Hi-Fi Choice

Hi-Fi Choice is the essential guide to audio excellence in the home. It is a no-nonsense guide to the finest products available, from vinyl and valves, to multi-channel digital audio and high-fidelity video. Hi-Fi Choice sorts the best from the rest with rigorous test processes and a highly experienced team of reviewers.

Welcome • hifichoice.com Issue No. 517 August 2024

Party on! • New summer range from Sony

Steel pulse • New MC/MM phono preamplifier

French connection • Soccer superstar collab

Lots of Scots • New speaker and cables releases from Glasgow

Wood vibrations • New collectable limited-edition wooden headphones

Get smart • Forthcoming new streamer and updated amp

Surreal sounds • New speaker range from Denmark

New MODEL army • American wireless streaming amp

Jungle fever • New bamboo turntable

Pyramid stage • Audio system from British guitar amp specialist

Small wonder • Desktop speaker update

Desk jockey • Affordable new mini streamer

Prepare for take-off • Famous plug-and-play carts revisited

Mini but mighty • Titchy new Austrian import

Unique group tests • Our Group Tests are supported by rigorous and exhaustive listening tests carried out by experts

Plug in, turn on… • The latest actively powered wireless speaker systems claim to cater for a range of audiophile desires. David Vivian puts six potential over-achievers to the test

DALI Rubicon 6 C £5,000 • Well respected as a passive design, the Rubicon 6 C brings some serious active firepower to the table

Dynaudio Focus 30 £6,500 • The slender, demure Dynaudio looks deceptive as under that unassuming exterior lurks pro-fettled tech

Elipson W35 Xi £700 • Our sole single-enclosure contender has plenty of pop, but can it deliver the stereo goods with panache?

KEF LS60 Wireless £4,500 • KEF’s 60th-anniversary offering takes cues from its flagship Blade Series and is a supreme tour de force

Klipsch The Sevens £1,250 • With retro looks and a sound that’s anything but, will Klipsch rue the decision to eschew wi-fi?

System Audio Silverback 1 £2,200 • Few are quite as steeped in the idea of active wireless speakers being the way forward as System Audio

Group test verdict • With his week of active wireless warfare drawing to a close, David Vivian is ready to pull the final plug and pick a couple of winners

SUMMER SPECIAL Portable DACs • Cliff Joseph selects five of the best on-the-go DACs to keep you entertained on your travels

Bluetooth Speakers • Ed Selley recommends the best wireless speakers at a range of different prices to soundtrack your summer

In-ear headphones • Cliff Joseph selects five of the best noise-cancelling earbuds to make sure music on your hols isn’t interrupted by others

Over-ear headphones • Cliff Joseph takes five of the best cans for a stroll to see which will suit you at the festival or on the beach

Summer playlist: rock, pop, soul, funk, folk etc. • Steve Sutherland selects a super summer soundtrack to accompany you poolside, on the beach or at your barbecue

Portable music players • The best way to take your favourite music with you when you’re out and about this summer? David Vivian checks out some impressive portables

Summer playlist: Jazz • Nigel Williamson gets into the groove with some choice seasonal jazz selections

Summer playlist: Classical • Nigel Williamson recommends a cool orchestral summer groove

Summer playlist: Opera • Opera can be full of doomed lovers and dark passions, so Nigel Williamson suggests some moments in which composers let...