Tadej Pogacar's season-ending injury has blown the men's races at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships wide open, while Demi Vollering's travails in tandem with local hero Magdeleine Vallieres' sensational breakthrough illustrate the futility of trying to portend the women's races.

The Road World Championships, taking place in Montreal, begin with the men's and women's elite individual time trials on Sunday, September 20 and conclude the following weekend with the men's and women's elite road races. The ITTs are taking place on the same 39.2km course with 220m of elevation gain, while the women's and men's road races around the Mount Royal circuit come in at 180.1km with 2,570m of climbing, and 273.4km with with 3,803m of climbing, respectively. Both road races end with multiple loops around the city.

Back-to-back-to-back reigning champion Remco Evenepoel is the ITT favourite, but will face fierce competition from Filippo Ganna, while Pogacar's absence presents a rare opportunity in the road race. Among the contenders are Tom Pidcock, who could become the first man to win the mountain bike, cyclo-cross and road world titles, Isaac del Toro, who pipped Paul Seixas to the line on the same streets earlier this month, and – if they can work together – Belgian duo Wout van Aert and Evenepoel.

A fantastic ITT rivalry has emerged between all-time great Vollering, reigning world champion Marlen Reusser and U23 champion Zoe Backstedt, with the Swiss rider winning their most recent showdown at the Tour de France Femmes time trial. Vollering is also one of the road race favourites, even though she's failed to make the podium in five of her previous six starts at the Road World Championships.

Vallieres, who was born and raised in Quebec, took full advantage of two-time champion Lotte Kopecky's absence a year ago, but the Dutch rider is back to try to reclaim the crown.

Follow our guide below for where to watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 live streams from anywhere with a VPN. We've also listed the full schedule below.

How can I watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 for free?

Lucky viewers fans in the UK can watch Road World Championships 2026 for free, courtesy of BBC iPlayer.

In countries without a dedicated broadcaster, including India, free Road World Championships coverage is available via the UCI YouTube channel.

RTVE (Spain), L'Equipe (France), RTBF (Belgium) and NOS (Netherlands) are also among other channels with free streams.

If you're from the UK but you're currently abroad, you can simply use a VPN to tap into that free Montreal 2026 coverage. More details below...

Watch Road World Championships 2026 live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular Road World Championships 2026 live streams while traveling abroad. The platform will detect that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch Montreal 2026 from anywhere in the world.

We rate NordVPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sports. It offers a generous 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Watch Road World Championships 2026 live streams in the US

The 2026 Road World Championships are being shown on FloBikes in the US.

A subscription costs $39.99 per month or $155.88 per year.

Away on vacation right now? Remember to use a good VPN, as detailed above, to tap into your stream.

• Expert TV advice: best OLED TVs for sports fans
• View the latest TV deals on Amazon

Watch Road World Championships 2026 live streams in the UK

Free Road World Championships coverage is available in the UK, thanks to BBC Two, BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. It's restricted to the elite men's and women's time trials, and the elite men's road race.

Just make sure you have a valid TV license.

Comprehensive Road World Championships 2026 coverage, meanwhile, is available from TNT Sports, with live streaming available via HBO Max. To access it, you'll need the TNT Sports subscription, which starts at £30.99 per month.

Outside the UK for Road World Championships 2026? Use NordVPN to tune in as if you were back at home.

Watch Road World Championships 2026 live streams in Australia

The 2026 Road World Championships are available to watch on Stan Sport in Australia, which costs AU$20 per month on top of a AU$9.99 per month Stan base plan.

If you're currently spending time in Australia from the UK, use a good VPN, as detailed above, to tap into your free Montreal 2026 coverage.

Road World Championships 2026 schedule

(All times BST)

🗓 Sunday, 20 September

2pm – Women's elite ITT

5.45pm – Men's elite ITT

🗓 Monday, 21 September

2pm – Women's U23 ITT

5pm – Men's U23 ITT

🗓 Tuesday, 22 September

1.30pm – Mixed relay

5.45pm – Men's junior ITT

8.15pm – Women's junior ITT

🗓 Thursday, 24 September

2pm – Women's U23 road race

6.30pm – Men's junior road race

🗓 Friday, 25 September

2pm – Men's U23 road race

7.15pm – Women's junior road race

🗓 Saturday, 26 September

2pm – Women's elite road race

🗓 Sunday, 27 September

2pm – Men's elite road race

• Fancy an upgrade? Here are the best TVs
• Or save money with these unmissable cheap TV deals
• Where to watch F1 2026 for free

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

First, “good sound is good sound, regardless of whether it’s home cinema or hi-fi”.

Second, “audio quality is equally as important as picture quality for home cinema”.

Third, “blasted box! To hell with you! Why won’t you fit!?”

OK you can probably ignore the final one – that's just our standard war cry when trying to repackage a product we’ve finished reviewing.

Editor’s note: it’s a very specific problem but most packaging isn’t designed to be used twice and is made of easily breakable, oddly shaped blocks of polystyrene that don’t follow a logical pattern. This is a key reason why, in my humble opinion, whoever invented the specific version of polystyrene every AV firm seems to use deserves to go to the same special hell as Astroturf's creator and people who play music through their phone's speakers on public transport.

But the first two are important, and all too easy to forget, especially if you’re yet to experience proper home cinema sound and have become used to your TV or projector’s built-in speakers.

I was reminded of this last week by an unexpected product: a UST projector.

It happened while I was running a group test of the category for the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2026. This process sees us run the units head-to-head to find out which is the best performer ahead of announcing our Best Buy winners later in the year.

Towards the end of this long process, I admit I had become shamefully jaded, and all too used to the mediocre audio most of the units provided. Check our reviews, and you’ll struggle to find a UST projector with a five-star score for audio.

For the sake of not spoiling our Awards reveal, I’m not going to tell you the UST's name – good things come to those who wait and all that – but I will confirm that everything changed when I plugged in the last unit and began playing the Sinners 4K Blu-ray.

Specifically, the demanding musical medley scene, which sees Sammy perform the blues in the dingy speakeasy. The moment Sammy plucked his first guitar string, my ears pricked up.

Then, as the scene developed and Sammy’s performance morphed into a musical medley exploring the multiple genres of black music across the decades, we suddenly found ourselves unexpectedly nodding our heads to the beat.

The reason why was simple: unlike the other projectors' sound systems, there was a hint of musicality to the audio.

Did it come close to matching a moderately capable soundbar or full-fat 5.1 multi-speaker system? Of course not. But, unlike many of the units we tested, it handled music with some finesse.

A hint of rhythmic drive, pushing us forward through the genre-crossing rooms, bringing the interlinking beats to life; a pleasing, but controlled, swell in volume as the screaming psychedelic guitar arrived, wailing over the other frequencies; just enough bass extension to make the breakdown land with some impact.

Sure, it wasn't perfect, but unlike the other UST projectors, it did just enough right to remind me what a difference good sound, with a sense of musicality, can make to the home cinema experience. Too many integrated speaker systems seem to focus their efforts on dialogue and covering up for an underpowered low end, to the detriment of everything else.

I’ve said as much before. Just a few months ago, when I had the joy of helping test the five-star KEF R Meta 5.1 Speaker System, I felt the need to remind readers why system matching is just as important in home cinema as it is in hi-fi.

Hopefully, I’m teaching you all to suck eggs. But on the off chance I’m not, heed my warning and make sure to give audio quality the importance it deserves when building your home cinema. If you don’t, you’re not going to get the full “as the director intended” experience we all yearn for, no matter how good the picture is.

Do you agree with our audio quality mantra? Let us know in the comments below.

MORE:

These are the best projectors money can buy

We rank the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Our picks of the best surround sound systems

Those home cinema products need to be challenged by the best films out there for picture and sound. We make sure to keep different movies and TV shows in rotation, but there are always a few classic discs that we turn to.

In our monthly Now Showing column, members of the What Hi-Fi? team select their top watches for testing, and you will find this month's choices below. What do you think we should add to our watchlist? Drop your recommendations in the comments.

The Last Duel (2021)

Words by Harry McKerrell

Ridley Scott has to be one of the most maddeningly unpredictable directors of his age. Over the past 40 or so years, he’s given us the greatest sci-fi horror movie ever in the shape of Alien, the increasingly relevant masterpiece Blade Runner, and the ever-quotable historical epic that is Gladiator.

He’s also no stranger to a dud, as confirmed by the baffling Exodus: Gods And Kings, the laughably erratic Napoleon, and his lukewarmly received recent effort, The Dog Stars. Worse still, every time Scott has a property of which he can be rightfully proud, he fouls the proverbial by adding an unnecessary sequel – or sequels – that no one asked for.

Amid the ever-fluctuating peaks and troughs of Ridley’s varied filmography, The Last Duel stands out proudly as a modest, if not sky-scraping, peak. Returning Scott to his historical roots, The Last Duel uses a triple-perspective narrative to tell the story of Marguerite de Carrouges and her alleged assault at the hands of knight Jacques le Gris in 14th-century France.

Handling of medieval gender politics aside, The Last Duel makes for a handy test disc if you’re keen to see how your TV or projector conveys colours and contrast. Where Gladiator chooses a palette of warm oranges contrasting with imperial greys and silvers, The Last Duel seems to be almost perpetually bathed in a frosty blue-grey filter, giving the entire production – through a competent screen – a chilly, unforgiving bleakness.

That’s the Middle Ages for you.

Buy The Last Duel on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon

Stream The Last Duel on Disney Plus

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

Words by Daniel Furn

Fresh off starring in the other record-breaking smash of summer 2026, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jon Bernthal reteam for the similarly successful Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Successful is putting it mildly, however – at the time of writing, Brand New Day is sitting on a whopping $2.45 billion worldwide, going so far as to become the highest-grossing film domestically in the US, where it has even surpassed heavyweights such as Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

All of which may seem a bit over-the-top, but it helps that this is arguably the strongest Marvel offering in years. Finally stepping out of the shadows of Iron Man and the Avengers, Brand New Day strips back the high-tech suit and multiverse shenanigans for a broke, overworked and isolated Spider-Man that harks back to the character’s street-level roots. Spider-Man is always at its best when Peter Parker is struggling to balance his two lives, and here we see the consequences when Peter prioritises his superhero identity in an exploration of loneliness, grief and sacrifice.

There’s still plenty of fan service and cameos for Marvel buffs – Spider-Man’s chemistry with the Punisher is a highlight, and honestly, seeing the two together in a movie (alongside the Hulk and Sadie Sink’s mystery character) is rather mind-blowing and seemed an impossible pipe dream just a few years ago.

A new director, Destin Daniel Cretton, also brings a grittier visual palette as well as his combat expertise after previously helming Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings. I’m excited to see how the film’s many set pieces look on 4K Blu-ray, as well as to hear the film’s great soundtrack through a good Atmos system – Loser by Tame Impala and Oh Yeah? by Steve Lacy have been doing the rounds on social media since the film’s release, while Michael Giacchino’s understated score is surprisingly catchy.

Bumblebee (2018)

Words by Robyn Quick

While not all of the Transformers films have been met with critical and audience acclaim, Bumblebee is argued by many to be the best in the franchise. I'm not a huge fan of the sentient robots, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the 2018 entry is a thoroughly charming and entertaining watch.

Set in the 1980s, the film follows the titular Transformer Bumblebee as he lands on Earth and promptly gets his voice box ripped out. In his disguise as a Volkswagen Beetle, he befriends Hailee Steinfeld's plucky teen.

You only need to watch the turbulent opening scene to understand why this film is a go-to for sound testing in our room. When an army training exercise is interrupted by Bumblebee arriving as a fiery comet, it's a great test of your system's bass.

Explosions should be well-placed around the soundfield, and the planes flying overhead will go above the TV screen or projector with the right audio set-up. If you want to test your sound system while watching a teen make friends with a sentient car, then this is the film for you.

Buy Bumblebee on 4K Blu-ray at HMV

Stream Bumblebee on Apple TV

Metal Lords (2022)

Words by Alastair Stevenson

I’ll admit, I am a little late to this one, as it came out all the way back in 2022. But this month, one of the standout films that’s stuck with me long after the credits rolled was Metal Lords, by Peter Sollett.

Telling the story of school kids Hunter and Kevin as they try to recruit classical cellist Emily to the dark side (specifically, to play in their heavy metal band), it’s one of the most heartfelt and funny films I’ve seen in quite some time.

Whether it's Hunter’s perfect on-the-nose portrayal of that kid in every school who makes metal their whole identity, or its classic battle of the bands ending – which will give you Bill and Ted-level goosebumps – any music fan will find something to enjoy.

It's far from a technical masterpiece but, as a hi-fi nerd, I love how it conveys the passion people feel for music, and the steps they take during their formative years finding their groove.

So if you love music, it’s still well worth giving it a watch – especially if you’re a metalhead, as you’ll spot more than a few cameos from the likes of Tom Morello, Scott Ian, Kirk Hammett and Rob Halford.

Slow Horses, Season 6 (2026)

Words by Lewis Empson

“Circle of Life” is a particularly gloomy episode, even by Slow Horses standards. Yes, the Emmy-winning spy drama/comedy series has returned for a sixth season, and its first episode is about as edgy, dry and grey as you’d expect; and if you’ve seen any of the previous seasons, then you’ll know this isn’t a bad thing.

The Apple TV series stars Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, and What Hi-Fi? Team AV’s favourite new Bond frontrunner, Jack Lowden, alongside an ensemble of complex and, quite frankly, barely functioning MI5 rejects that operate out of a safehouse above a Chinese takeaway.

They’ve tackled international terrorist threats and assassination plots, but the motive for this season seems more personal – this time there’s a hit out on all of the Slow Horses, so expect tension, action and some particularly dry humour.

I’ve already mentioned that this episode is especially gloomy; however, I mean that in both a narrative and physical sense. Most of this episode takes place on an overcast and rainy day (standard UK weather, essentially), and colour seems intentionally washed out here to emphasise that drab, drizzly setting.

Furthermore, the spies spend a fair amount of this episode literally sneaking around in the shadows. Therefore, a TV that can handle black depths without crushing shadow detail is essential for this episode, or else you’ll be spending a fair amount of time squinting to figure out who is talking.

And as this is an Apple TV show, you can expect Dolby Atmos; now, this isn’t the cinematic showcase we’d usually highlight to demonstrate these features, but the bustle of London streets feels even more immersive with the 3D sound format enabled.

Stream Slow Horses on Apple TV

MORE:

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Check out the best TVs

And here are the best streaming devices

You should be able to position an all-in-one projector right next to your screen (or wall) to deliver as big as a 200-plus-inch rich and detailed image, without having to worry about clutter in the middle of the room.

But achieving all that in practice can be another story.

Even though the initial setup is simpler than a long-throw model, there is still a fair bit of fiddling around that has to go into getting the picture ready for a movie night.

Each brand has its own way of doing things, whether that's manually moving the image to fit the screen correctly or using the accompanying app, it always seems to take longer than you might imagine.

Editor-in-chief Alastair Stevenson certainly found this was the case in his latest UST testing for the upcoming What Hi-Fi? Awards.

Another issue with UST projectors, that we've spotted time and time again, is how they portray black depth.

They can't match the blackness of an OLED or Mini-LED TV screen as they are beaming light onto a surface instead of controlling light with pixels. But I have noticed that UST projectors tend to overcompensate by boosting up the contrast levels, which does not solve the problem at all.

At IFA, however, I got the chance to see the two newest entries to the premium UST category – and it made me hopeful that we could be seeing a change.

Both Xgimi’s Aura 3 Max and AWOL’s LuxVision are 4K UST projectors, and they are each claiming to offer something new.

Xgimi’s entry claims to be the world’s first 4k/120Hz UST. It offers 5700 ISO lumens of peak brightness and a contrast ratio of up to 8,000:1.

The LuxVision model is also claiming its own world record. The brand says it is the first 4K/120Hz UST projector with optical shift.

With both models offering this high resolution and refresh rate, they should make for a smooth experience for hardcore gamers as well as movie fans.

AWOL's optical shift is of particular interest here, as this one-touch feature should let users precisely adjust image positioning without losing that 4K resolution.

I didn't get to see the team set up the projector using the function but, if this is really the case, then it should make for a much-needed upgrade on the majority of UST projector setups.

Both offer a screen size up to 200 inches, and Google TV is on board both models. In terms of sound, AWOL and Xgimi both feature built-in speakers that support Dolby Atmos.

I got to see both of the projectors during demonstrations and, although they were far from ideal testing conditions with background noise and bright lighting, it gave me a taste of what they can offer.

The Aura 3 Max was showing off its picture chops with footage of various animals ambling around their jungle habitat (a much-needed relaxation break in the flurry of IFA). As a red panda clung to a tree, the projector delivered the texture of its fur with impressive detail without looking unnatural.

Even the darker details in the panda’s face were portrayed with clarity and reasonable black depth. That made me hopeful about its performance with blacks, although we will have to get it into the test room to challenge it with more movie scenes.

The AWOL projector’s demonstration featured Blackpink’s Pink Venom music video, displaying the projector’s punchy colours. Despite not watching in a dark room, the LuxVision managed to produce an engaging and bright overall image that immediately caught the eye thanks to its claimed 6000 lumens of peak brightness.

Detail levels were good as well, as the crinkles of the singers’ jackets were clean and sharp.

We have to get both projectors into our test room to properly see how they perform, but this first look has made me excited about the future of the category with Xgimi's promising dark detail and AWOL's fuss-free setup.

MORE:

Check out the best projectors we have tested

Here's our review of the Xgimi Titan

And these are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

From the mainstream adoption of RGB Mini LED to cheaper OLED SE panels hitting the market, and the news of TCL essentially buying a majority stake in Sony's Bravia TV division, it's been a whirlwind.

And yet, there's been one manufacturer which has remained concerningly quiet up until now: Panasonic.

Rewind all the way to February (which feels like both a lifetime ago and strangely recent), when I flew to Munich to attend the Panasonic Experience 2026. At the event, the renowned Japanese consumer technology brand was showing off everything from air fryers, cameras and toothbrushes to Technics turntables, rice cookers and hair dryers.

TVs were also on show, and Panasonic made a huge announcement; just not the one I was expecting.

Now, it's an open secret that Panasonic's TV division has been struggling. At the lower end, it has struggled to keep up in a market now dominated by affordable 4K sets produced by the likes of Hisense and TCL. At the top, its prestigious OLED sets have seen tough competition from the likes of Sony, Samsung and LG: look at our recent lists of TV Award-winners, and it doesn't paint a pretty picture for the brand.

