AWARDS ISSUE! After going through literally hundreds of products every year, this is where we select the best of the best. Also in this issue, full review of the iPhone 4S from an audiophiles...

SAMSUNG Q80D (QE55Q80D)
Pretty much the perfect mid-range TV

ROTEL A8
A no frills amplifier that hits the mark

SONY BRAVIA THEATRE BAR 9
Better than its excellent predecessor

BENQ W5800
A powerful projector made for movies

PRO-JECT DEBUT EVO 2
Great sounding, great looking turntable

STREAMING SERVICES - Our round-up of the leading online music providers will help you pick one to suit.

IN-EAR HEADPHONES - Tech advances continue apace for wireless earbuds. We pick our favourite pairs.

INSIDER TOP FIVE - This month’s key new launches from Pro-Ject, Google, JBL and Bluesound.

MINI LED VERSUS OLED - Could this be the year that Mini LED panel tech matches up to the might of OLED TVs?

HI-FI SYSTEMS - We’ve put together a whopping 10 stereo combinations that will work together brilliantly, whatever your listening needs...

STANDMOUNT SPEAKERS
Our pick of the best standmounters priced between £1200 and £2000.

HOME CINEMA AMPLIFIERS
For immersive home cinema sound you’ll need a good AVR such as those featured here..

TOP FIVE
The best new product launches from Lumin, Loewe, Lenco, Audio- Technica and more.

32-INCH TVs
For those looking for a small set, we round-up three 32in models that may be just what you’re looking for.

WIRELESS SPEAKERS
Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the street, park, garden or anywhere...

FOUR TOP PREMIUM FLOORSTANDERS
If you are in the market for a pair of proven floorstanding speakers between £1000 and £2000, check out this quartet.

WIRELESS SPEAKERS: THREE OF A KIND
Our pick of the best transportable (that is, easily movable but essentially domestic) models between £300 and £500...

ROUND-UP: NEW TURNTABLES
A trio of new vinyl spinners in the form of the Rekkord Audio F110, JBL Spinner BT and the Dual CS 618Q.

ROUND-UP: PHONO STAGES
These external phono preamps will help your records sing, with models for all needs and budgets..

SMALL SPEAKERS SUPERB SOUND 
Top-quality speakers for those smaller spaces

ROUND-UP: BARGAIN TVs
Three 43in televisions that give you an awful lot for, frankly, not very much at all

ROUND-UP: SOUNDBARS
Anyone with a budget from £500 to £1000 has a ticket to step-up soundbar territory

THE STORY OF THE LS3/5A
How the BBC created a new kind of speaker that continues to charm today

C D PLAYERS ROUND-UP
The compact-disc format is alive and kicking, with plenty of quality players available. These are our favourites, from £339 to £2499.

AFFORDABLE SOUNDBARS
You don’t have to pay through the nose to boost your TV’s sound from puny to punchy; any of these five will do the job nicely..

STEP-UP AMPLIFIERS
For those about to upgrade, we salute you. Our pick of the best amps around the £350-£700 mark will elevate your system.

AV RECEIVERS
We round up four of the best premium home cinema amplifiers. Movie nights will go with more of a convincing bang with these...

PROJECTORS ROUND-UP
Ultra-short throw devices are hot property right now. These are our favourites.

TV GOODIES IN 2024
Our 12-page feature details the screens and AV innovations heading our way, as seen at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show..

HI-FI SYSTEMS
We have matched up Award-winning and five-star products to build an array of top-drawer stereo set-ups.

AV SYSTEMS
The best home cinema kit you can match-up to provide audio visual treats on a variety of budgets..

TOP FIVE
These are the newest kids on the audio block this month – and it looks as though they can really sing…

FLOORSTANDER ROUND-UP
Our spotlight on the best stereo speakers starts with full reviews of eight of our favourite floorstanders…

CHRISTMAS GIFTS
Four pages of top ideas for your AV-loving loved ones..

THESE ARE THE CHAMPIONS
Our full test verdicts on the products that have beaten all the others this year, in every category and price bracket, including a Product of the Year Award for the standout piece of kit in each of the 26 categories..

BARGAIN 65in TELEVISIONS
An immersive cinematic experience may be within reach – we round up the best affordable big TVs.

AV AMP ROUND UP
Going full home-cinema? You’re going to need an AV receiver to power your cinematic sound.

HOME CINEMA SYSTEM
This premium home cinema set-up will provide hours of immersive viewing...

BRINGING BACK AN ICON
Musical Fidelity’s Simon Quarry talks to us about his work and the new A1 amp. 

