W hen the original DragonFly flew into our

THX Onyx

N ext time you’re in a cinema, take

LET THE MUSIC FREE YOUR MIND

It’s time to relieve your smartphone of its musical duties –a portable music player not only sounds better, it sets you free from call interruptions too

APPLE iPOD TOUCH (2019)

£ 199 WHAT HI★FI? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

COWON PLENUE D3

£279 WHAT HI★FI? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The

ASTELL & KERN A&NORMA SR25

£649 WHAT HI★FI? ★★★★★ The Astell & Kern

Heading down the garden path

Why stay inside on a glorious summer’s evening? A portable projector allows you to watch films and sport in the great outdoors

Anker Nebula Solar Portable

£599 T he Nebula Solar Portable is part

Xgimi Halo

£729 X gimi has been making smart projectors

Epson EF-12

£899 P rojection wherever and whenever is the

LG Cinebeam HU80KSW

£1967 T he LG CineBeam offers all the components

OUTDOOR CINEMA: HOW TO SET UP AN OUTDOOR PROJECTOR IN YOUR GARDEN

Our handy guide on how to turn your garden into a cinema this summer

11 SONGS THAT BECAME FAMOUS SAMPLES

W ithout the technique of sampling – the

WHAT HI FI?

CirculationFuture PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA

Technics SU-R1000

EXPENSIVE, YES. BUT YOU KNOW YOU WANT THEM

AMPLIFIERS

THE BEATING HEART OF YOUR HI-FI SYSTEM

DACs

A DIGITAL-TO-ANALOGUE CONVERTER IS A MODERN HI-FI MUST

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

HOME CINEMA

BLU-RAY PLAYERS

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

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 MAKE

SPEAKER STANDS

STANDMOUNT SPEAKERS NEED THE BEST SUPPORT YOU CAN GET