To rectify this, Panasonic announced that it was entering a strategic partnership with Shenzhen Skyworth, under its parent company Chuángwéi RGB, which would secure the future of its OLED, Mini LED and QLED sets in Europe.

The partnership was set to take effect on the 1st of April, and since the date came and went, Panasonic has been unnervingly quiet. Broadly speaking, its TVs have been out of stock at most retailers, and the one OLED TV it did announce, the Z86C, hasn't materialised.

Fast forward to IFA 2026, which took place earlier this month, and I was invited to the Panasonic TV booth to meet with Toshihiro Takagi (Product Planning, TV Business Division), Haruka Kono (TV Business Division) and Paul Williams (Press Relations) from Panasonic Corporation, as well as Paul Darch (CEO and Managing Director) and Sebastian Wegielski (General Manager Europe and Managing Director) from the newly formed SWMEU GmbH.

Reassurance, reorganising, and rebuilding

My discussion with representatives from Panasonic's new TV business centred mostly on what's happened over the past six months, and the short answer is that Panasonic has been incredibly busy behind the scenes.

It acknowledged that the April date originally planned was well behind us, but it wanted to get this partnership right, hence why it's been working hard to lay a strong foundation and hasn't rushed any TVs out to market.

The overall goal is to restore the brand's position within the European marketplace, with Panasonic eyeing up the number five spot within the pan-European market; hence why it needs to hit the ground running.

Development of the business has centred around four main pillars (which it originally shared during the Munich event): "The reference stays the reference", "Continuity you can trust", "Scaling Up" and "Innovation Pipeline". These are "the cornerstones of our strategy as we move forward", according to CEO Paul Darch.

They all seem fairly self-explanatory, but they are also key indicators as to what we can expect from Panasonic in the coming years.

The notion that Panasonic is eager to retain its position as a reference TV manufacturer is the first promising sign, and it recognises that OLED is the way to secure this legacy. It hasn't been shy in proudly proclaiming that its high-end OLED sets have been used by Hollywood editors and colourists, and it wants to keep that keep that status.

"What we mean by that is that what was once a Panasonic TV is still a Panasonic TV. The same guiding principles that govern picture, sound, design and OS continue", Darch said, which was reassuring to hear.

Doubling down on that, Darch also affirmed that "one of the key pieces of feedback that we receive is: will these Panasonic TVs really be Panasonic TVs? The answer is yes". Ultimately, based on what I've been told, the notion that future TVs will be any old set with a Panasonic badge slapped onto it can be dispelled.

Continuity is another major focus for this new partnership, hence why SWMEU GmbH has opened its head office in Wiesbaden, Germany, which is the city where Panasonic's European headquarters is located.

The innovation pipeline and scaling-up initiatives are where Panasonic really hopes to make up some ground, though. Broadening the product portfolio and bringing its TVs to market more quickly are two major priorities for the brand moving forward.

This already seems to be paying off, as Darch notes that "feedback, overwhelmingly, has been extremely positive; the market is requesting Panasonic to come back stronger as an evangelist of premium picture quality".

"OLED remains our leadership flagship"

Retaining that title means keeping the technology that Panasonic is renowned for alive. Panasonic recognises this, and that's why it's keeping OLED as a "key focus" in its lineup.

Panasonic consciously didn't replace its Z95B and Z90B OLED TVs this year, and these five-star models will continue until Panasonic launches its 2027 lineup. That said, it also recognises the importance of QD Mini LED within the current TV market, but Darch affirms that Panasonic won't be "bringing it for the sake of bringing it".

Panasonic is relying on its glare-free technology and picture processing to differentiate it from the likes of Hisense and TCL in this market, but whether it will be enough to win back market share from rival powerhouse TV manufacturers is another matter.

I quizzed Panasonic on what to expect from its 2027 TV range, but it remained tight-lipped for now, telling me it will "probably around CES time is when you'll really see the strength and the power of this new organisation".

"The objective is to ensure that both the Japanese and the overseas lineup reflect a consistent Panasonic TV identity"

What was most apparent is that Panasonic wants to remind us that this isn't a buyout, but rather a collaboration that will ensure a future for Panasonic TVs in the UK and Europe.

"This is no short-term gimmick, no short-term collaboration. We are working strongly with the partnership for 2027 and onwards," Darch affirmed, continuing "I want you to leave the room having confidence in this collaboration".

He then handed over to Mr Toshihiro Takagi to discuss how this partnership works from Panasonic Japan's perspective.

"The objective is to ensure that both the Japanese and the overseas lineup reflect a consistent Panasonic TV identity", Takagi affirmed, and he continued to explain how each component of the business will work in tandem going forward.

Particularly with the brand's premium TVs, Panasonic's established engineers will continue to take responsibility for picture tuning and the integration work required for certification programmes (Panasonic has an established partnership with the picture calibration company Calman, for example).

"As a result, Panasonic's distinctive picture quality and modes continue to be incorporated into our TVs", Takagi confirmed.

This sentiment continues with sound, as I was assured that Panasonic's microphone-assisted audio calibration system will remain, and Takagi confirmed that the team is working on a new DSP algorithm for the 2027 models, which he mentioned in relation to a new speaker configuration.

Behind the scenes, Panasonic Japan has audited the manufacturing operations against the brand's approved criteria, which essentially means that Panasonic has ensured that the scaled-up manufacturing process meets its quality standards and expectations.

Panasonic Japan is still very much involved, by the looks of things, although it seems like Panasonic's engineers will have a much more direct involvement with the brand's future premium TVs, such as the theoretical follow-ups to the Z95B and Z90B.

A few questions remain...

While I did my best to eke out some information about next year's lineup, Takagi explicitly told me that "we cannot discuss future lineups or specifications today; we look forward to sharing more when the time is right".

Therefore, my questions relating to whether we can expect to keep seeing Technics-tuned sound systems in future flagship OLED sets, or if we can expect an RGB Mini LED from the brand in the future, were shelved for now.

That said, Darch rounded out our conversation with a simple yet powerful sentiment: "Panasonic TV is back. What does back mean? Back means a stronger product offering, stronger commercial and robust distribution strategy, a stronger team and backed with real resources for what really comes next".

Ultimately, the proof is in the pudding, and we'll need to see Panasonic's 2027 TV lineup in action to see if this partnership has achieved what it set out to create; but in the short term, I get the sense that Panasonic is alive and kicking.

MORE:

Read our full Panasonic Z95B review

As well as our Panasonic Z90B 48-inch review

And check out our picks for the best OLED TVs

I've been obsessed with music and sound for my whole life, so on the day I became the editor of What Hi-Fi? Sound And Vision, I felt as if I was both reaching a summit and arriving home.

But our association didn't begin there. I had spent the previous 18 months as deputy editor for both the magazine and its newly launched website, whathifi.com, working with the wonderful team of Clare Newsome and (the sadly missed) Andy Clough, to create the first real incarnation of the website.

I will never forget Clare telling me: "We're finally going to have a proper website, so we need branded video. Sort it out, would you?" Never one to object to an ungainly splash around the deep end, I duly began the test-and-learn process of 'creating content'.

That led to much that was completely new to the brand: video reviews, How To's and unboxings, extended video show reports and interviews with industry luminaries (IAG's Peter Comeau and Ken Ishiwata of Marantz were personal highlights), as well as videos such as 'How We Test' (above), which laid out in detail the method and process on which the brand was determined to stake its reputation.

I had, in fact, worked for the magazine even earlier, as both a freelance sub-editor and, before that (2000-2001), as a staff writer and reviewer. That staff writer gig was my first 'proper' job in journalism – the first six months of which consisted almost entirely of listening to music on a ludicrously good reference system with still-technical editor, Ketan Bharadia.

I had begun my career as a journalist later than most (I was pushing 30), having enjoyed a mis-spent youth as a sessions-and-weddings guitar player – one time playing a gig to just two people listening to us in rapt attention, who turned out to be Womack and Womack!

But while the pursuit of great music, unrepeatable musical moments and exquisite sound has led me to all sorts of weird and wonderful, odd and unexpected places and situations, nothing in my career has ever matched such a solid and sustained period of consistent professional enjoyment as the time I occupied senior editorial positions at What Hi-Fi?.

Pivoting in many directions

Those years were a period of huge transition – for the What Hi-Fi? brand, for the technology and music industries, and for the world at large. At a time when traditional hi-fi sales were at an all-time low, the brand had to pivot, and in many directions at once.

Partly it was about content, as we moved, with our brand-new website, to digital, to video, to forums, to blog content and all the rest. But it was also the subject matter and the brand's fundamental mission, which moved first to TV and home cinema, then to headphones and to portable audio, and then to wireless and, above all, to streaming in all its myriad forms.

My main memory of this is that it gave the whole What Hi-Fi? team a renewed sense of purpose. We doubled down, dedicating ourselves to the exploration, discussion and evaluation of literally anything and everything that the consumer might use to enjoy music or movies. That was the core principle – our baseline.

Technological change, by this point, was already moving at high speed. Plasma TV had just given up the ghost, handing the TV field – for a short while – to LCD. Hi-fi streamers arrived and began to change the audio market, with the Naim Uniti winning our Readers' Award in its first year of existence, just as I became editor of the magazine.

3D TV came, floated around for a bit, and disappeared. But not before comedian Tim Minchin had written and performed – as I giggled into my champagne glass – a specially composed song entitled Three Is One Dimension Too Many to the industry at our What Hi-Fi? Awards ceremony. Fun times.

Within months of my becoming editor, we had seen the launch of the Sonos ZonePlayer S5, the iPad and the iPhone 3GS – effectively replacing the iPod – as well as the arrival of AirPlay, and the streamers and DACs market going mainstream.

As 2011 got underway, the tectonic plates of the TV industry were beginning to shift irrevocably away from Japan and toward the Korean companies. Later that year, Spotify Premium won our Readers' Award – signifying further shifts in perception among the public and our readers.

Renewed innovation in home audio continued, with highlights such as the launch of KEF's Concept Blade speaker, which I reported on from that years' Bristol Hi-Fi Show. We didn't know it at the time, but fairly soon, in Autumn 2012, I would leave to take on the role of KEF's UK PR representation, which I would continue through a six-year, multi-Award-winning period.

That the world was changing fast, we at What Hi-Fi? did not dispute. But what wasn't changing, as we always liked to remind people, was our (and your) love of music and movies. As the 2010s began to take shape, that simple idea drove the evolution of the What Hi-Fi? brand.

And it seems to me, happily, that this core value has not changed much in the intervening years. What Hi-Fi? still does the thing it has always done better than anyone else: 1) assemble a group of capable and intelligent reviewers; 2) have them honestly debate and argue about the products until a consensus is arrived at; 3) give the world that honest opinion until a new product comes along which changes the calculus; 4) rinse and repeat.

As a method of delivering useful and reliable information to the public about music and movie tech, I continue to think that's pretty hard to beat.

So Happy Birthday, What Hi-Fi?. And to the whole team, many happy returns!

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They're not the best-sounding buds you can buy for £299 / $299 /AU$449, nor are they the most feature-laden, but given the market's trajectory over the past few years, it's hard to ignore their substatantial influence.

Since the Ultra Open Earbuds launched in early 2024, various brands, including Huawei, JBL, Shokz and Sennheiser, have tried to emulate their off-ear design, all to varying degrees of success and acclaim.

Bose wasn't the first brand to make an open pair of earbuds, but it was one of the first to show that the concept could really have legs, with the US brand's original effort standing tall as one of the best of its type we've ever tested.

With their blend of unobtrusive comfort and surprisingly satisfying sound quality, Bose's trailblazers remain the finest exemplar of what the rapidly expanding open market can be. Having lived with the Bose Ultra Open, I know just what they're capable of.

Bose has recently announced a sequel, the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), and in my book, that's cause for celebration. Despite their imperfections, I've always been in the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds' corner, with a second-gen sequel representing the ideal opportunity to rectify the quirks and missteps of the fantastic yet flawed first-gen buds.

Second time's a charm

Before we get to that, we need to understand what makes Bose's original open effort so impressive, and to do that, we must understand what they were designed to do in the first place.

The thing is, not everyone likes the feel of a traditional pair of wireless earbuds, especially when it comes to having a foam or silicone tip burrowing into their ear canal.

For some users, they can become uncomfortable over time, while for others, they can fall out or cause discomfort during exercise. In-ears also tend to isolate you from the outside world, so for those of us who spend time running on busy roads, dodging traffic and pedestrians as we go, the idea of a more aware alternative is appealing.

Just the other day, I stepped out into what I thought was a quiet country lane during a quick 5K, only to jump like a stabbed rat back onto the verge upon realising that a pick-up truck the size of a tank had been there the entire time. With open buds, such risks are negated by virtue of having more environmental noise filtering into your ears, keeping you more attuned to your surroundings as a result.

For runners, gymgoers and ordinary wearers with sore ears, the Ultra Open Earbuds solved most of their problems, providing a comfortable 'clip-on' fit that rarely became wearing or unstable no matter where we went or what we were doing.

They sounded good, too, with a far meatier and more detailed signature than almost any open pair before or since. They were, in essence, the most viable alternative to the established in-ear configuration that we'd yet heard.

Open to improvements

Despite their clear virtues, the Ultra Open Earbuds were not, and indeed are not, without their quirks and quibbles.

For starters, they're still a sonically compromised pair of earbuds. Despite Bose's best efforts, sound quality is always going to suffer if you don't have a sealed fit, and while the Ultra Open Earbuds exhibit a musical, entertaining sound with a good sense of timing and decent cohesion, they're not the clearest or most insightful performers you'll find at this kind of money.

Speaking of money, Bose's trailblazers were simply far too expensive at launch. When they arrived in 2024, the buds would set you back £299 / $299 / AU$449, meaning that they were essentially going up against not only Bose's own QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (£300 / $299 / AU$450) but Sony's flagship WF-1000XM5 (£259 / $299 / AU$419) and the staggeringly popular AirPods Pro 2 (£249 / $249 / AU$399). That's a premium price tag for earbuds without noise cancelling or class-leading sound.

Thankfully, it looks as though at least one of my rather specific prayers has been answered. While writing about my experiences with Bose's open hopefuls at the time, I wrote that, "While I still support the open concept, I don't think its comfort benefits make up for the inevitable sonic sacrifices it incurs. Drop it down by £100 / $100 / AU$150? That's a different story."

And wouldn't you know it? That's exactly what Bose has done. The Ultra Open Earbuds are set to launch at a far more reasonable £180 / $199 / AU$350, with discounts that are almost exactly in keeping with my own requests. Does Bose religiously read my articles? Do I influence corporate policy? If so, can we get a sequel to the SoundLink Max Bluetooth speaker, please, and maybe a branded T-shirt while you're at it?

Money aside, any sonic improvements to the second-gen open buds are always gladly received. Lower-end frequencies are always going to be compromised when you don't have a proper seal, but any improvements to the quality of the bass from the sequel would be more than welcome.

There's power and weight to the original Ultra Open Earbuds, but as I wrote at the time, there's a hollowness that put me in mind of a "bucket being hit at the bottom of a well". Filling in those textures with more richness and authenticity would really complement the excellent sonic foundation Bose has already built.

Bose has teased “improved sound and call quality" for its sophomore effort, with the second-generation earbuds also using newly engineered drivers to deliver “deeper bass and higher volume” than their predecessors. Someone at Bose has definitely been reading my letters to Santa...

Great sound and a comfortable, easygoing fit, all for a much lower price? I'm listening.

Do you know why I like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds so much? Competent innovation. Bose tried to do something different with its trailblazing buds, but rather than simply relying on the open gimmick to shift units, they doubled down on a decidedly premium product that, while somewhat overpriced, had the quality to back up its innovation.

It isn't just the fact that the Ultra Open Earbuds are different – it's that they're genuinely good at what they do. Not perfect, but a very admirable first effort.

While many rivals have tried to emulate its success, Bose's effort remains the best of its type that we've heard over the past five-or-so years. The Ultra Open Earbuds are the most viable alternative to traditional in-ear alternatives, and now that Bose has dropped the price and is teasing serious sonic upgrades, the sequel could well prove to be a five-star success.

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Apple TV’s 10-part series stars Welsh actor Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis – the perennially exasperated mayor of the titular island town. Situated 40 miles off the New England coast, Widow’s Bay is so isolated it has no internet access or mobile phone signal, but outdated telecommunications are the least of its problems, because the natives believe the place to be cursed.

That doesn’t stop Tom from embarking on a campaign to attract tourists and turn Widow’s Bay into “the next Martha’s Vineyard”, but on the eve of a visit from a high-profile travel writer, strange things start to happen that have the locals warning of another impending “haunt”.

As is so often the case on cursed islands, most of the weirdness in Widow’s Bay takes place at night, which means there are plenty of scenes that will really put your TV to the test.

In the opening minutes of episode one, Tom is shaken awake by a nocturnal earthquake, the only light in the room coming from the moon outside his window. A sub-standard screen will render this scene with almost zero nuance and hide all the details under a blanket of blackness, but you should be able to see the silhouettes of the alarm clock and lamp on Tom’s nightstand just before he jumps out of bed.

Towards the end of the episode, he’s having dinner with the visiting journalist in the town’s only restaurant when the power mysteriously goes out, leaving the place in darkness except for the candles on each table. Here you should get a nice level of contrast between the intense individual flames and the shadowy spaces between the diners, while the panic on Tom’s face should be evident in the close-ups.

Widow’s Bay is a show that relies on mystery, so I won’t reveal too much about later episodes, but the sixth part, which is set in 1702, is full of naturally lit scenes that will look particularly authentic if you own one of the best OLED TVs.

By day, Widow’s Bay is a beautiful place. The series has been shot with slightly subdued colours and a touch of grain, which gives it a vintage feel that matches the sense of a place partly lost in time.

The town itself looks like somewhere you’d genuinely want to visit – all oceanic blues, lush greenery and quaint sandy coves. As long as you ignore the history of human sacrifice, mass murder, and cannibalism, it's positively idyllic.

But New England will always have those slightly creepy connotations. In the real world, it’s the home of the Salem witch trials and the birthplace of writers Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, plus it’s a favourite of horror directors looking for somewhere spooky for their next flick.

Robert Eggers set both The Witch and The Lighthouse in the area; Derry, the home of Stephen King’s It, is a fictional town in Maine; and parts of Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island were shot at an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts.

The area’s traditional Colonial-era buildings are big, old, and often made of wood, which means they’re full of creaky floorboards and things that go bump in the night – and with Dolby Atmos audio available, that makes Widow’s Bay a great advert for owning one of the best surround sound systems.