SPEAKER SYSTEMS
From budget boxes to premium pairs – our round-up of the best all-in-one systems.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
The best tracks from these movies to test your system..

MISSION POSSIBLE
Mission’s 770 speakers still impress 45 years on, even compared to the newer versions of that iconic standmounter.

NINE BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES
Our pick of great music docs to stream right now..

AMPLIFIERS
Affordable amps from Cambridge, NAD, Marantz and more.

SOUNDBARS
The best way to enhance your TV’s sound – these affordable ‘bars will serve you well.

TEMPTATIONS
KEF’s innovative Metamaterial Absorption Technology looms large in the Reference 1 Meta speakers..

15 OF THE BEST VINYL RECORDS TO TEST YOUR DECK
We have picked examples from across the musical spectrum to bring you our list of discs that will put your turntable through its paces.

OPTIMISE YOUR TURNTABLE
Ways of making sure your player is working at its best..

ALL-BRITISH SYSTEMS
We’ve put together Award-winning British kit for four stunning hi-fi systems.

BRITISH INNOVATIONS
Seven of the best British hi-fi innovations and tech.

BRIT ROCK
The 19 best British rock songs to test your hi-fi system..

SONOS ERA 300 TESTED
Sonos’s unusually shaped new spatial audio-toting smart speaker is put through its paces by our team of expert reviewers. 

BEST SPATIAL TRACKS
Our pick of the best tunes to test immersive audio..

MARK OF QUALITY
Mark Levinson’s director of engineering talks high-end hi-fi.

JOHN WILLIAMS
The composer’s best tracks to test your system.

HEADPHONE AMPS 101
All you need to know about headphone amplifiers..

STANDMOUNT SPEAKERS
Four of our favourite premium two-way standmounters go head to head.

WIRED HEADPHONES
We round up a magnificent seven wired over-ears for the best quality ‘me time’ with your music..

STARS OF THE SHOW
Our 10 favourite reveals at the Consumer Electronic Show 2023 in Las Vegas.

CARTRIDGES
We round up four great options for upgrading your turntable’s sound, from Vertere, Goldring, Ortofon and Sumiko.

JUST-ADD-SPEAKERS SYSTEMS
These compact marvels can provide all the great sound you need – just plug in your choice of speakers and you’re good to go.

SMALL ALL-IN-ONE SYSTEMS
Proof that you don’t always need lots of boxes to provide you with a fantastic listening experience, these bijou systems will fit in even the smallest spaces.

FOUR GREAT HOME CINEMA SYSTEMS
From simple soundbarbased AV set-ups to full surround-sound ‘dream’ home cinema systems, we’ve got you covered…

PREMIUM SMALL TVs
The best TV tech finally comes to smaller TVs, and we round up the finest 42-43in models available.

FLAGSHIP NOISECANCELLING BUDS
The best premium in-ears with active noise-cancelling tech.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...
Without further ado, let us reveal the best 109 products on the market right now, and announce our Product of the Year winners in each category. Drum roll please....

NEXT LEVEL TURNTABLES
Three new decks take on Rega’s mighty Planar 3

TEMPTATIONS
Melco’s brilliant N10/2-S38 digital storage
solution and the classy R6 Arreté floorstanders from Danish brand Audiovector

SONIC THRILLS
Dolby Atmos can turn great-sounding movie moments into truly thrilling
ones. Want proof? Check out these 22 classic scenes

BETTER HI-FI
Affordable ways to upgrade your system.

FREE MUSIC
Streaming services that won’t cost you a penny.

AFFORDABLE HI-FI SYSTEMS
Audio set-ups that will give you all the listening pleasure for an equally pleasing price.

IN FOCUS: UST PROJECTORS
Ultra-short-throw projectors are on the rise; we tell you everything you need to know about them.

SIX GREAT MUSIC FILMS TO STREAM
Seen Elvis and want more of the same? Try these..

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What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home cinema products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the best equipment for your cash, with the magazine's advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies.

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{{magzter}} is the World's largest and fastest growing self-service, cross-platform digital newsstand with over 87 million users since its inception in 2011 and thousands of magazines and newspapers across 40+ categories and 60+ languages. Headquartered in New York, Magzter has its local presence in Amsterdam, London, Mexico City, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Singapore, and will soon be expanding to other countries. Founded by global entrepreneurs, Girish Ramdas and Vijay Radhakrishnan in June 2011, Magzter enables magazine and newspaper publishers around the world to create and deliver digital editions of their titles to global consumers.

What Hi-Fi UK Magazine - December 2011

What Hi-Fi UK Magazine - December 2011

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