What Hi-Fi?

SAVE! Up to 33% on the shop price when you subscribe to What Hi-Fi? p24 The What Hi-Fi? systems issues are some of our most popular editions of the year. It is always interesting to know what products will blend together perfectly for the ideal stereo or home-cinema set-up. There was a time (in the last century, admittedly) when we would do an annual one-make systems special, where we would ask brands to suggest set-ups using their own products and adding other manufacturers’ units to them where necessary to create their ideal system. Things have got more complicated since then, with completely new forms of media and types of product entering the market. These days, the reviewing team at What Hi-Fi? do the hard work themselves, marrying the best kit…

EXPERIENCE. HERITAGE. We have been helping the world discover the best in hi-fi and home entertainment for more than 45 years, and have more than 100 years of reviewing experience under our collective belts–so you can count on our expert opinion. DEDICATED TEST FACILITIES We test every product against its peers in our extensive, bespoke reviewing facilities in London and Reading. We conduct all our tests as a team–our opinions and conclusions are always the result of collaboration. HOW WE SCORE All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole–not any individual reviewer. Each product will be listened to and/or viewed by several members of the test team, who will then discuss the final verdict before it appears in the magazine or on the website. This avoids…

View Offers Home cinema speaker package | £2499 | whf.cm/Bravia_Theatre_Quad While we firmly believe that a dedicated AV receiver and speaker package is the best way to achieve immersive home cinema sound, we also have to admit that there are some compromises to be had in opting for a set-up such as that. Let’s not beat around the bush–whether for practical or aesthetic reasons, no one wants cables trailing around their living room. Rogue wires usually repulse interior design aficionados, while cats and dogs often like to gnaw at them. That’s why a product such as the Sony Bravia Theatre Quad makes total sense to us–it’s a full surround-sound speaker package that is wireless except for the power cable for each unit, with sound being sent through the air from…

View offers Wireless headphones | £450 | whf.cm/DysonOnTrac The wireless headphones market is so competitive that, to stand out, you really need to offer something unique. Dyson–yes, that Dyson–has decided it has the answer. The Dyson OnTrac is a bold new pair of premium wireless headphones that offers an outstanding battery life and colourful customisation options. It’s an exciting proposition… Dyson’s positioning of the OnTrac at the premium end of the market is a clear sign of its ambitions. Costing £450, the OnTrac faces formidable competition from the likes of the Apple AirPods Max (originally launching at £549 and now regularly seen for £499) and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (£450, down to £379). Both models have remained five-star powerhouses ever since their respective launches, and it will take some…

View offers Wireless speaker | £150 | whf.cm/Beats_Pill The Beats Pill portable Bluetooth speaker has had quite the makeover, with a new design, improved battery life and completely new sound. So, we decided to take it to the beach to see how it fared. We were pleasantly surprised when we discovered the Pill would be cheaper than it was when it launched last time around (as the Pill+ at £190 back in 2016), and would cost £150. That puts it around the same price band as the Award-winning JBL Charge 5 (£160 or less), and about £20 more than the five-star JBL Flip 6’s RRP–two of our favourite speakers in this category. Having bundled the Beats Pill into our suitcase and onto a plane to Portugal, we can confirm that…

View offers 65in MiniLED TV | £1499 | whf.cm/HisenseU8N The U8N is Hisense’s latest pitch to prove Mini LED is a valid alternative to OLED for serious movie fans and gamers looking for the best home cinema experience possible. To help with this is a wealth of upgrades designed to fix our biggest issues with the Hisense U8K, which hinted at greatness when we tested it last year. Certainly the U8N is a big step forward for the brand’s Mini LED offering, and if for whatever reason you are dead set against getting an OLED, then the U8N is well worth considering; but it’s still not quite perfect. The Hisense U8N is available in 65in and 75in sizes. As premium Mini LED sets go, it is cheaper than most of…