The show’s not particularly big on jump scares (although there are a couple of real humdingers), but when Tom spends the night in the island’s supposedly haunted hotel, what you hear is what really enhances the feeling of apprehension.

It’s the creaking of the stairs as he descends into the creepy basement; the ticking of the old clock in the communal lounge; and the footsteps in the hallway outside his room when there’s not supposed to be anyone else in the building.

Of course, all those Emmy wins mean that Widow’s Bay won’t remain a hidden gem for long, but if you like your horror mixed with a dollop of comedy (or vice versa), get on board before you miss the boat.

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If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, it’s also the successor to a former What Hi-Fi? Award winner, the Hisense PX3 Pro, and comes loaded with a wealth of upgrades designed to improve peak brightness, colour accuracy and black level – all of which make it a very enticing piece of hardware for its target market.

The question is, with a barrage of fresh competition from the likes of Xgimi and AWOL, has Hisense done enough to retain its lead in the UST space? After running a UST battle royale in our viewing rooms, here’s what we found.

Price

The PX4 Pro launched at a price of £2499 / $3999 / AU$4499 and, by and large, that’s currently what you’ll pay for it. That’s the same price its predecessor, the PX3 Pro, launched at in the UK and Australia, but $500 higher in the US.

This pricing puts the PX4 Pro in a slightly awkward position in the UST market, with accomplished, five-star rivals costing not much more, and solid, slightly older alternatives costing quite a lot less.

Above it, you’ll find our current recommended UST, the five-star AWOL Vision Aetherion Max, which launched at a hefty £3499 / $4499 / AU$5999 but has recently dropped to £3199 / $3799 in the UK and US, respectively (the price in Australia is yet to change).

If you want to go even further, the Hisense L9Q UST that sits above it in the firm’s line is even more premium, costing £3999 / $5999 / AU$8995. Its other, untested, main rival, the newly launched Xgimi Aura 3 Max, is set to retail for $2399 (around £1775 / AU$3365).

For non-gamers, you can also buy the new, four-star, step-down Hisense PT1 for £1599 / $2199 / AU$2295, which shares common DNA with the PX4 Pro.

And, as a final spanner in the works, if you aren’t committed to getting a latest-generation UST, some stock of the PX3 Pro is still available, with most shops in the UK selling it for around £1599.

Design

Hisense’s PX line of USTs has never been known for its subtlety. Because of Hisense's traditional focus on selling PX projectors’ gaming credentials as much as their home cinema prowess, they tend to have striking angular designs with big metal grilles and garish flourishes.

This largely remains the case with the PX4 Pro, which eschews the classy, understated design of the step-down PT1 in favour of an angular, eye-catching metal box with a curved, amphitheatre-shaped metal speaker grille on its top. One of our reviewers described it as “what would happen if architect Frank Gehry designed a UST”.

The only UST we’ve seen that’s more ostentatious is the step-up L9Q, which has the same design, but with gold/brass metal and a fake wood finish and a larger chassis.

Thankfully, there is a reason for the atypical grille; it houses the new 66-watt, 4.0.2-channel sound system, which features six integrated drivers that have been tuned by French audio brand Devialet – which is responsible for the Phantom line of high-end speakers. A step up (at least on paper) on the PX3’s Harman-tuned system.

Outside of its aesthetics, the UST is fairly by the numbers, measuring in at 54 x 29 x 14cm, which is just about compact enough to fit onto most stands, or even small cabinets, without much hassle.

The 0.2:1 throw ratio also means you can project a giant 100-120-inch diagonal image from less than a foot away from the screen (or wall, if you’re a philistine). If you have the space to place it a little further away (around 35in / 89cm), Hisense has also extended its max projection size to a staggering 200 inches – a 50-inch improvement on the PX3 Pro.

Weighing 8.3kg, the PX4 Pro is fairly easy to move, though its fiddly set-up process means we’d recommend leaving it in place once you’ve got it running.

This set-up process remains unchanged from previous Hisense USTs. You have to place it on the stand and then awkwardly adjust the height of the feet and the position of the projector to make the image fit your screen. The trouble is that after that, as with other Hisense USTs, the auto-correction process (which forces you to take a photo of an image and upload it onto a Hisense website) does not work.

A dozen attempts, more swears than we can count and the same failure message every time. Once again, our reviewers had to manually tweak the focus and projected screen dimensions to get usable results.

The remote remains functional and, thankfully, once again supports USB-C and solar charging. On the other hand, the remote is also a little long and button-heavy, and it’s still not backlit, making use in a dark room a little trickier. A more streamlined, modernised zapper would be welcome.

Features

The PX4 Pro doesn’t radically change the line’s core offering. As well as a big-screen 4K (via pixel shifting) home cinema experience, Hisense is once again making a big deal about the fact that its projector can deliver a 1080p/240Hz performance for gamers.

The only changes are that Hisense has added yet more features and tech designed to improve everything from colour accuracy to peak brightness, black level and light control.

For starters, though it runs on the same core RGB Triple Laser tech as its predecessor, the PX4 Pro features newer Digital Laser Engine 3.0 tech, which Hisense claims lets it deliver 3500 Lumens peak brightness. That’s 500 Lumens more than the PX3 Pro and 200 more than the AWOL Vision Aetherion Max.

A custom, seven-level adjustable iris lens system and “Hisense-exclusive” CineBlack Pro tech then work in tandem to boost black levels, colour accuracy and contrast. This is apparently the key reason it has a quoted 6500:1 contrast ratio. To put that in context, the PX3 Pro has an also-claimed 3000:1 contrast ratio.

The combination of technologies additionally helps the PX4 Pro deliver a quoted 118 per cent coverage of the demanding BT.2020 colour gamut favoured by creative professionals. So quite the upgrade all around – at least on paper.

The projector’s feature set remains excellent elsewhere, too. It supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG. If you’re turning your nose up, asking “what about Dolby Vision 2”, don’t – this is only just starting to roll out for TVs, and we’re yet to see it on any projector.

There is also a dedicated Filmmaker Mode, IMAX Enhanced certification and Active 3D content picture modes. IMAX is a nice touch, given its recent support by certain big-name directors and growing catalogue of supported content on Disney+.

We’re less convinced by Active 3D right now. If you haven’t heard of this, it’s a 3D TV technology that uses special DLP Link 3D glasses to create a 3D depth effect. The PX4 Pro doesn’t come with glasses bundled. To take advantage of the feature, you’ll need to invest in a pair. Prices vary depending on the make, ranging from £20-£60 per pair – though usually they come in bundles of two.

Given how well 3D, and its reliance on specialist glasses, went the first time around in the early noughties, we don’t yet see this 3D feature as anything to get too excited about at this point, but there are still those burning a candle for 3D, and with some 3D movies in their collections. To them, the PX4 Pro’s Active 3D support will be welcome.

The use of Hisense’s Vidaa OS, instead of Google TV, may put off some potential buyers, but the OS is more than good enough, coming loaded with nearly all the apps you need. These include Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. In the UK, Freely is also supported, which means you can easily catch up on local UK shows and use it as a straight-up TV, should you so choose.

The only missing apps are specialist ones, including Shudder, Hidive, and GeForce Now. Not a deal breaker, but an annoyance if you’re a dedicated fan of the genres they cover, or a PC gamer.

Hisense has also loaded the PX4 Pro with two HDMI 2.1 inputs, just like the PX3 Pro before it, and there’s support for ALLM and VRR.

There are two HDMI 2.0 sockets, too, taking the total complement of HDMIs to four. The PX3 Pro had two HDMI 2.1 sockets and a single HDMI 2.0, so this is a handy upgrade for those with lots of sources.

Interestingly, the eARC socket is one of the HDMI 2.0 ports, so you don’t lose one of the valuable HDMI 2.1 ports should you choose to add a soundbar or AVR to your projector.

Our only word of warning is to gamers. Yes, the projector can do 1080p/240Hz if a powerful enough PC is connected. And yes, that is awesome for online gaming, where the higher framerate and very low input lag (in gaming mode) can make the difference between (virtual) life and death.

But, despite the presence of so-called HDMI 2.1 sockets, the PX4 Pro is limited to 60Hz at 4K resolution, so 4K/120Hz gaming is off the menu. This won’t be a huge deal to all gamers, but it is worth noting that USTs with support for native 4K/120Hz are beginning to appear.

Picture quality

So how does the PX4 Pro perform? Starting with our standard Civil War 4K Blu-ray, the projector is initially a little too bombastic. Colours are overbaked, and the motion smoothing makes every one of the characters look as though they’re floating.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to fix the issue. A few button pushes gets us into Filmmaker Mode, which fixes all of our motion issues. Colours are improved, too, but they’re still not quite perfect, being noticeably too warm. Eventually, with some back-and-forth experimentation, we settle on Filmmaker Mode with the Warm 2 colour profile, Dynamic Tone Mapping switched on and the motion setting on Film.

Once done, the work Hisense has done improving its PX line over the past two years is immediately apparent, and the PX4 Pro leaves a strong impression. Characters' faces look more realistic, featuring more natural highlights and deeper shadows. As they move through a burning forest, the extra brightness helps the PX4 shine; the flames possess hues of red and orange that are entirely missing on the PX3. Blacks are deeper, but retain much more detail, giving silhouetted trees in the woods a much more defined presence, and the entire scene an added element of three-dimensionality.

The improvements continue as we switch gears to our F1: The Movie disc. The PX4 Pro demonstrates a wonderful level of control, handling very bright elements over dark segments, with the fireworks raging over the race track offering a wonderfully crisp, controlled burn that makes the PX3 and most of the cheaper USTs we’ve tested look flat by comparison.

To our surprise, the jagged, slightly jerky motion handling we’ve come to expect from Hisense USTs is also gone. Instead, the cars weave and zoom forward with pleasing heft and smoothness, without ever feeling artificial. A big achievement for Hisense considering how past models have struggled here.

But as we continue watching, there are a few minor flies in the ointment. As the F1 scene continues, our reviewers wince in unison as the rainbow effect rears its ugly head more than once.

Moving to Sinners, a demanding test disc due to its incredibly warm mastering and dim presentation, the PX4’s picture looks slightly off. That’s partly because there’s very minor black crush, with parts of gangster Stack’s jawline and beard that are visible on the more premium AWOL Vision Aetherion Max showing as flat black. But it’s mainly the colours, which look both overbaked and overly yellow, giving characters a slightly jaundiced look.

The issue briefly appears again as we switch to Blade Runner 2049, where during the difficult, dim opening scene, the projector occasionally struggles with colours not looking quite right. Though it is intermittent and generally limited to dark scenes, sadly, we don’t find a way to fix it, with the cooler Standard and Cool colour profiles pushing too far in the other direction. To be clear, overall, it’s still far from a terrible performance, but it’s just not quite as finessed as that which you’ll experience one step up in the flagship UST space. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

The projector’s upscaling is also much improved, but still middling. Tasked with our SDR True Grit Blu-ray disc, the PX4 does a decent job with the opening dark snowy scene, with only a few artefacts creeping in. But as the film goes on, the spaghetti western-style grainy tone occasionally looks a bit fizzy.

Sound quality

Hisense has made impressive strides, for the most part, with the PX4 Pro’s audio.

Despite its humble size, the Devialet-tuned system manages to do a surprising job throwing audio around the room. A flight of jets don’t scream overhead during Civil War in quite the same way they do on a capable soundbar, but they come with a sense of height that’s missing from most rival USTs.

The movements of cars in F1: The Movie traverse effectively from left to right, and then forward with enough dynamic heft to make it fun to watch – albeit still not quite bone-rumbling enough to do it true cinematic justice.

Switching to Sinners, the system offers an unusual (for inbuilt speaker systems) sense of musicality, with the medley of tracks racing around the speakeasy having a rhythmic drive that makes you feel like you're being pulled forward with the camera to the beat of the music.

But it’s still far from perfect. The Devialet tuning frequently pushes too hard and overestimates its capabilities. During scene two of Blade Runner 2049, it all but falls apart, speaker rattle creeps in, and the booming synth – which is meant to exude a sense of doom – comes out as a loud, flabby warble that drowns out most of the mid and higher frequencies.

Transitioning to the interview scene, voices are nicely separated and projected, but they have a harsh character, with sibilant hisses and a hard edge to the dialogue.

Overall, this is still a very solid sound performance by prevailing UST standards, but images this cinematic demand equally cinematic sound, and we'd advise you to budget for a dedicated sound system if at all possible.

Verdict

The PX4 Pro is a worthy improvement to Hisense’s line of mid-tier UST projectors, offering deeper blacks, more colour volume and a holistically improved, more three-dimensional-looking image.

It also sits in a space between entry-level and flagship USTs, a currently underserved segment of the market. That makes it a great option for movie fans looking for a big-screen UST, who can’t quite stretch their budget to accommodate the five-star AWOL Vision Aetherion Max.

Our only quibbles are that its gaming features are slightly less impressive than they first appear, with 4K/120Hz being beyond the projector; and that it occasionally lacks finesse with its handling of colours, especially during dark scenes.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 4
• Features 4

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The aim is for bass that is deep and authoritative, but that complements rather than overwhelms the movies and music it’s conveying.

There are four models in the range: the Nova 8, Nova 10, Nova 12 and Nova 15. The numbers indicate the respective main driver’s diameter in inches. So whatever your system – whether it’s a home cinema behemoth, hi-fi leviathan, or diddy micro system – there should be one to fit the bill.

Bass depth and output levels vary according to the sub’s size, of course, but they all share the same approach thanks to the inclusion of new long-throw drivers, passive Auxiliary Bass Radiators (ABRs) and Wharfedale’s tried and tested cabinet architecture.

Let’s start with those drivers.

These feature rigid, lightweight paper cones with a proprietary coating to increase stiffness and self-damping without increasing mass. Thanks to the other components inside the Nova subwoofers, they should maintain stability at high output while allowing substantial linear movements, which should mean “exceptional extension” without sacrificing transient accuracy and composure, says Wharfedale.

Thermal efficiency and power handling are enhanced by a large-diameter voice coil, while the aluminium shorting ring in the motor structure improves linearity and transient response and lowers distortion.

The result? Bass with “greater definition and natural rhythmic timing”, according to Wharfedale.

Each sub in the range has a downward-firing, mass-loaded ABR with a dual-suspension design to extend low-frequency output without a conventional reflex port. Wharfedale claims this avoids issues such as chuffing, compression and unwanted resonance.

Wharfedale also claims a balance of depth and control thanks to each model’s optimised acoustic loading.

The Class D amplifier platform delivers nominal power ratings between 200W and 360W (depending on the model of subwoofer), up to 80V peak output and “substantial” dynamic headroom. The platform is optimised for efficiency, speed and sustained low-frequency control.

Wharfedale also stresses that the amplifier, driver, cabinet loading and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) have all been developed as an integrated system for a controlled, responsive performance free of strain and compression.

Some subs struggle with convincing bass at lower volumes; Wharfedale claims this won’t be a problem thanks to its DSP-controlled dynamic EQ. At lower levels, this should preserve weight and extension – crank the volume up, and it manages driver excursion to maintain clean output. Which should result in a larger, more authoritative performance than the unit’s physical size might suggest.

Wharfedale has tuned the woofers to integrate the bass seamlessly with a range of system configurations and environments. And if you want to fine-tune it yourself, you can, with adjustable crossover, phase alignment and level calibration tools.

The Nova 8 costs £799 / $999 / AU$1299, which is the same as the B&W ASW610, our pick as best overall in our list of best subwoofers. Pricing goes up to £899 / $1199 / AU$1699 for the Nova 10, £1099 / $1499 / AU$2199 for the Nova 12 and £1299 / $1999 / AU$2899 for the Nova 15.

All models launch in late September, and come in any colour as long as it’s black.

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And – new for this year – is there a hi-fi or home cinema product from days of yore that you feel deserves a fresh shoutout?

If the answer to either of those questions is yes, then we have two bits of good news.

Firstly, we’ve just opened voting for the 2026 What Hi-Fi? Readers’ Award.

And secondly, as part of our 50th birthday celebrations, we’re running a second reader-voted award. Specifically, and for one year only, our Golden Anniversary Readers' Award.

What Hi-Fi? Readers’ Award 2026

Voting is live now and will run until the 28th September. All you have to do is tell us which product in the poll below is most worthy of a What Hi-Fi? Award.

The top-voted product will then be crowned this year’s Readers’ Award winner at the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2026 ceremony on 12th November, and join an elite pantheon of past winners.

Over the past three years, these have been the 2025's reader favourite, the Ruark Audio R610, 2024’s winner, the Q Acoustics 5050 and 2023’s top dog, the Cambridge Audio MXN10.

This year’s shortlist is populated by the most popular reviews we’ve published over the past year and includes everything from cutting-edge new RGB Mini LED TVs to stereo amplifiers from hi-fi heavyweights.

Golden Anniversary Readers' Award

Next up is our Golden Anniversary Readers' Award.

As the name suggests, this is a special Award we’re only running this year that lets you vote on your favourite product from all of our Readers' Award winners.

The list includes every product that’s won the trophy, all the way back to our first winner in 2008, which, believe it or not, was the Sony PlayStation 3 games console.

To vote, all you have to do is pick your favourite in the poll.

If you’re feeling particularly passionate, drop a comment on this page and let us know your choice and why you think it deserves to win. We're eager to hear your rationale!

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The Asian Games 2026, officially known as the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, will be one of the biggest sporting events in Asia, bringing just shy of 20,000 athletes together to compete for 469 medals across 43 disciplines. The Games will take place from September 19 to October 4 across Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and other parts of Japan.

There will be no shortage of big names to watch, including China's swimming world-record holder Pan Zhanle, South Korean badminton star An Se-young, Pakistan's Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem, and Philippines gymnastics star Carlos Yulo.

There are also plenty of rising stars to keep an eye on, including Philippine tennis trailblazer Alexandra Eala, who enters the Games ranked No. 18 in the world, and India's 16-year-old cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is coming off a record-breaking IPL season.

The 2026 edition will also bring some fresh additions, with MMA making its Asian Games debut, alongside paddle and techball. Meanwhile, cricket returns in the T20 format, with both men's and women's competitions on the schedule. That should offer India a strong chance at two golds as they look to build on their 107-medal haul at the 2022 Asian Games. China topped the medal table that time around with 383 medals, including 201 golds.

Follow our guide below for where to watch Asian Games 2026 live streams, including FREE options.

