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

BADGES EXPLAINED

Gold standard • New UK speaker range

Shelf life • Affordable bookshelf speakers from Japan

Guitar hero • A brace of new portable speakers

Spinning deals • Two new turntables from Austria

Groove on the move • High-end cans from Denmark

Budding talent • A brace of new earbuds from B&W

Top ten! • Brand new integrated amp

Wood lands • New DAC and cans from Japan

Spears of destiny • Stylish new US IEM imports

Automatic for the people • American automatic record-playing import

Life begins at 40 • Brand new range home grown in the UK

Cleaning up • Innovative new record cleaner coming soon

Grasping the concept • Expensive new American preamp import

Alexa above • In-ceiling hi-fi amp and speakers

Solar energies • A trio of new products from Sun Audio

Core values • Pricey new high-end music system

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

Stand up and be counted • It’s time to stop thinking about standmount speakers as always second best. David Vivian samples six off-the-leash designs that will rock your world

Audiovector R1 Arreté £5,650 • Denmark is a hot market for hi-fi and rivalry is keen, so the R1 can’t afford to be anything less than exceptional

AVID HIFI Evo Four £8,000 • AVID forged its reputation building turntables that would say boo to a goose. Nothing much has changed…

Boenicke W5 £5,145 • A lot of small, intricate stuff happens in Switzerland, some of it surprising. Meet the tiddler of the test…

Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 £8,750 • The priciest in this roundup is a seasoned champ few would bet against, but it faces its greatest test here

EgglestonWorks Nico EVOlution £6,900 • This intriguing mid-sized standmount appears to have everything going for it, and at a competitive price

KEF Reference 1 Meta £7,500 • KEF’s revolutionary MAT tech joins forces with its most prestigious standmount – are fireworks on the menu?

Group test verdict • As this month’s high-end adventure returns to earth, David Vivian is left with the thorny job of choosing a winner from a mega talented bunch

Gratefully received! • Conceived as the ‘command centre’ of a modern high-end system, T+A’s powerful brand new all-in-one embraces CD and streamed audio in all its flavours… oh and radio

Bring the noise • Sennheiser’s new mid-range model provides good noise-cancelling and battery life for jetsetters. Cliff Joseph takes it out

Gold star • Elipson’s long-running Planet L has been tweaked for the company’s 80th Anniversary. Ed Selley sees how it rolls

Something special • It’s Special Edition time for Audiovector’s entry-level QR range. David Vivian takes the QR 1 SE standmount for a spin

Go with the pro • Although aimed at professional studios, this DAC and headphone amplifier looks a great choice for audio enthusiasts too, says Neville Roberts

Six of the best • Multiple input phono stages are not unheard of, but Violectric has gone the extra mile with the PPA V790 as Ed Selley explains

Mbappé beats • The Euros might be long gone, but that won’t stop Cliff Joseph getting his groove on with this footy star-sponsored...