How to watch Asian Games 2026 for free

Several countries across Asia are broadcasting the 2026 Asian Games completely free, including:

• Singapore: MeWatch
• South Korea: KBS, MBC and SBS
• Vietnam: VTV
• China: CCTV5
• Malaysia: RTM

If you're from one of these countries but are currently abroad and want to watch an Asian Games 2026 live stream, you can simply use a VPN. More details below...

Watch Asian Games 2026 live streams from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular Asian Games 2026 live streams while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch any Asian Games 2026 live stream from anywhere in the world.

We rate NordVPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a generous 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

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Watch Asian Games 2026 live streams in the US and Canada

Willow TV will show select coverage of the Asian Games in the US and Canada with the main focus being the cricket competition.

But, they will also launch three pop-up channels with Asian Games 1, 2, and 3.

Don't have Willow TV as part of your cable package? You can watch Willow coverage through your choice of Sling TV's Desi Binge Plus or Dakshin Flex plans – starting from $10 per month.

Watch Asian Games 2026 live streams in India

In India, the 2026 Asian Games is available to watch on the Sony Sports Network on TV and online on Sony LIV.

Sony LIV subscription plans in India start at ₹599 for the mobile-only yearly plan, or you can get the ₹999 Premium yearly plan.

If you're currently out of India but want to watch an Asian Games 2026 live stream, you'll need to get yourself a VPN, as per the instructions above.

Can I watch Asian Games 2026 in the UK or Australia?

Unfortunately, the 2026 Asian Games won’t be available to viewers in the UK, Canada, or Australia, as no streaming service in these countries has picked up the broadcasting rights.

However, if you’re from Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, China, or Malaysia and are traveling abroad during the Asian Games, you can use a VPN to access your favorite local streams while you’re away from home.

Asian Games 2026 fixtures and dates

The 2026 Asian Games will take place from September 19 to October 4 in the city of Nagoya in the Aichi Prefecture of Japan.

(All times BST)

Saturday, September 19
10am – Opening ceremony

Sunday, September 20
12.30am – Triathlon | Men's individual final
1am – Wushu | Men's Changquan final
1am – Road cycling | Women's ITT
3am – Triathlon | Women's individual final
3am – Modern pentathlon | Women's Individual final
5.30am – Road cycling | Men's ITT
6am – Soft tennis | Women's team final
6.30am – Shooting | 10m Air Rifle Women's final
6.30am – Wushu | Women's Taijiquan & Taijijian final
7am – Teqball | Women's singles final
7.30am – Modern pentathlon | Men's Individual final
7.40am – Teqball | Women's doubles final
8.20am – Teqball | Mixed doubles final
9am – Teqball | Men's singles final
9am – Swimming | Women's 50m breaststroke final
- Swimming | Women's 1,500m freestyle final
- Swimming | Women's 200m butterfly final
- Swimming | Women's 4 x 100m freestyle relay final
- Swimming | Men's 100m freestyle final
- Swimming | Men's 100m backstroke final
- Swimming | Men's 200m individual medley final
9.15am – Soft tennis | Women's team final
9.40am – Teqball | Men's doubles final
9.55am – Karate | Women's individual Kata final
10.05am – Karate | Men's Kumite -55kg final
10.15am – Karate | Women's Kumite +68kg final
10.25am – Karate | Men's Kumite -60kg final
11.40am – Basketball | Men's final

Monday, September 21
1.30am – Triathlon | Mixed relay final
1.45am – Shooting | 10m Air Rifle men's team final
2am – Artistic gymnastics | Men's all-around final
4.30am – Shooting | 10m Air Rifle men's individual final
9am – Swimming | Women's 50m backstroke final
- Swimming | Women's 200m freestyle final
- Swimming | Women's 200m individual medley final
- Swimming | Men's 50m freestyle final
- Swimming | Men's 50m backstroke final
- Swimming | Men's 100m breaststroke final
- Swimming | Men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay final
9am – Soft tennis | Mixed doubles final
9.50am – Karate | Men's individual Kata final
10am – Karate | Women's Kumite -61kg final
10.10am – Karate | Men's Kumite -67kg final
10.20am – Karate | Women's Kumite -68kg final

Tuesday, September 22
1am – Road cycling | Women's road race
3.55am – Shooting | 10m Air Rifle mixed team final
4am – Artistic gymnastics | Women's all-around final
6am – Cricket | Women's final
6am – MMA | Men's modern -60kg final
6.20am – MMA | Women's modern -54kg final
6.30am – Wushu | Men's Nangun final
6.40am – MMA | Men's traditional -65kg final
7.50am – Wushu | Women's Nandao final
8am – MMA | Women's traditional -60kg final
8.20am – MMA | Men's modern -71kg final
8.40am – MMA | Men's traditional -77kg final
9am – Swimming | Women's 100m freestyle final
- Swimming | Women's 400m freestyle final
- Swimming | Women's 200m backstroke final
- Swimming | Men's 1,500m freestyle final
- Swimming | Men's 400m individual medley final
- Swimming | Men's 4 x 100m medley relay final
9am – Karate | Women's team Kata final
9.15am – Karate | Men's Kumite -75kg final
9.25am – Karate | Women's Kumite -55kg final
9.35am – Karate | Men's Kumite -84kg final
10.40am – Fencing | Men's Foil individual final
11am – Fencing | Women's Épée individual final
11.20am – Volleyball | Women's final

Wednesday, September 23
1am – Road cycling | Men's road race
1.10am – Rowing | Men's single sculls final
1.30am – Rowing | Men's double sculls final
1.50am – Rowing | Women's lightweight single sculls final
2am – Shooting | Skeet men's team final
- Shooting | Skeet women's team final
2.10am – Rowing | Women's lightweight double sculls final
2.45am – Equestrian | Eventing individual final
- Equestrian | Eventing team final
2.50am – Rowing | Men's pair final
3.20am – Rowing | Women's quadruple sculls final
3.20am – Rowing | Women's four final
4.30am – Shooting | 10m Air Pistol individual final
5am – Artistic gymnastics | Men's team final
5.30am – Soft tennis | Women's singles final
5.30am – Weightlifting | Women's 49kg final
6.30am – Wushu | Men's Daoshu & Gunshu final
6.30am – Shooting | Skeet women's final
7.35am – Karate | Men's team Kata final
6.30am – Wushu | Women's Jianshu & Qiangshu final
7.50am – Karate | Women's Kumite -50kg final
8am – Shooting | Skeet men's final
8am – Karate | Men's Kumite +84kg final
8am – eSports | eFootball final
8.45am – Soft tennis | Men's singles final
9am – Weightlifting | Women's 53kg final
9am – Swimming | Women's 100m backstroke final
- Swimming | Women's 100m breaststroke final
- Swimming | Women's 100m butterfly final
- Swimming | Women's 400m individual medley final
- Swimming | Men's 200m freestyle final
- Swimming | Men's 100m butterfly final
- Swimming | Mixed 4 x 100m medley relay final
9.40am – Fencing | Women's Foil individual final
10am – Fencing | Men's Sabre individual final
11am – Artistic gymnastics | Women's team final
11.30am – Athletics | Men's half-marathon race walk final
- Athletics | Women's half-marathon race walk final

Thursday, September 24
1.10am – Rowing | Women's single sculls final
1.30am – Rowing | Women's double sculls final
1.30am – Wushu | Men's 56kg
1.30am – Badminton | Women's team final
1.50am – Wushu | Men's 60kg
2.10am – Rowing | Men's lightweight single sculls final
2.10am – Wushu | Men's 65kg
2.10am – Rowing | Women's pair final
2.30am – Rowing | Men's quadruple sculls final
2.30am – Wushu | Men's 70kg
2.30am – Rowing | Men's lightweight double sculls final
2.50am – Wushu | Men's 75kg
2.50am – Rowing | Men's four final
3am – Mountain biking | Women's cross-country final
3.10am – Wushu | Women's 52kg
3.30am – Wushu | Women's 60kg
3.30am – Canoeing | Women's 200m final
3.40am – Canoeing | Men's 500m kayak four final
3.50am – Canoeing | Women's 500m kayak double final
4am – Canoeing | Men's 500m canoe single final
5.30am – Weightlifting | Men's 60kg final
6.45am – Shooting | Skeet mixed team final
7.45am – Shooting | Men's 10m Air Pistol final
8am – Badminton | Men's team final
5.30am – Weightlifting | Men's 65kg final
9am – Table tennis | Men's team final
9am – Artistic gymnastics | Men's floor exercise final
9am – Swimming | Women's 50m freestyle final
- Swimming | Women's 200m breaststroke final
- Swimming | Women's 4 x 200m freestyle relay final
- Swimming | Men's 50m butterfly final
- Swimming | Men's 800m freestyle final
- Swimming | Men's 200m breaststroke final
- Swimming | Men's 4 x 100m freestyle relay final
9.40am – Water polo | Women's final
9.55am – Artistic gymnastics | Women's vault final
10.20am – Fencing | Men's Épée individual final
10.35am – Artistic gymnastics | Men's pommel horse final
10.40am – Fencing | Women's Sabre individual final
11.30am – Table tennis | Women's team final
11.44am – Athletics | Women's triple jump final
11.45am – Artistic gymnastics | Women's uneven bars final
12.25pm – Artistic gymnastics | Men's rings final
12.55pm – Athletics | Men's discus final
1.25pm – Athletics | Women's 10,000m final
2.15pm – Athletics | Mixed 4 x 400m relay final

Friday, September 25
1am – Sepaktakraw | Women's team Regu final
1.05am – Skateboarding | Women's park final
1.30am – Dressage Grand Prix
2.45am – Shooting | Men's 50m Rifle 3 positions team final
3am – Mountain biking | Men's cross-country final
3.30am – Canoeing | Men's 500m kayak double final
3.35am – Skateboarding | Men's park final
3.40am – Canoeing | Women's 500m kayak four final
3.50am – Canoeing | Men's 500m canoe single final
4am – Shooting | Mixed 10m Air Pistol team final
4am – Canoeing | Women's 500m canoe double final
5.30am – Weightlifting | Women's 57kg final
6am – Sepaktakraw | Men's team Regu final
6am – Shooting | Men's 50m Rifle 3 positions final
7am – Artistic gymnastics | Men's vault final
7.40am – Artistic gymnastics | Women's balance beam final
8.50am – Artistic gymnastics | Men's parallel bars final
9am – Weightlifting | Women's 61kg final
9am – Swimming | Women's 50m butterfly final
- Swimming | Women's 800m freestyle final
- Swimming | Women's 4 x 100m medley relay final
- Swimming | Men's 50m breaststroke final
- Swimming | Men's 400m freestyle final
- Swimming | Men's 200m backstroke final
- Swimming | Men's 200m butterfly final
9.30am – Artistic gymnastics | Women's floor exercise final
10.20am – Fencing | Men's Foil team final
10.40am – Artistic gymnastics | Men's horizontal bar final
10.50am – 3 x 3 basketball | Women's final
11.05am – Athletics | Women's shot put final
11.15am – 3 x 3 basketball | Men's final
11.20am – Fencing | Women's Épée team final
12.03pm – Athletics | Women's pole vault final
12.11pm – Athletics | Women's Hepthathlon 800m
12.32pm – Athletics | Men's 10,000m final
12.40pm – Athletics | Men's hammer final
2.05pm – Athletics | Women's 100m final
2.15pm – Athletics | Men's 100m final

Saturday, September 26
1am – eSports | Puyo Puyo Champions final
1.45am – Shooting | Women's 50m Rifle 3 positions team final
2am – Diving | Women's synchronised 10m platform final
3.30am – Canoeing | Women's 500m kayak single final
3.40am – Canoeing | Men's 500m kayak single final
3.50am – Canoeing | Mixed 500m canoe double final
4am – Canoeing | Mixed 500m kayak double final
5am – Shooting | Women's 50m Rifle 3 positions final
5am – Kabaddi | Women's team final
5am – Diving | Men's synchronised 3m springboard final
5.30am – Weightlifting | Men's 70kg final
5.30am – Weightlifting | Men's 75kg final
9.20am – Fencing | Women's Foil team final
10am – Kabaddi | Men's team final
10.20am – Fencing | Men's Sabre team final
11.20am – Basketball | Women's final
11.30am – Table tennis | Mixed doubles final
11.30am – Athletics | Men's marathon final
11.50am – Athletics | Women's marathon final
12pm – Athletics | Men's shot put final
12.35pm – Athletics | Men's triple jump final
1.45pm – Athletics | Women's 400m final
2.03pm – Athletics | Men's 400m final
2.15pm – Athletics | Women's 1,500m final

Sunday, September 27
1am – eSports | Pokémon UNITE final
2am – Diving | Women's synchronised 3m springboard final
2.05am – Skateboarding | Women's street final
3am – Artistic swimming | Duet final
5am – Diving | Men's synchronised 10m platform final
5.30am – Weightlifting | Women's 69kg final
6am – Kurash | Women's -57kg final
- Kurash | Men's +90kg final
6.30am – Squash | Mixed doubles final
7am – Trampolining | Men's final
- Trampolining | Men's super final
7.05am – Skateboarding | Men's street final
8am – Squash | Men's singles final
9am – Squash | Women's singles final
9am – Weightlifting | Women's 77kg final
9am – Handball | Women's final
10.30am – Baseball | Men's final
10.40am – Fencing | Men's Épée team final
11am – Table tennis | Men's doubles final
11.10am – Athletics | Women's long jump final
11.35am – Athletics | Women's 200m final
11.40am – Fencing | Women's Sabre team final
11.45am – Athletics | Men's 200m final
11.55am – Trampolining | Women's final
- Trampolining | Women's final
12.08pm – Athletics | Men's 110m hurdles final
12.15pm – Athletics | Men's high jump final
12.23pm – Athletics | Women's 100m hurdles final
12.30pm – Table tennis | Women's singles final
1.03pm – Athletics | Women's javelin final
1.10pm – Athletics | Men's Decathlon 1,500m final
1.22pm – Athletics | Women's 3,000m steeplechase final
1.10pm – Athletics | Men's Decathlon 1,500m final

Monday, September 28
1am – eSports | Honor of Kings final
1.40am – Shooting | Women's 25m Pistol team final
2am – Diving | Women's 1m springboard final
2.46am – Surfing | Men's shortboard final
3am – Artistic swimming | Mixed team final
3.27am – Surfing | Women's shortboard final
4.15am – BMX | Women's final
4.25am – BMX | Men's final
5am – Diving | Men's 1m springboard final
5.30am – Men's 85kg final
6am – Kurash | Women's -78kg final
- Kurash | Men's -81kg final
6.15am – Shooting | Women's 25m Pistol final
9am – Men's 95kg final
10.15am – Athletics | Women's discus final
11am – Table tennis | Women's doubles final
11.23am – Athletics | Women's 400m hurdles final
11.33am – Athletics | Men's 400m hurdles final
11.42am – Athletics | Men's 3,000m steeplechase final
11.55am – Athletics | Men's long jump final
12.05pm – Athletics | Men's 1,500m final
12.25pm – Athletics | Men's javelin final
12.30pm – Table tennis | Men's singles final
12.43pm – Athletics | Women's 5,000m final
2.04pm – Athletics | Women's 4 x 100m relay final
2.23pm – Athletics | Men's 4 x 100m relay final

Tuesday, September 29
1am – Sepaktakraw | Women's doubles final
1am – eSports | PUBG Mobile final
1.30am – Weightlifting | Women's 86kg final
2am – Shooting | Men's Trap team final
- Shooting | Women's Trap team final
2.30am – Sepaktakraw | Men's Regu final
3am – Badminton | Men's singles final
- Badminton | Women's singles final
- Badminton | Men's doubles final
- Badminton | Women's doubles final
- Badminton | Mixed doubles final
4.30am – Weightlifting | Men's 110kg final
6am – Shooting | Women's Trap final
6am – Kurash | Women's +87kg final
- Kurash | Men's -66kg final
7am – Track cycling | Men's team sprint final
- Track cycling | Women's team sprint final
7.20am – Diving | Women's 10m platform final
7.30am – Shooting | Men's Trap final
8.20am – Weightlifting | Women's +86kg final
9.30am – Diving | Men's 3m springboard final
10.15am – Athletics | Men's pole vault final
11.10am – Weightlifting | Men's +110kg final
11.18am – Athletics | Women's high jump final
11.30am – Hamdball | Men's final
11.35am – Athletics | Women's hammer final
11.50am – Athletics | Women's 800m final
12.05pm – Athletics | Men's 800m final
12.15pm – Athletics | Men's 5,000m final
12.48pm – Athletics | Mixed 4 x 100m relay final
1.05pm – Athletics | Women's 4 x 400m relay final
1.17pm – Athletics | Men's 4 x 400m relay final

Wednesday, September 30
1am – eSports | Identity V final
2.20am – Archery | Women's Compound team final
4.45am – Archery | Mixed Compound team final
5.30am – Canoeing | Men's kayak single final
6.06am – Canoeing | Women's canoe single final
6.30am – Shooting | Mixed Trap team final
7am – Track cycling | Men's team pursuit final
- Track cycling | Women's Keirin final
- Track cycling | Women's team pursuit final
7.20am – Archery | Men's Compound team final
7.20am – Diving | Women's 3m springboard final
9.20am – Judo | Women -48kg final
9.30am – Diving | Men's 10m platform final
9.50am – Judo | Men -60kg final
10am – Wrestling | Women's 68kg final
10am – Climbing | Men's boulder final
10.20am – Wrestling | Men's Greco-Roman 130kg final
10.50am – Wrestling | Men's Greco-Roman 67kg final
11.20am – Wrestling | Men's Greco-Roman 87kg final
12pm – Climbing | Women's speed final
10.20am – Judo | Women -52kg final
10.50am – Judo | Men -66kg final

Thursday, October 1
3.01am – Archery | Women's Compound final
5.30am – Canoeing | Men's canoe single final
6am – eSports | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang final
6.03am – Canoeing | Women's kayak single final
7am – Track cycling | Men's sprint final
- Track cycling | Men's Omnium final
- Track cycling | Women's Madison final
7.01am – Archery | Men's Compound final
7.30am – Jiu Jitsu | Men's -62kg final
7.30am – Shooting | Men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol final
7.55am – Jiu Jitsu | Men's -69kg final
8.20am – Jiu Jitsu | Women's -48kg final
9.16am – Judo | Women's -57kg final
9.40am – Judo | Men's -73kg final
10am – Climbing | Women's boulder final
10am – Wrestling | Women's 62kg final
10.04am – Judo | Women's -63kg final
10.20am – Wrestling | Men's Greco-Roman 60kg final
10.28am – Judo | Men's -81kg final
10.50am – Wrestling | Men's Greco-Roman 77kg final
10.52am – Judo | Women's -70kg final
11.20am – Wrestling | Men's Greco-Roman 97kg final
12pm – Climbing | Men's speed final

Friday, October 2
2am – Tennis | Women's singles final
- Tennis | Men's doubles final
2.20am – Archery | Women's recurve team final
3am – Sailing | Men's dinghy final
3.30am – Taekwondo | Mixed virtual final
4.15am – Sailing | Women's dinghy final
4.45am – Archery | Mixed recurve team final
5am – Beach volleyball | Women's final
5am – Boxing | Men's 55kg final
- Boxing | Men's 70kg final
- Boxing | Men's 90kg final
- Boxing | Women's 51kg final
- Boxing | Women's 60kg final
- Boxing | Women's 75kg final
5.30am – Squash | Women's team final
6.50am – Canoeing | Women's kayak cross final
6.54am – Canoeing | Men's kayak cross final
7am – Track cycling | Men's Keirin final
- Track cycling | Men's Madison final
- Track cycling | Women's sprint final
- Track cycling | Women's Omnium final
7.20am – Archery | Men's recurve team final
7.30am – Squash | Men's team final
7.30am – Jiu Jitsu | Men's -77kg final
7.55am – Jiu Jitsu | Men's -94kg final
8.20am – Jiu Jitsu | Women's -52kg final
9.16am – Judo | Men's -90kg final
9.30am – Boxing | Men's 60kg final
- Boxing | Men's 80kg final
- Boxing | Men's +90kg final
- Boxing | Women's 54kg final
- Boxing | Women's 65kg final
9.40am – Judo | Women's -78kg final
10am – Wrestling | Men's 125kg freestyle final
10.04am – Judo | Men's -100kg final
10.20am – Wrestling | Men's 65kg freestyle final
10.28am – Judo | Women's +78kg final
10.50am – Wrestling | Men's 86kg freestyle final
10.52am – Judo | Men's +100kg final
11am – Hockey | Women's final
11.20am – Taekwondo | Women's -49kg final
11.20am – Wrestling | Women's 50kg freestyle final
11.35am – Taekwondo | Men's -58kg final
11.50am – Taekwondo | Women's -67kg final
11.50am – Wrestling | Women's 76kg freestyle final
12.05pm – Taekwondo | Men's -80kg final
11.30am – Football | Women's final
10.30pm – Golf | Men's Round 4
10.30pm – Golf | Women's Round 4

Saturday, October 3
1am – Sepaktakraw | Women's Quadrant final
2am – Tennis | Men's singles final
- Tennis | Women's doubles final
- Tennis | Mixed doubles final
2.30am – Sepaktakraw | Men's Quadrant final
2.50am – Archery | Women's Recurve final
5am – Jiu Jitsu | Women's -63kg final
5am – Rhythm gymnastics | Individual all-around final
5am – Beach volleyball | Men's final
5.25am – Jiu Jitsu | Men's -85kg final
5.30am – Cricket | Men's final
6.50am – Archery | Men's Recurve final
8am – Softball | Women's final
8.40am – Women's -57kg final
8.55am – Men's -68kg final
9.10am – Women +67kg final
9.25am – Men's +80kg final
9.30am – Breaking | B-Girls final
9.45am – Breaking | B-Boys final
10am – Wrestling | Men's 57kg freestyle final
10am – Rhythm gymnastics | Group all-around final
10am – Padel | Women's pairs final
10am – Climbing | Women's lead final
10.20am – Wrestling | Men's 74kg freestyle final
10.20am – Judo | Mixed team final
10.40am – Rugby sevens | Women's final
10.50am – Wrestling | Men's 97kg freestyle final
11am – Climbing | Men's lead final
11am – Water polo | Men's final
11am – Hockey | Men's final
11.10am – Rugby sevens | Men's final
11.20am – Volleyball | Men's final
11.20am – Wrestling | Women's 53kg final
11.30am – Football | Men's final
11.45am – Padel | Men's pairs final
11.50am – Wrestling | Women's 57kg final

Sunday, October 4
10am – Closing ceremony

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A perk of the perpetual hunt for stimulating and effective test tracks is that you sometimes stumble upon pieces of music that leave a lasting impression. A recent personal example involves the avant-garde compositions of Ivan Wyschnegradsky.

Before we delve into Wyschnegradsky’s work, a bit of background on the man himself, who was almost as peculiar as his music.

Born in Saint Petersburg in 1893, Wyschnegradsky studied harmony, composition and orchestration as a young man, before entering law school. But before he would complete his law studies, at the age of 23, Wyschnegradsky experienced a ‘spiritual vision’, which is said to have inspired most of his later work.

Composition alone, however, would prove insufficient to convey his mystical experience.

Alongside music, Wyschnegradsky wrote theoretical articles. One of which, titled La Loi de la Pansonorité (The Law of Pansonority), outlined his belief that music represented a separation of sounds from a continuous fabric of the universe. This separation, the composer believed, rendered musical art "artificial and anti-continuous”.

In his efforts to rectify the situation, and draw closer to a “pansonorous” music, he adopted some interesting tactics, including tuning two pianos a quarter-tone apart – half the size of the smallest traditional step between piano keys.

And that is exactly what you can expect to hear throughout Étude Sur Les Mouvements Rotatoires, 24 Préludes.

So, why does this strange product of divine afflatus make such a good test for a pair of headphones? I think it has something to do with unfamiliarity.

In the midst of unusual scales, chords that sound almost, but not quite, out of tune, and occasionally violent staccato rhythms, one's ear (at least for those accustomed to the western musical tradition) is drawn out of its comfort zone and into a state of heightened alertness.

Suddenly, properties of the music beyond the melody, such as rhythm, dynamics and the spatial qualities of the recording, become auditory anchors. Holding on to them for dear life, you are likely to notice certain crucial, but all-too-often overlooked features of your headphones’ performance.

In the first of the 24 Préludes Dans L'Échelle Chromatique Diatonisée À 13 Sons, Op. 22, En Quarts De Ton Pour Deux Pianos, the swelling glissandos ought to convey a pulse-like rhythm, if your headphones’ dynamic response is up to scratch. Similarly, busy parts in the bass and abrupt discordant stabs will test how your cans keep up with rhythms and fast transients across the frequency spectrum.

In the third Prélude, weighty, somber chords should drag you along with their galumphing rhythm. The main melody of this piece, which draws somewhat closer to conventional harmony, but with a jazzy slant, should let the headphones’ midrange sing, as rich piano notes interact, warbling and beating while their pitches converge.

The fourth Prélude provides an altogether more energetic test than the third, with a defined beat and booming low-frequencies. While the two pianos veer occasionally into more chaotic rhythms, there should be a clear sense of pulse here. If your toes are tapping, as they will surely be relieved to do after a sombre start, that’s a good sign that your headphones are providing a low frequency kick with plenty of rhythmic acuity.

Further on in the album, the 16th Prélude begins with a sparse, melancholic melody. Thanks to the conservative use of chords at the start of this piece, the reverberation surrounding each note is clear and provides a palpable sense of the space in which it was recorded. Dynamically sensitive and texturally detailed headphones will shine with this track, offering a moment of tranquil immersion.

It must be said that this is not exactly a workout album (besides the fourth Prélude, which could probably work quite well for those intent on pumping iron to 20th century classical music).

But for anyone looking to explore a particularly strange corner of avant-garde classical composition, or hoping to put a new pair of cans to the test with something more than a little bit different, Ivan Wyschnegradsky’s Étude Sur Les Mouvements Rotatoires, 24 Préludes could be just the ticket.

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Following in the footsteps of the brand's established FT5 cans, FiiO bills the new over-ears as being aimed squarely at listeners "who want to explore the detail in their favourite recordings".

The FT15 use a set of 101mm planar drivers which, thanks to their generous surface area, aim to provide a "broad, open soundstage" with a tangible sense of scale. Central to the driver is an ultra-thin diaphragm, designed "to respond rapidly to the music" and provide a "precise, refined reproduction".

A diamond coating is added across the face of the diaphragm to increase rigidity, creating a blend of stiffness and lightness in pursuit of more accurate driver movement.

The drivers also feature FiiO's own uniform 'magnetic field' design, which employs custom contoured, high-strength magnets to help suppress diaphragm breakup and distortion for a cleaner, purer audio signature.

The headphones' cable uses monocrystalline copper and is cryogenically treated for a smoother signal transfer. The FT15 include a 4.4mm balanced connection, alongside 6.35mm and XLR-4 adapters, to give greater flexibility across a range of sources such as DACs and headphone amplifiers.

The FT15’s earcups are made from black walnut, so that each pair has its own unique appearance thanks to the variations in the wood's natural grain.

A carbon fibre headband complements the cans' wooden construction, chosen to keep the headphones' overall weight down to facilitate greater listener comfort.

The FiiO FT15 are available now, priced at £499 / $500 / €500. We don't get many planar headphones through our doors, but in terms of open-backed designs, the F15 sit between the Award-winning Grado SR325x (£250 / $250) and the superb Beyerdynamic T1 (3rd Generation) (£699).

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This one we’d consider suitable for beginners. We don’t think it’s too taxing, and hopefully you’ll find them easy to track down so you can get a quck enough time to feature on our leaderboard.

Don’t get complacent if you find it too easy – we’ll be ramping up the difficulty level for our next one! Have fun!

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The US brand says the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) offer its flagship open-ear experience, while the Sport Open Earbuds have been “engineered for running, workouts and outdoor adventures”.

Central to both new models is a completely open design, which combines a transducer with a “tightly controlled acoustic structure” to deliver sound “precisely to your ear with minimal leakage”.

Unlike bone conduction designs, Bose says the earbuds “deliver sound through the air near the ear… resulting in fuller, more natural sound with a comfortable, pressure-free fit”.

The new Open earbuds have been designed with environmental awareness in mind, and as you might expect from open buds, neither offers active noise cancellation.

The Bose Sport Open Earbuds use custom-designed dynamic drivers to deliver “full, balanced audio”. The earbuds feature a C-shaped, flexible cuff with a matte silicone finish, which wraps around the ear for a stable fit, remaining “comfortable and secure” during workouts.

The Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) also build on the cuff-shaped design of their first-generation predecessors, teasing “improved sound and call quality”, an expanded feature set – including immersive audio settings – and a longer battery life.

The second-generation earbuds also use newly engineered drivers to deliver “deeper bass and higher volume” than their predecessors.

Both models feature Bose's AI-driven Speech Clarity technology that separates human voices from background noise, bringing what the company calls “Bose’s best call-quality experience” to its range of open-ear earbuds. Both pairs also feature an Auto Volume function, which adjusts the volume of music in response to changes in background noise.

In terms of battery life, the Sport Open Earbuds offer up to seven hours of playback on a single charge, plus an additional 22 hours with their “pocket-friendly” charging case. The Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), conversely, grant up to nine hours of playback from the buds and an additional 19.5 hours from the case.

Both pairs support Bluetooth 5.4, with standard AAC and SBC codecs, alongside Bluetooth Multipoint for simultaneous connection to two devices. Both also support Google Fast Pair for quick and easy connection to Android devices.

Each set also offers the option to set up customisable shortcuts for Spotify Tap, engaging your phone’s voice assistant and cycling through Bose’s Immersive Audio settings (Ultra Open Earbuds only).

The Bose App can be used to control both models and features a three-band equaliser, Auto Volume control, and touch control configuration.

Both pairs of earbuds will be available in Black or White Smoke finishes. The Sport Open Earbuds will also launch in limited-edition Eucalyptus Green, while the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) will be available in limited-edition Cherry Chocolate, Olive Green and Sky Pink colourways.

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) will be available on October 1st for £300 / $299 / AU$450, while the Bose Sport Open Earbuds are set to launch on October 15th, priced at £180 / $199 / AU$350.

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The phono stage measures just 2.6 x 11.5 x 8cm (hwd), but Clearaudio says “its compact dimensions belie a serious phono stage”.

Ease of use has been taken into consideration for a new design, which makes switching between moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) operation easier than on the company's previous phono stages – which required the unit to be opened and internal jumpers reconfigured – with a button on the front panel.

At the heart of the unit are “extremely low-noise, high precision operational amplifiers”, with gain split across two stages: the first handling “the bulk” of amplification to “maximise signal-to-noise ratio”, while the second stage uses targeted filters to limit unwanted frequencies.

A 16Hz subsonic filter removes unwanted low-frequency rumbles, while a 70kHz ultrasonic filter “reliably catches cartridge resonances”. Clearaudio says that the new filtering system provides “broader protection against unwanted signals than the subsonic-only filtering found in earlier designs, while maintaining precise RIAA equalisation and complete signal stability”.

The Compact Phono has also been designed with flexibility in mind and will "accommodate everything from entry-level cartridges to extremely quiet MC systems”.

This is done by the inclusion of adjustable input loading, which provides 47kΩ / 100pF for MM and 100Ω / 100pF for MC. Additionally, switchable gain of 40dB and 60dB allows the unit to be matched to a “wide range of systems”.

Clearaudio says that both gain settings are higher than those offered by its predecessors, while MC operation promises a headroom of 29dB, which is “comfortably ahead of previous models”.

The Compact Phono includes an ±18V power supply, which Clearaudio claims delivers an “extremely stable, noise-free voltage supply” in combination with two linear voltage regulators.

According to Clearaudio, “top-quality” components have been used in the Compact Phono’s circuitry, which is all housed inside a low-resonance metal enclosure with isolating feet – which will minimise rumble as you stomp your feet to your favourite records.

The new phono stage is also more efficient than previous models, for a “lighter, cooler running” operation.

The Clearaudio Compact Phono is available now in finishes of black and silver for a price of £490 / €490 / $639.

At this price, the Compact Phono comes up against tough competition, including the similarly well-equipped, but cheaper, Cambridge Audio Duo MC/MM (£299 / $399 / AU$559) and the Award-winning, slightly more expensive, Graham Slee Reflex M (£540 / $960 / AU$1290).

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Not to be confused with LG's Xboom line-up or Ultimate Ears' various portable speakers also suffixed by the word "Boom", Hisense's new line-up consists of three models – the FlexBoom, the WeBoom and the VoyageBoom – pitched across a range of sizes and use cases.

First up is the FlexBoom, conceived as a 'grab and go' speaker that packs 40 watts of power to deliver "crisp highs and punchy bass wherever you go".

If you want something bigger, the WeBoom is the step-up model, promising a "rich and powerful sound" from its 70 watts of power driving a pair of built-in dual subwoofers. Rounding off the trio is the VoyageBoom, a 180-watt speaker which packs twin tweeters, dual woofers and a subwoofer.

In terms of battery life, the portable FlexBoom delivers around 20 hours of playback at a time, with a 10-minute quick charge providing up to two hours of listening. The WeBoom and VoyageBoom each grant up to 24 hours of listening on a single charge, with both able to squeeze out an extra two hours of playtime via a 10-minute boost.

Users can connect two FlexBooms or VoyageBooms together to form a stereo pair, or broadcast any member of Hisense's new range to unlimited compatible speakers thanks to Auracast technology.

The WeBoom and VoyageBoom can also be used as a powerbank to charge your phone or tablet on the go, a feature we've seen used to great effect with the likes of the class-leading JBL Charge 6 and Xtreme 5 rivals.

All three members of the new Boom range are IP67 rated, meaning they should be resistant to dust ingress and submersion in water for around 30 minutes at a time. The WeBoom and VoyageBoom also feature on-unit lights which can be controlled via Hisense's ConnectLife app.

According to David Gold, Hisense's Chief Commercial Officer: “We've spent years building products that make movies, music, and shared moments better. With our new speakers, we're extending that experience with options designed for everything from everyday listening and weekends outside to hosting a house of friends."

The Hisense FlexBoom, WeBoom, and VoyageBoom are available now in the US, with UK availability expected soon. Current prices are as follows:

- FlexBoom: $120
- WeBoom: $200
- VoyageBoom: $300

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Sound quality is still important, of course, but hi-fi companies are realising that people also want features included, rather than relying on extra outboard boxes to do the job.

In the not-too-distant past, an amplifier like the new Rotel Michi Prestige X430 would likely have been a line-level unit with few other frills, all in the quest for the best performance. But in today’s market, that formula doesn’t seem to resonate with customers as it once did. Understanding this, Rotel has chosen a more pragmatic path with this new integrated amplifier.

The X430 packs a built-in phono stage, digital inputs, HDMI ARC connectivity, Bluetooth and two sets of switchable speaker outputs. We can’t see this Michi amplifier getting caught short, even in more complex stereo systems.

The X430, along with its partnering CD player, the Q430 (£3599 / $3999 / AU$5499), form Michi’s new Prestige range, which aims to deliver all the brand’s traditional virtues at more accessible prices. While £4499 / $4999 / AU$6499 is hardly pocket change, it is still very much at the entry level in the world of high-end amplification.

Build & design

We like to play the ‘Guess The Price’ game at What Hi-Fi?. Our review team has seen hundreds, if not thousands, of products over the years, so they have a good handle on what products should look and feel like at any given price.

This Michi amplifier belies our expectations, coming in at a good few thousand pounds below the price we would have predicted. That comes down to its high-quality build, though we would have liked more than just a black finish option.

The X430’s aluminium casework feels immensely solid and well put together. While flashy aesthetics have never been the Michi way, the care taken in assembling this amplifier is obvious. Every panel lines up perfectly, and the machining is excellent.

The precise yet nicely damped knurled volume control rotates with unusual smoothness, while the power switch moves with reassuring heft. Take a close look, and you will find that the front panel is made of glass. Behind it sits a central display that is crisp, and large enough to read from a distance.

In a move that seems a little out of character for a company as serious as Michi, the display can also show a variety of VU and spectrum meters to add visual interest. We spend a few minutes swapping between the various options, but ultimately avoid distraction by leaving the display in its default mode, showing only the input and signal information.

Take a look inside the chunky casework, and the view is dominated by the large 622 VA in-house manufactured mains transformer and four large smoothing capacitors that total 60,000uF. The power feed to the left and right channels is separate, right down to having dual rectifiers. This kind of design prevents any unwanted interactions from degrading the amplifier’s performance.

The rest of the circuit layout is neat, with much attention paid to isolating critical circuits from electrical noise and mechanical vibrations to maintain signal purity.

Connectivity

We have no complaints about the X430’s connectivity. On the analogue side, there is a moving magnet phono stage and a quartet of line-level inputs, including a balanced XLR pair.

Some might question why the company didn’t go all the way and include moving coil compatibility. That’s a fair point, though in our experience, MC inputs in integrated amplifiers rarely sound great. Such circuits are hypersensitive to their surroundings and are tricky to get right in terms of sound. A really good one would invariably add a hefty premium on the X430 retail price.

The Michi’s digital module is built around a premium ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M 32-bit DAC chip, giving it compatibility with music files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256. The range of connections includes three coaxials, three opticals, a USB-C and an HDMI ARC.

HDMI ARC allows the X430 to be integrated effortlessly into a stereo system based around a TV. The amplifier’s twin subwoofer outputs could well prove useful in such a context.

Bluetooth isn’t our first choice of connection when performance matters, but it is a handy thing to have. The X430’s Bluetooth supports the higher-quality aptX HD codec and connects to our iPhone 14 Pro Max swiftly and without issue.

As for outputs, there are two sets of switchable speaker terminals, a 6.3mm headphone socket on the front panel and a preamp out for those who want to add more power. We can’t imagine many people needing to do so, considering this class A/B design is somewhat of a beast.

Rotel claims that the Prestige X430 delivers 210 watts per channel into an 8-ohm load, rising to a whopping 340 watts as impedance halves. Those huge numbers mean, on paper at least, that this integrated should have no trouble driving any price-appropriate speaker. That translates into use, where the X430 manages to drive everything we connect with a surprising sense of ease.

An amplifier at this level deserves quality partners. Our sources are the Naim ND 555/555 PS DR music streamer and the Technics SL-1000R record player fitted with a Nagaoka MP-200 moving magnet cartridge. We also have our 2026 MacBook Pro laptop on hand, packed with high-res music files and running Audirvana music software to test the Rotel Michi’s digital circuitry.

As for speakers, most of our testing is done with our usual ATC SCM50 reference speakers, but we also spend a good amount of time with the X430 driving the Epos ES-14N and the mighty PMC MB2 SE.

Sound

The biggest compliment we can pay to this amplifier is that it didn’t sound out of place with any of these high-end partners. Given that the likes of the Technics record player, Naim streamer and PMC speakers cost many multiples of this Rotel Michi’s price, that's truly impressive.

As we listen to a range of music from Holst’s The Planets to De La Soul’s Cabin In The Sky, taking in the likes of Radiohead’s Hail To The Thief on the way, we can’t help but admire the X430’s talents.

Irrespective of the partnering speaker, this amplifier sounds clean, crisp and balanced. Tonally, it sounds essentially neutral to us, with no discernible emphasis in any particular part of the frequency range. The result is that voices and acoustic instruments are conveyed with a degree of authenticity that few price rivals can match.

The X430 is a wonderfully composed and controlled performer. The sense of stability is terrific, even when the music becomes demanding. The story stays the same as volume levels move northwards, with the integrated sounding every bit as muscular as its claimed power output figures suggest.

Bombastic orchestral music comes through with pleasing scale and authority. There is a lovely freedom to large-scale dynamic sweeps. Crescendos hit hard and true, with the amplifier refusing to sound edgy when pushed. Feed it something subtler, Ólafur Arnalds’ Broadchurch OST, for example, and it can change gear to deliver the dynamic nuances required for such intimate music.

There is plenty of detail on offer too, and the ability to assemble all that information into a musically convincing whole. Initially, we felt that the Rotel Michi’s presentation erred towards the clinical. The music seemed to be presented in a slightly cool and detached manner that didn’t quite carry us along on the emotional ride. But, over time, that impression fades as the amplifier’s sound grows in sweetness and fluidity.

Rhythmically, the Prestige X430 is surefooted rather than overtly enthusiastic. It still communicates the jaunty feel of De La Soul’s YUHDONTSTOP well, though. Basslines are taut, punchy and tuneful, while the group’s vocals are beautifully textured, coming through with class-leading clarity.

These same talents work equally well with Ludwig Göransson’s The Odyssey OST, where the music’s traditional acoustic instruments are rendered superbly, with a degree of tonal richness and palpability we don’t often hear at this level. The ability to assemble the various interwoven instrumental strands while retaining their timing relationships means that the music carries greater emotional impact.

Stereo imaging is pleasingly expansive. The Michi’s soundstage is layered with care, and populated by instruments and voices that are located with confidence. There is little sense of blurring or instability when the music becomes demanding.

The X430’s digital module is a talented performer. It keeps the balanced character we so enjoy from the line stages, displaying enough dynamic expression and musical cohesion to worry some of the better outboard DACs we’ve heard below the grand mark. There is little to complain about here, as the Rotel Michi switches between file types seamlessly, though occasionally there is a small audible click as it does so.

The amplifier’s phono stage is equally pleasing. This is an insightful and energetic-sounding circuit; one that retains the balance of the line stages and doesn’t introduce too much in the way of hiss, hum or dynamic compression.

Those who listen to headphones are served a little less well. The headphone module built into the X430 has no trouble driving any of the headphones we plugged into it (Austrian Audio The Composer, Grado SR325x and Sony’s MDR-Z1R), but it lacks the transparency and dynamic expression to impress.

This headphone circuit is perfectly fine for occasional use, but we would suggest buying a dedicated headphone amplifier, such as Austrian Audio’s The Full Score, if headphone performance really matters.

Verdict

This Rotel Michi Prestige X430 amplifier is, in most ways, a superb all-rounder. We can’t think of a rival that is as uniformly capable across its inputs as this one. It will drive any price-compatible speaker with ease and has a wonderfully unfussy nature. If you are looking for an integrated amplifier at this premium level, the X430 has to be top of your shortlist.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

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Audio-Technica’s approach has long been material led rather than one-size-fits-all. Since the ATH-W10VTG of 1996 — the first model in its W-series wooden-headphone line — the company has explored different timbers and finishes across its catalogue.

The limited-edition ATH-WP900SE is its most recent wooden-headphone release, based on the existing ATH-WP900 portable closed-back design. Aside from the visual and internal changes — which I will come to shortly — the most significant departure is the move from maple to solid ash. It is the first time Audio-Technica has used ash in one of its headphones, selected in part for its longstanding association with guitars. That connection is made explicit through the involvement of Japanese guitar maker Fujigen, which applies the three-tone sunburst lacquer to the earcups.

Build & design

I admit, I wasn’t familiar with the Fujigen name before this review, but I have of course seen countless guitars from other brands rocking attractive finishes. In the case of the Fujigen sunburst lacquer on the WP-900SE, it’s quite remarkable to see in person. The three-tone finish gives the solid-ash housings a depth and richness that is difficult to convey in product photography, while the grain ensures each pair will look slightly different. These really are a thing of beauty, and you would be hard-pressed to find a noticeable seam across the outer earcup enclosures.

The move to solid ash for the housings isn’t just for cosmetic purposes either. In a closed-back design such as this, the earcup forms part of the acoustic chamber around the driver — its material, internal volume, shape and damping can all influence resonance, airflow and, ultimately, the sound you hear.

Inside, Audio-Technica has made more substantial changes over the standard WP900 than the exterior suggests. The WP900SE uses a newly developed 53mm dynamic driver, paired with a revised voice coil, reworked ventilation behind the driver and a redesigned acoustic port. The driver is also set at an angle towards the ear, a configuration intended to improve the relationship between driver, ear and earcup seal.

Audio-Technica says the changes improve linearity, reduce asymmetric diaphragm movement and unwanted resonance, and give bass notes greater control. The new headphone has also been tuned with the attack, texture and sustain of stringed instruments — particularly guitar — in mind.

The frequency range of the WP-900SE is quoted as 5Hz–50kHh, with a 37 ohm impedance, 98dB/mW sensitivity and 1,000mW maximum power input. It is therefore not difficult to drive in the traditional high-impedance sense, though it will still benefit from a capable source. I primarily used a MacBook Pro feeding a Chord Mojo DAC/headphone amplifier, which provided a clean, controlled starting point. I also listened via the headphone output of Marantz’s CD 50n network CD player.

Elsewhere, the WP900SE’s construction is predominantly plastic, so there is some expected creaking as the earcups swivel. And while this does help to keep the headphones light — they come in at approximately 235g — it can mean they don’t necessarily feel their $1,199 price tag. I certainly didn’t from my first impression alone. I have handled less expensive models that feel more overtly premium before a note is played.

The clamping force is well judged, while the combination of memory foam and synthetic leather on both the headband and the earcups keeps the WP900SE comfortable over extended listening sessions. What I also appreciate is the size of the earcup opening, as it completely enveloped my ears. Too often have I worn over-ear headphones where the ear cups either still slightly push down on my ears, or the cut out is a little too small and so squishes my ears from the sides. Hats off to the Audio-Technica design team, then, for producing a genuinely comfortable set of cans.

There is also a generous range of headband adjustment, with clearly stepped increments on each side making it easy to match the fit precisely. The closed-back earcups and generous pads provide a worthwhile amount of passive isolation, helping to reduce the distraction of nearby household noise. There is no active noise cancellation, however, so don’t expect the WP900SE to completely block out the world around you.

Indeed, in my testing, whilst listening at my desk at home, I could still hear my partner talking on a call. I couldn’t always make out the exact words being said, but noise did still creep through. The Audio-Technica cans are therefore best considered a portable audiophile headphone rather than a direct rival to dedicated travel models from Bose, Sony or Sennheiser.

The swivelling earcups make the WP900SE slightly easier to travel with, although considering only a soft case is supplied, you’ll definitely want to be careful throwing them into a bag. Given the delicacy of the lacquered ash housings, a fitted hard case would likely offer greater protection.

Audio-Technica supplies two detachable 1.2m cables: a conventional 3.5mm stereo lead and a 4.4mm five-pole balanced lead, both terminated at the headphone end with the company’s A2DC connector. The latter will be particularly useful for owners of compatible digital audio players and balanced headphone amplifiers, while the 1.2m length means the WP900SE can be used as a genuinely portable set of headphones. A pouch, Fujigen cleaning cloth and handwritten serial-number card complete the limited-edition presentation.

Both supplied cables are sensibly chosen for the WP900SE’s intended use. The 1.2m 3.5mm lead is the obvious everyday option for a laptop, portable DAC or conventional headphone output — and indeed, the 3.5mm option was the one I used most with the Chord Mojo and MacBook Pro — while the 4.4mm balanced cable is a welcome inclusion for owners of compatible digital audio players and headphone amplifiers. Neither cable is overly stiff or unwieldy, and I heard no appreciable cable noise during listening. The A2DC connectors attach securely too, although their proprietary nature may make replacement options less straightforward than with the more widespread 3.5mm or dual-mini-XLR systems.

The real question however, is does the Audio-Technica WP900SE sound as good as they look? Let’s find out.

Listening sessions

The WP900SE were an absolute joy to use, not least because they prompted me to spend more time with artists that should already have been fixtures in my everyday rotation. Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, The Who and plenty more all found their way into the listening queue.

On several occasions, I actually had to remind myself I was reviewing the headphones, because I was getting so lost in what I was listening to. I’m no stranger to using headphones, but using the Audio-Technica pair was the first time I can immediately remember paying much closer attention to the music, rather than simply using a familiar track to isolate myself from the outside world.

Whilst I was shuffling through the aforementioned artists, the immediate observation I made was that the presentation consistently sounded clean, detailed and nicely weighted. The WP900SE also served up an inviting openness for a closed-back design, giving instruments room to breathe, while retaining enough rhythmic snap to keep the performances moving.

Take Elvis’ gorgeous ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ and his sultry vocal is given real body and intimacy, with enough texture to hear the subtle shifts in breath, phrasing and resonance behind each line.

There is enough weight behind each pluck of the double-bass strings to make it feel as though the headphones themselves are vibrating, which in turn lends the performance a more lifelike, ‘you are there’ quality. The backing singers can clearly be placed to the left, while the light taps on the snare drum and guitar occupy the right; Elvis himself remains solidly centred between the ears.

Naturally, I had to turn to home turf and spend some time rocking out with the WP900SE, so on went AC/DC’s ‘Hells Bells’. Brian Johnson’s vocals — or, perhaps more accurately, his screeches — cut through with just the right amount of bite. The Audio-Technica headphones handle the upper frequencies well, allowing that edge to come through without becoming overly harsh or fatiguing.

The reverb around the guitars is easy to hear, while Phil Rudd’s drums and Cliff Williams’ bass lines keep the track anchored, maintaining a clear sense of rhythm and layering beneath the vocal and guitar work

It is not quite the same story when the genre switches to dance. Listening to ‘Danceteria’ — arguably the best track on Madonna’s Confessions II, even if it lacks some of the je ne sais quoi of ‘Hung Up’ and ‘Sorry’ — the WP900SE reveals a slight reluctance to fully let go as the tempo rises. Madonna’s voice remains clear as day, and there is enough bass weight to give the track some physical presence, but the headphones stop short of delivering the sense of drive and excitement that makes this kind of music properly take off. There is rhythm here; it just feels a little too restrained to make you want to get down and boogie.

Conclusion

If the bulk of your music listening is vocal-led and rich in real instruments, the Audio-Technica ATH-WP900SE are a wonderful companion to have. They are capable of revealing subtle details in recordings and place an excellent emphasis on the midrange in particular. They can show signs of weakness if you stray too far from that formula, such as with bass-heavy dance tracks, but are, on the whole, an enjoyable listen.

They also look fantastic, with the Fujigen-applied sunburst finish making them feel genuinely special, even if the largely plastic construction does not immediately scream $1,199. Comfort is excellent, the supplied 3.5mm and 4.4mm cables are welcome, and the compact closed-back design makes them practical beyond the listening room — provided you can live without ANC and a proper hard case.

The WP900SE will not be the obvious choice for someone seeking maximum bass slam, wireless convenience or a true travel headphone. But for listeners who value vocals, guitars and well-recorded instruments — and want a portable wired headphone with real personality — the WP900SE is much more than a beautiful limited edition. It is a pair that makes you want to keep listening.

Just three days later, as the long search for 2Pac’s killer began, DJ Shadow – or Josh Davis as he’s known to his mum – released a record that showed a very different side to hip-hop.

While most other producers at the time were looping snippets of old records and turning them into beats for rappers to rhyme over, DJ Shadow used an Akai MPC60 MKII sampler to assemble the sprawling sonic collages that would become Endtroducing.

The result is both a landmark moment in contemporary music – it’s included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first album to be composed entirely of sampled sounds – and one that contains some great tracks for testing your hi-fi system.

The vinyl record is very much the raw material that makes up Endtroducing so it’s only fitting that its opening track Best Foot Forward is a blur of scratches and vocal samples that introduce DJ Shadow to the world – this is, after all, his debut album.

Shadow’s collection of records is said to exceed 60,000, although considering that number has been kicking around for nearly 20 years it’s probably much more by now. Most of the samples you hear on Endtroducing come from albums he found trawling through the racks at Rare Records – the Sacramento shop seen on the album’s front cover.

Some of them are household names. Shadow’s crate-digging results in appearances on the album from Metallica (Orion from Master of Puppets), Pink Floyd’s On the Run (taken from studio footage featured in the theatrical cut of their Live at Pompeii concert film), and Bjork (Possibly Maybe from the Icelandic singer’s second album Post). But Shadow weaves them into his compositions so seamlessly that every track sounds like a completely original piece of work.

A lot of the other samples are more obscure. Building Steam With a Grain of Salt includes piano parts taken from I Feel a New Shadow by Jeremy Storch, who released a couple of albums in the early ’70s but doesn’t even have his own Wikipedia page. Shadow transforms it into the basis for a slightly ominous-sounding track featuring a ghostly choir-like vocal and a stuttering drum breakdown that will test your system’s ability to stay composed when things get frantic.

There should be real depth and texture to the drone that permeates The Number Song before the rich, lively brass kicks in around halfway through, while Changeling is all spacey synths and a muscular bassline that will give the low-end something to think about.

Gently insistent cymbals should cut through the bassline on What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt. 4, with layers of mournful brass, subtle piano and twinkling percussion creating a dense soundscape that’ll just sound like a jumble of noise on sub-par equipment.

There should be a real sense of drama on Stem/Long Stem, which is one of many tracks on Endtroducing that wouldn’t sound out of place on a film score. Check out Shadow’s own Cops ’n’ Robbers remix of the song, which includes dialogue samples taken from Michael Mann’s Heat, to hear just how well the two go together.

Mutual Slump features a noise that sounds a bit like Chewbacca stubbing one of his big furry toes, so it’s quite apt that it also includes a vocal sample of a female voice asking if “you feel like Darth Vader”. Listen carefully and you should also be able to pick up some pretty skronky sax behind the spaced-out synths, while Organ Donor takes a Giorgio Moroder deep cut called Tears and almost turns it inside out. There should be real groove and momentum to that one when the drums kick in.

The album’s emotional epicentre is Midnight in a Perfect World. It extracts a piano part from David Axelrod’s The Human Abstract that manages to sound both melancholy and hopeful at the same time, combines it with more woozy synths, another obscure female vocal from the 1970s, and some big-beat drums to create another slice of atmospheric hip-hop that could hardly sound more different to what Biggie, 2Pac and co had spent the past few years making.

DJ Shadow called the album Endtroducing because he said it felt like he was signing off on a particular chapter in his early career, but really it was just the start of something much bigger.

MORE:

19 of the best hip-hop albums to test your speakers

Don’t Look Back in Anger at these classic 1996 tracks turning 30 this year

11 of the best instrumental test tracks to give your hi-fi a vocal-free workout

The Marshall Kilburn III Bluetooth speaker straddles the line between the brand’s home and portable ranges: not too small, not too big; burly enough to look like one of its signature amps, yet portable enough to be moved around the house with its guitar-inspired carry strap.

Build & design

The Kilburn III’s retro styling has major shelf appeal. The textured vegan leather finish is tactile and feels robust, while the brass top panel with the dials, button controls and knurled power toggle is eye-catching. The physical dials and red LEDs invite you to get up close and personal with the Kilburn III; you get instant gratification from seeing the volume and bass/treble levels when twiddling the dials, while pausing and skipping tracks using the ‘media jog’ is responsive in use.

We like how the battery bar is clear to see at a quick glance, and we have to stop ourselves from constantly toggling the power switch on and off as it’s so satisfyingly made. For build quality alone, the Kilburn III gets top marks, and we can see many being won over by its attractive design.

Next to its main rival in this field, the five-star burly JBL Xtreme 5 (£330 / $400), the Marshall does look smarter, if less rugged. The JBL’s IP68 rating points to its more outdoorsy nature, while the Marshall’s still-decent IP54 rating means it can withstand splashes of drinks and general dust and dirt – just don’t leave it out in a downpour.

The Kilburn III’s size means it will likely be used as a home speaker most of the time, but you can carry it from room to room and to the garden thanks to the red velvet-lined carry strap. It’s useful, although we wish it was just a little thicker and sturdier in hand to better accommodate the hefty weight of the speaker.

Features

Connecting to Bluetooth is swift and stable, and the accompanying Marshall app gives you access to a five-band EQ, with presets that you can customise. You can even save your favourite EQ profile to the ‘M’ button on the top panel, so you can access it with a single tap.

Bluetooth is restricted to the standard AAC and SBC codecs here, while Auracast sharing is supported. You can plug in a source such as an MP3 player into the speaker’s 3.5mm aux input, but that USB-C port is for charging only, not wired audio playback.

The Kilburn’s battery life is a whopping 50-plus hours (double that of its Xtreme 5 rival), and we barely made a dent in that during our two weeks of testing. You can also use the speaker’s bountiful reserves and USB-C port to charge up your smartphone, which is handy. Marshall even includes a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box, which is becoming increasingly rare in some major brands.

Operating the Marshall speaker is simple – it’s just Bluetooth, after all; no wi-fi or hi-res features to play with here – and the physical controls make it even more straightforward in use. One of the most useful things it has is the placement compensation feature in the app: it adjusts the sound balance depending on where you place the speaker, and there are multiple variables to choose from.

You can tell the app whether the speaker is placed up against the wall, in a corner, free-standing away from a wall, or if the front of the speaker is near the edge – all this is in service of compensating for any unruly boominess in the bass and how the sound reflects against its surrounding surface. This works well in every position we try in our test room, so it’s worth playing with the settings to get the best out of the Kilburn III in your home.

Sound

Inside the Kilburn III are two 5cm full-range speakers – one in the front and one in the back – and one 10cm woofer, along with a rear-firing bass reflex port. Altogether there’s 50W of Class D power on tap, and Marshall promises to deliver “true stereophonic” 360 sound with this stereo arrangement, with no “blind spots”.

And it does so rather well. While you will get the most direct sound from the front of the speaker, the tonal balance remains consistent as we move around it and listen off-axis – even from behind the speaker – with no discernible drop-off in the wide soundstage.

Marshall’s ‘dynamic loudness’ DSP also aims to keep the frequencies in check even when turning the volume up to 10 (sadly, the Kilburn III doesn’t go up to 11), and the speaker easily fills our test room with a bold, energetic sound.

The Kilburn III’s full-bodied presentation doesn’t ever try to be flat or neutral in any way; Marshall’s ‘signature’ sound veers towards the warmer and richer side of the sonic fence, and it’s a sound that is pleasingly easy to listen to. There’s a smoothness to the edges that means things don’t get wince-inducing at the top end when you inevitably turn it up to party levels.

It’s also quite a substantial, meaty sound across the frequencies. This lends satisfying muscle and slam to the distorted guitar riffs in Deftones’ Change (In The House Of Flies), while the dynamic swings and grand, sweeping movements of a Hans Zimmer soundtrack have a good sense of physicality to them.

On the flip side, it means that the leading edges of notes aren’t as crisply drawn as we’d like. There’s a good amount of detail to sink your teeth into, but we wouldn’t mind if the richness was dialled down a little here.

It’s perhaps no surprise that the Kilburn III’s bass-prominent, hard-charging character suits certain genres more than others, with more delicate fare such as The Unthanks’ traditional folk songs or sparse piano pieces needing greater nuance and refinement.

But the Marshall isn’t so blunt an instrument that you can’t listen to some Joni Mitchell through it. Voices can be a little recessed when in the mix with other instruments, but they sound solid and are projected well enough when listening to solo tracks. Joni’s voice on the Blue album comes through with a sweetness and fluidity that’s appealing to listen to, even if the Kilburn III adds some extra fat to the bones.

Feed it the iconic riffs of AC/DC, the obnoxious nu-metal of Limp Bizkit, or the raucous tones of Fontaines DC, and the Marshall speaker is at its happiest. We tone down the bass level a touch and push the mids up in the EQ settings to get the voices more prominent in the mix – just be careful not to upset the rest of the balance too much – but the personality of each distinct band comes through with plenty of punch.

The JBL Xtreme 5 rival remains the one to beat here, and it delivers a clearer, more rhythmically organised sound, with crisper edges and that bit more subtlety. But there’s enough pep, snap and dynamic punch in the Marshall’s lively sound that keeps us listening. Yes, it’s a chunky, flavoured sound, but it doesn’t stop our foot from tapping along to the music whether we play James Blake, Lambrini Girls or Metallica.

Verdict

Like an enthusiastic puppy with a mohawk, the Marshall Kilburn III is an eager, attention-grabbing performer, and while we imagine its sonic flavour won’t be for everyone, a more poised sound would perhaps be out of character with its rock’n’roll heritage.

JBL’s capable rival offers a more balanced and precise sound while still retaining high energy, but we can imagine many being swayed by the Marshall Kilburn III’s visual charms, its tactile physical controls and that rich, room-filling sound.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Features 4

MORE:

Also consider the JBL Xtreme 5

Best Bluetooth speakers tried and tested for every budget

That’s right, after years of testing the waters elsewhere, Haier is hoping to break into the TV market in the UK and Europe. It may be the newest player in a crowded and competitive market, but the brand has both huge aspirations and a plan to carve out an identity among its fellow super successful Chinese technology giants.

I sat down with Haier’s TV Business Director, Steve Macdonald, at IFA 2026 in Berlin to discuss where the brand wants to go next after launching its first QLED TV range in the UK earlier this year.

Competing with TCL and Hisense, or aiming higher?

The biggest takeaway from our conversation is that Haier knows it needs something special to differentiate itself from TCL and Hisense, which are currently dominating the market.

Haier is also well aware it is launching into a tough market, which is why it’s setting its sights on the premium segment. It is testing the waters with a fairly affordable QLED range at the moment, but I was reliably informed that this is just the first step for the brand.

Macdonald confirmed that Haier is open to adopting more advanced panel technology. Mini LED TVs are apparently already in the works, and I spotted an RGB Mini LED model on the show floor at Haier’s humongous stand at the Berlin Messe.

OLED is also on the table according to Macdonald. And that’s an interesting distinction, considering TCL and Hisense are both almost completely OLED-avoidant.

In fact, Macdonald says that Haier isn’t looking to tussle with the kings of budget TVs. Instead, it is looking to build a more premium reputation akin to those of Samsung and LG.

“I think the mindset we have is that what we would like to be is a more premium brand – and that will take time – but more akin to what the Korean brands are doing than some of the other brands,” says Macdonald.

He then clarifies that Haier isn’t looking to “become the new TCL or Hisense” when pressed on the matter.

Macdonald follows this by conceding this is a big aspiration and that the brand needs to have “an edge, otherwise we’re not going to survive in that area”.

Premium panels, KEF sound systems and accessibility upgrades…

To sharpen that edge, Haier is working hard to establish its own premium features, including a more powerful chipset to appeal to gamers, adding more potent accessibility features through its partnership with Amazon’s Fire TV platform (including visual and audio enhancement modes and easier navigation settings), and enhancing its anti-glare display coating.

Haier also wants to win over the hearts of serious AV fans (such as ourselves). And what better way to do that than to partner with one of the biggest names in audio?

For Haier’s latest TV range sports speakers tuned by legendary British hi-fi manufacturer KEF, a fact that inevitably piqued our interest almost immediately.

There was a pretty big emphasis on this partnership at IFA, with Haier hosting a dedicated sound-room experience with a KEF-branded TV and soundbar system, but Haier isn’t the first brand to get a big name in hi-fi on board for its TV sound systems.

Hisense has recently partnered with Devialet, TCL TVs sport Bang & Olufsen sound systems, Philips has a Bowers & Wilkins-equipped TV in its lineup, and Panasonic continues to leverage its Technics division for premium sound systems. So Haier can’t rely on this partnership alone to make its TVs appeal to home cinema enthusiasts.

But, unlike Hisense and TCL, Haier is open to exploring OLED panel technologies. Given What Hi-Fi?’s experience with even the most premium of backlit TVs, including the new RGB Mini LED variants, this could be a unique selling point for the brand.

An OLED TV with a KEF sound system sounds pretty good, after all. Especially if it has a similar sonic character to the five-star KEF XIO.

Making big strides, but also taking things one step at a time…

Haier’s wider strategy to gain some ground in the UK also involves a huge sports partnership with the Champions League and appealing to UK retailers by taking a specialised approach.

Macdonald notes that the KEF partnership will be a vital tool in appealing to home cinema retailers such as Richer Sounds, whereas Haier will take a different approach to its broader retail partners.

Most importantly, Macdonald confirms that Haier is constantly re-evaluating its position and direction, and it won’t be going all guns blazing quite yet. He says that “every couple of months, we have to reset what we’re doing and understand, and it’s not going to be an easy journey.”

Haier is unquestionably launching into the UK TV market at a turbulent time. But with its sights set high and a major audio partnership already in place, it could be the next brand to challenge the likes of Samsung, LG and TCL.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best Mini LED TVs

As well as our TCL C7L hands on review

And our picks for the best OLED TVs

The British audio manufacturer says that the Go Cable “bypasses the internals of your device”, unlocking “detail, clarity and dynamic range [that] your device alone can’t deliver”.

The Go Cable features a USB-C connection at one end, which runs via silver-plated cabling through the DAC and headphone amplifier to two 0.78mm two-pin analogue outputs, allowing users to connect their chosen IEMs.

For “exceptional audio performance in a remarkably compact design”, the Go Cable is powered by an ESS Sabre DAC, which can support hi-res audio up to PCM 384kHz and DSD256.

The company claims that the Go Cable “keeps distortion under control” using THD compensation and provides an RMS output power of 70mW at 32 ohms.

Transport controls and an echo-cancelling microphone have been integrated into the Go Cable’s design, allowing device-free control of calls, volume and playback. But iFi says that the Go Cable can also be paired with gaming consoles, thanks to support for the Nintendo Switch 2’s GameChat feature.

To make the most of these features, you will need to provide your own IEMs. But iFi has you covered, with a starter kit including a pair of AIRO Astra buds available for an extra £20 / $20.

The iFi Go Cable is now available to pre-order for £79 / $79 (£99 / $99 for the Go Cable Astra Hi-Res Starter Kit), with shipping promised by 21st September.

MORE

Read our full iFi Go Link 2 review

We tested three excellent DACs in a head-to-head – and found the ultimate desktop upgrade

Plus: our pick of the best DACs tested by our expert reviewers

While we always review as a team, each Awards category has one lead tester; and this year, once again, one of my categories is ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors.

Did I get a pang of jealousy as our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, pulled the surround sound packages card out of the hat we use to sort our testing plan (joking)? A bit, but truthfully I was also quite happy to take this category.

I have reviewed, or at least been one of the team testing, most of the recent USTs to pass through our test rooms, and I understand their appeal at a personal and professional level.

An ultra-short-throw projector is an impressive piece of equipment: a single-box beamer, usually with an inbuilt sound system, it can throw a giant home cinema picture while sitting right next to the screen or wall it’s projecting onto.

So in theory, you have a home cinema in a box that can stream an 80- or even 200-plus-inch screen into even the smallest of living spaces as long as the projection area is big enough.

Done right, it can be a very compelling option for people like me, who are forced to use their narrow home office or a spare bedroom as their hobby/home cinema room. I have a Hisense PX3 connected to a JBL Bar 1300 in my attic AV cave/office for this reason.

I chose this specific combination, because the PX3 supports high-refresh-rate gaming. And, despite my best efforts, my room can’t accommodate the proper 5.2 system I yearn for, so the JBL Bar 1300 soundbar system is a nice middle ground between a full system and a basic soundbar.

Back to this year’s UST shootout, and as I descended into the darkness and began running the contenders head to head, from the moment I plugged the first UST in, I had a sense of déjà vu, as two old issues immediately reared their ugly heads.

The first is that, despite the marketing suggesting that these are a plug-and-play, simple option for home cinema fans, there is nothing simple about setting up a UST projector.

For yet another year, the process, regardless of manufacturer, remains the same: place the unit on a stand by your intended projection surface; turn it on and then adjust the feet and distance to make the projected guide image fit roughly on it; then run the autocorrection process, or manually make the necessary tweaks.

Neither option is good for your zen.

The ‘autocorrection’ process asks you to take a photo of a projected grid, then upload it to a site owned by the company. From there, it’s meant to tweak the settings to perfect the image. Except it doesn’t.

I make a point to always try the autocorrection at least half a dozen times before giving up. That remained the case this year, and I still have a batting average of zero successful runs. At least some things in life are consistent…

That would be fine, were it not for the fact that the manual correction process is outright painful too. You have to try to optimise the angle and height of the UST using the adjustable feet first: it’s a process that is the home cinema equivalent of trying to get a three-seater, L-shaped sofa up a spiral staircase.

Then, to add insult to injury, you have to adjust the projection area using manual corner controls. And these, inevitably, seem hell-bent on never quite being finessed enough to make the image perfectly square.

As a final annoyance, even minor movements can undo all your hard work. So if you have playful pets or a curious toddler, guard the UST with your life, or be prepared to start the process all over again.

Ask any of the team, and they would, I hope, tell you that I am normally an even-tempered sort of fella – the type you’d probably see chilling at a Grateful Dead concert. But during this year’s testing, the combination of frustrations meant that, once again, Lewis was subjected to a tirade of grumbles that would make a sailor blush during the set-up process.

The second issue, thankfully, isn’t as infuriating. If anything, to be fair, it is actually less pronounced this year.

Still, as I moved to the picture-testing part of our shootout, the moment I put our first 4K Blu-ray into our reference player, I spotted some issues with the USTs’ black levels.

Of course, no projector can match the perfect blacks of an OLED TV and its pixel-level light control. A UST, like any projector, produces images by projecting light onto a surface. And, unless a clever new technology comes out that somehow miraculously changes this, it won’t ever be able to create perfect blacks.

But as I went through the list of this year’s contenders, they still seem to fall into two camps in their attempts to overcome this inherent weakness.

On one side, we have what I like to call the grey beards.

These are the USTs that have decided not to hide the weakness and accept they can’t deliver perfect blacks. This can be a blessing, or a curse depending on how the strategy is implemented. But generally the compromise here is that, while dark scenes can look a little washed out and flat, they retain a decent amount of dark detail.

Then there’s the “Just For UST” camp.

These are the models that, like some men of a certain age (mine), are obsessed with trying to hide their greys. USTs in this camp tend to crank their contrast, making films look like a Frank Miller comic, offering an added level of punch but at the expense of detail. I particularly hate this approach.

Despite steps in the right direction, with blacks on some of the units I tested going deeper than I have seen on past USTs, all of the models at least partially fell into one of these camps, and couldn't quite nail dark scenes as a result.

Which is why, for the third year running, I find myself typing this feature, offering a minor word of warning to potential UST buyers: these devices can be magical for their intended market, and they are improving every year, but they still have a couple of niggling flaws to overcome as a category, compared with both TVs and full-fat long-throw projectors.

So, think hard about whether a UST really is right for your specific circumstances before investing in one.

If ease of use is your main priority, a home cinema-in-a-box coffee-table projector may be a better fit. If you want a proper home cinema, there is nothing like a decent long-throw unit. And if you’re not so bothered about screen size and just want a quality home movie experience, there are excellent OLED TVs available at the same price as most USTs.

USTs are designed and marketed to a specific type of home cinema fan for a reason.

MORE:

These are the best projectors we have reviewed

We rank the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Our picks of the best surround sound systems

The UK-based streaming service, which launched with around 200,000 listed albums in 2023 and many of which are available in 24-bit/192kHz hi-res audio, is now accessible from the WiiM Home App to users of WiiM hi-fi separates, WiiM Sound / Sound Lite smart speakers and the WiiM Bar soundbar.

What’s more, thanks to Presto’s Fair Play initiative, which compensates artists per second of music streamed instead of a traditional ‘per play’ streaming model, users will be able to rest easy in the knowledge that the artists they listen to are being more fairly remunerated.

According to Dr Lifeng Zhao, CEO of WiiM, "At WiiM, we’re always looking for ways to make exceptional listening experiences more accessible. Adding Presto Music to the WiiM platform gives our users seamless access to one of the world’s leading destinations for classical and jazz, further expanding the open ecosystem that makes WiiM a powerful hub for music lovers.”

The collaboration comes as part of Presto Music’s wider integration into audio ecosystems, with the platform already available in Focal and Naim streaming products, as well as products from Eversolo and BluOS-powered streaming products.

WiiM users new to Presto Music will also be able to cash in on a three-month free trial of the streaming service by selecting Presto Music from the Music Service menu in the Wiim Home app.

Presto Music subscriptions start at £10.99 per month. For £13.99 per month, users gain access to the company’s ‘streaming plus’ subscription, which includes free standard UK shipping of physical products available via Presto Music, alongside 10 per cent off all purchases made through the platform.

MORE

Hi-res music streaming services compared: is Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Amazon or Apple Music better?

The perfect hi-fi streamer exists only in our imagination – here’s how it looks

Our pick of the best music streamers tested by our experts reviewers

Four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen is taking on an unusual challenge just two days after securing P2 at the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. On Wednesday, the Red Bull star will swap his F1 car for a go-kart as he takes on 100 drivers in Max vs 100.

The rules are simple. Verstappen will start at the back of the 101-kart grid and have just 30 laps to overtake all 100 competitors. Every driver he passes is eliminated, meaning he can win before the full 30 laps are complete. Meanwhile, the other drivers each get one “fast lap” in the opening 15 laps, allowing them to take a shortcut and gain some ground. Verstappen also gets his own shortcut, but he can only use it during the final 15 laps.

The action takes place at Silverstone, although this won't be the familiar F1 circuit. A specially designed track has been built for the event by race director and former karting world champion David Terrien, who says creating a circuit for 101 drivers at once has “never been done, never been seen.”

Testing the layout, two-time iRacing World Champion Sebastian Job warned: “I think to overtake 100 cars is going to be extremely difficult. Today we did it with 50, and even that was a challenge to do it in the allotted time. He’s got his work cut out for him big time.”

And there's another twist: Verstappen will be able to communicate directly with the other drivers during the race, giving viewers an insight into his thinking – and potentially allowing us to hear exactly what he makes of those trying to hold him up. Verstappen himself has already said he's looking forward to “Just seeing the carnage unfold in front of me.”

Follow our guide below for where to watch Max vs 100 live stream, including FREE options.

How can I watch Max vs 100 for free?

There are no direct free streams for Max vs 100. However, since ESPN is showing the event in the US, viewers can watch the action for free by taking advantage of free trials from live TV streaming services that carry ESPN, including YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Fubo, or DirecTV.

If you're from the US but are currently abroad and want to watch Max vs 100 live stream, you can simply use a VPN. More details below...

Watch Max vs 100 live stream from anywhere

You won't be able to watch your regular Max vs 100 live stream while traveling abroad. The streaming service will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you.

You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to watch Max vs 100 live from anywhere in the world.

We rate NordVPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sport. It offers a generous 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.

Watch Max vs 100 live stream in the US

ESPN is providing full coverage of Max vs 100 in the US. The action will also stream live on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited subscribers, while ESPN2 will air a delayed broadcast later that day.

ESPN Unlimited prices start at $31.99 per month, or you can bundle it with Disney+ and Hulu for $35.99 per month.

ESPN is also available through a cord-cutting service, such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Fubo, DirecTV (all featuring a free trial for new users) or Sling TV.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

• Expert TV advice: best OLED TVs for sports fans

Watch Max vs 100 live stream in the UK and worldwide

For the UK and elsewhere, including Canada and Australia, Max vs 100 will be available to stream live on Disney+.

Disney+ plans start from £4.99 per month in the UK, AU$9.99 per month in Australia, and CAD$8.99 per month in Canada.

Outside the UK during Max vs 100? Get NordVPN to access your usual stream no matter where you are in the world.

• Fancy an upgrade? Here are the best TVs
• Or save money with these unmissable cheap TV deals
• Where to watch Vuelta a España 2026 for free

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Slow Horses returns for its sixth season on Wednesday, September 16, streaming globally on Apple TV.

The latest outing, and the first to be adapted from two of Mick Herron’s Slough House novels — Joe Country and Slough House — sees the denizens of MI5’s mildew-infested dumping ground targeted by a killer hell bent on retaliation and revenge, with some old faces bought back into the fold as previous residents of the ‘The Park’s’ satellite office start turning up dead.

You can read the full cast list below, but we won’t spoil any of the surprise returns here, except to say there’s likely to be a few shocking reintroductions along the way as the band gets back together and goes on the run.

Travelling somewhere Apple TV isn’t available? Don't sweat – you can watch Slow Horses online now by using this VPN to access all episodes in a few moments. Here's how to do it....

• Global stream: Apple TV
• ABROAD? Download NordVPN app to watch iPlayer anywhere

Where to watch Slow Horses S6 in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and beyond

Watch Slow Horses S6 abroad with a VPN

If you're away from home you might find yourself geo-blocked from your usual account. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help you to get around this obstacle. It creates a private connection between your device and the internet, enabling you to appear to be in your home country. There are lots of VPN options, but we think NordVPN is currently the very best VPN for streaming.

How to use a VPN to watch TV shows abroad

Using a VPN to watch Slow Horses season 6 is incredibly simple:

1. Install the VPN of your choice. NordVPN is the one we recommend.

2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location that you signed up for the service in (e.g. UK).

3. Head to Apple TV on your browser or device and enjoy watching Slow Horses season 6 online from anywhere in the world. Simple!

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Watch Slow Horses S6 trailer

Slow Horses S6 cast

• Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb
• Jack Lowden as River Cartwright
• Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner
• Saskia Reeves as Catherine Standish
• Rosalind Eleazar as Louisa Guy
• Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho
• Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Shirley Dander
• Tom Brooke as J.K. Coe
• Olivia Cooke as Sidonie “Sid” Baker
• Hugo Weaving as Frank Harkness
• Jonathan Pryce as David Cartwright
• Samuel West as Peter Judd
• Joanna Scanlan as Moira Tregorian
• Lenny Rush as Reece Nesmith
• Harry Lloyd as Damien Cantor
• Kyle Soller as Jim

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While it might have been released way back in 2019, Sennheiser’s big and burly ‘bar continues to leave a lasting impression on us, and it’s now on the receiving end of a monster AU$2,650 discount via the company’s own eBay store when using the code SEP15OFF.

Or, while you might not get the additional AU$150 saving, if you prefer to shop on Amazon you can grab the Ambeo Soundbar Max for AU$1,499.

Finally, you could head to Sennheiser directly and score the Ambeo Soundbar Max and the Ambeo Subwoofer for AU$1,898 — a total saving of AU$3,221.90.

Key to the Ambeo Max’s success is its use of larger speaker drivers than what you’ll traditionally find in other soundbars – six 10cm woofers, five 25mm tweeters and two 9cm full-range drivers firing upwards, to be precise. While their use does mean the Ambeo Max is max by nature (it weighs 18.5kg), the extra heft allows it to produce a sound with incredible scale.

Even at full price, we said in our review it was “well worth the money and effort”, adding “In using bigger, higher-quality drivers, the Ambeo Soundbar can produce audio with natural tonality, cohesion and solidity, and the 3D audio processing is some of the best we've heard in a product of this type.”

Indeed, you might think the lack of rear speakers means it won’t be all that effective at creating a surround sound effect, but our testing found the opposite to be true. Dialogue is delivered with great clarity too, and the companion app gives access to a number of adjustable EQ presets to fine tune the sound even further. A microphone is also included for calibration to ensure the soundbar performs to its best in your individual room.

It’s certainly a sizable investment, but when you factor in how much you’re saving, it does make the Sennheiser Ambeo Max incredibly good value.

MORE:

Read our full Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max review

And check out the best soundbars with options for every need

Back in June, Sony pushed a software update to its current lineup of TVs that, for many, seems to have caused fundamental problems with eARC.

The issues include Dolby Vision content refusing to play, sound gradually desyncing, and audio dropouts, with most users experiencing some but not others. I’m a Bravia 8 II owner, and it’s the audio dropouts that I got.

The common factor is that it only affects content being played from an external source that is being routed through the TV to an external sound system.

For most people, including me, it has meant having to stop using their system as intended – I’ve been unable to use my Apple TV 4K, for example – and while the Dolby Vision problems were seemingly fixed by a further software update last month, the audio problems have remained.

Sony has been frustratingly quiet about the whole issue, with the only public acknowledgement coming from Sony Japan just last week.

Once translated, that Sony Japan post states that “the issue of audio being out of sync with the video (lip-sync discrepancy) will be addressed in a software update scheduled for September 2026”.

It's worth noting that Sony Japan's statement specifically refers to the lip-sync issue; it doesn't explicitly say that the audio dropout problems experienced by some owners will also be addressed by the same update.

But, in fact, it seems that the software update referenced may already be available – at least in some regions.

Software update 114.603.100.1 launched yesterday in the US, and early reports from some Sony Bravia owners suggest the audio sync and dropout issues might have been resolved.

To be clear, this software update is not yet available in the UK, so I haven’t been able to test it myself. It’s only a handful of owners in the US who are so far reporting positive news, too, so it’s a little too early to assume everything is hunky-dory.

I have contacted Sony UK for clarification, as well as a date for the software release over here, and I’ll report back if I hear anything.

Still, if the early reports are correct, this already feels like positive movement, and I, for one, am excited for the presumably imminent release of this new software in the UK.

I love my Bravia 8 II, and I would really like to go back to using it as intended.

MORE:

Here are the best TVs and best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now

You might remember the cultural phenomenon back in 2019. Whether you had a hoard of Marvel comics or got dragged to a screening by your mates, there’s no denying the energy was infectious.

Editor's note: There are spoilers ahead.

I remember seeing it in my local cinema. There was an enthusiasm from the crowd that I have rarely experienced since.

The film follows the aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War, where the villainous Thanos snapped half of the universe out of existence. The remaining superheroes, including Iron Man and Captain America, must figure out a way to bring them back.

While all your favourite parts of the film will be present and correct, the catchily named Avengers Endgame: Encore will be bringing some changes.

There are rumours that the film has a completely revised colour grade, designed to fix the somewhat drab original version’s grey and brown aesthetic, which wasn’t universally loved by fans.

That, though, hasn’t been confirmed by Marvel. The only evidence for it is that if you compare the two trailers, there seems to be a little more black depth and slightly more vibrant colours on the new version.

It could be the colour grading or increased saturation of the trailer and not the full movie, however, so the cinematic release may not see the same benefit. We have reached out to Disney for clarity and will update this page when we hear back.

Colours aside, it’s certainly an exciting prospect to see such a classic superhero film in the cinema again – and, if the colour grading rumours are true, it would make for an even more vibrant experience.

But what’s so special about the revamped Avengers experience, and is it worth the trip? Thankfully, a few additions to Encore have been confirmed.

To infinity and beyond

The biggest difference with the new release is the film’s length. If you watched the original version, you may remember having to take a well-timed toilet dash, as it ran for about three hours.

There are two slightly different cuts that are being released. The regular screening of Endgame: Encore will feature two extra minutes of footage, according to the British Board of Film Classification.

There’s no word yet on what this will actually include, but in an interview with Fandango, the Russo brothers called it “required viewing” in preparation for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film.

If you go to an Infinity Vision screening, however, you will be treated to just over five minutes of extra content, bringing the total runtime to a touch over 186 minutes.

What’s Infinity Vision, I hear some of you ask? It’s Disney’s new cinema certification, which calls for screens to meet certain specifications. Infinity Vision-approved cinemas must have a screen width of at least 45 feet (around 14 metres), a Dolby Surround 7.1 sound system, and a specific brightness level.

This is not a proprietary sound or projection system like IMAX or Dolby Vision, so any cinema can become Infinity Vision-approved if it meets the specifications. That makes it harder to pin down the exact number of eligible cinemas, but selected Cineworld, Vue and Odeon screens in the UK are on the list.

It’s hard not to be cynical about Marvel re-releasing its most financially successful film with only five minutes of extra material.

Having the Infinity Vision badge of certification does, at least, make it reassuring that you will get to experience immersive picture and sound while recalling the golden days of the studio. And, if you’re a newcomer to Marvel who never got to experience Endgame in the cinema the first time round, it should certainly be worth a watch.

MORE:

What is Infinity Vision?

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And check out the best TVs

Well now Spotify has a fix. It has introduced a toggle that lets you exclude kids and family music from your taste profile. Best of all, it works retroactively, so you can purge your profile of all that K-Pop that kept the kids entertained over the summer holidays.

Not only will this not affect which songs the algorithm suggests to you, it will also mean that your Discover Weekly, Daily Mix, and Wrapped more accurately reflect your taste.

However, we can see a problem. What actually counts as kids’ music? Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande both appeal to lots of younger fans, so how will the algorithm know what you are playing for them and what you’re enjoying yourself?

Spotify is a bit vague. It just says that this includes “the songs you play on repeat from your kids’ favourite animated movies, theme songs from family TV shows, nursery rhymes, and more.” We’ll have to see how it works in practice.

With the setting enabled, you can still search for, play and create playlists of kids’ music. But it won’t affect your own personal profile.

The feature is rolling out now to both free and Premium customers.

Spotify recently allowed the ability to exclude certain tracks or playlists from your taste profile, and has managed accounts for younger listeners.

MORE:

Read our Spotify review

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And the best hi-res music streaming services

Not only is the Ruark R1S one of the nicest radios to listen to, but it’s also one of the best looking. Whether kitted out in its Grey, Light Cream or Satin Charcoal finish, the R1S always looks the part.

Ruark has now added to that varied roster of shades with a brand-new Terracotta finish. This isn’t just a new paint job, though; it is, rather, a new limited-edition radio built to celebrate Ruark’s 40th anniversary following its formation in 1986.

Not only do you get a spiffy new finish, but the special edition radio also features an ebonised grille and etched anniversary badge to mark it out as being distinct from the standard edition of the R1S.

Elsewhere, the anniversary R1S is essentially the same as the standard iteration from 2023. Which means it is once again offering extensive streaming support for the likes of Spotify Connect, Amazon Music and Deezer, as well as standard Bluetooth 5.0 powers.

This is a radio first and foremost, let’s not forget, meaning the R1S Terracotta packs FM, DAB and DAB+ support, as well as Internet radio via Ruark’s SmartRadio tuner.

Inside, a Class A/B amplifier drives a neodymium NS+ full-range driver, a pairing that gave the standard R1S its reputation for, as we write in our review, its “articulate and authoratative sound”.

As before, the celebratory R1S has a USB-C port that can charge phones and similar portable devices, as well as a switchable analogue line input and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The R1S in Terracotta is available now, priced at £319, a small advance on the £299 tag of the standard model.

MORE:

10 of the best acoustic tracks to test your hi-fi system

The best hi-fi systems you can buy

Best DAB radios 2026: portable, Bluetooth and in-car radios

In the original video, YouTube channel Gamers Nexus claimed that LG TVs are capable of recording private conversations even when no wake word has been spoken. It also accused the company of collecting sensitive data such as IP addresses, the geographic location of the TV, and details of nearby wi-fi networks and the names of devices connected to them (even if they’re not connected to the TV).

The report includes demonstrations of the claims made, and was conducted in conjunction with tech site Level1 Techs and independent cybersecurity researchers.

LG’s statement says that such reporting has led to “misconceptions about how LG smart TVs work”. The company claims that “LG smart TVs do not continuously record or transmit users’ conversations,” though some commenters have noted the use of the word “continuously”.

“Speech-to-text processing begins only if a user activates a voice interaction through a supported wake-word feature or by pressing the voice (or AI) button on the remote control,” LG goes on. While the TVs must always be listening in order to detect a wake word, the statement says that this audio is “processed locally on the TV” and if no wake word is detected, “audio is not converted to text, stored, or transmitted”.

“Voice-recognition results and related technical logs may be generated as part of processing a voice command,” it adds. “These records are associated with specific voice interactions and do not indicate continuous recording of conversations occurring outside an active voice recognition session.”

While “speech-recognition results may be used to support voice-related features,” they are “not uploaded later when the TV is offline or when connectivity is restored.”

The statement notes that the automatic content recognition (ACR) feature is optional and not enabled by default. ACR has proved controversial, as it detects what’s on screen in order to improve recommendations or sell that information to advertisers.

LG’s statement then goes on to detail how various features of its smart TVs work. It notes that “No connected product is ever completely immune from security vulnerabilities.” Some of Gamers Nexus’s claims would rely on a bad actor hacking the TV to gain control over it.

But that’s not the end of the story. Gamers Nexus has since responded with a bullish follow-up video, claiming that LG’s statement contradicts itself and that its denials are not evidence-based.

We have contacted LG to see if it has a response to that response.

The report has caused a storm in the TV world, and – judging from some of the comments – consumers aren’t happy about how invasive smart TVs are capable of being. LG executives saying it “owns the glass” and “owns the TV” in an attempt to attract advertisers isn’t a good look, especially for anyone who has just shelled out thousands of pounds for a new C6.

MORE:

Read our LG C6 review

Also consider the Samsung S95F

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

The new FlyBuds C3 cost less than £50 / $40, yet they promise a feature set that Tribit hopes can surpass the Award-winning Sony WF-C510 (tested at £55 / $60 / AU$110).

Before we get to that, the new FlyBuds C3 promise high-quality audio from their 10mm drivers. Each bud also packs a six-microphone array and AI-powered noise reduction for handling voice calls, with Tribit promising clear call quality which spotlights human speech while filtering out background noise.

Noise-cancelling is on board, something we wouldn't always expect to find from such a budget-friendly pair of buds. The FlyBuds C3 offer standard ANC alongside a transparency mode for keeping you more aware of your surroundings when you're on the go.

Tribit's latest delivers up to eight hours of playback from the earbuds, dropping to six hours with ANC switched on. Those numbers rise to 35 hours of standard playback with the charging case in play, or 25 hours in total with noise-cancelling on.

Customising your experience is done via the Tribit app, from which you can access 10 preset equaliser modes, a fully customisable EQ, and an 'XBass' toggle for granting a bit of extra low-end punch.

You can also manage your Bluetooth Multipoint connections for switching easily between two devices, or toggle the buds' low-latency mode if you want a smoother, more responsive experience for gaming or watching videos.

Tribit has vowed to prioritise wearer comfort from its new buds, with the FlyBuds C3 weighing in at just 4 grams, making them even lighter than their 4.6-gram Sony WF-C510 rivals. They're also IP55 rated, meaning they can handle sweat, light rain and dust particles without much fuss.

The Tribit FlyBuds C3 are available now in black or white finishes, with an official RRP of £50 / $40 / €50.

MORE:

10 of the best acoustic tracks to test your hi-fi system

Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: what's new with Apple's latest noise-cancelling earbuds?

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The first of the season, ahead of Black Friday, is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days (or Prime Day, as it’s known to everyone outside Amazon). The e-tail giant’s annual autumn sale sets the stage for Black Friday. And now its dates have been announced: 6-7th October. That’s less than a month away.

Last year’s sale took place from 7-8th October, and saw discounts on all manner of AV goodies, including wireless headphones, Bluetooth speakers, OLED TVs and more.

For the best hi-fi deals, however, you were better off at specialist retailers such as Richer Sounds, Sevenoaks and Peter Tyson, who usually run their own sales at the same time. Let’s see if this year is the same.

This year, could we see the first glut of RGB Mini LED TVs with money off? And is it too early for a discount on Sony's latest WH-CH730N and WH-CH530 wireless headphones? Let’s hope not.

We’ll bring you all the best deals during the sale itself, as well as during the run-up, so stay tuned.

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Billed as a lightweight set of buds that blend a secure, easygoing design with "powerful open-ear audio", the OpenFit Air 2 are built for users who want an unobtrusive fit that won't get in the way no matter the length of your workout sessions.

Each bud is equipped with a dual 'Bassphere' driver system, designed to produce "rich bass" and a "full, expansive soundstage". For toggling your sound to your liking, four preset equaliser modes – Standard, Vocal, Bass and Private – are available.

Like the bulk of Shokz's established earbuds, the OpenFit Pro employ an open off-ear design, with an over-ear hook for aiding greater stability and security during runs and workouts.

At 7.2 grams per earbud, the OpenFit Air 2 are also billed as the lightest ear-hook buds that Shokz has ever made, and they should be protected against splashes of water and dust ingress thanks to their IP55 certification.

You needn't be caught out if you're on a long run and your mum calls you in for your dinner, because the OpenFit Air 2 incorporate a dual microphone system combined with an AI noise reduction algorithm to keep voices clear while reducing background noise.

The sporty new buds grant hours of playtime on a single charge, rising to 50 hours in total with the charging case in play. If you're in a hurry, you can squeeze three hours of listening time with a speedy 10-minute quick charge.

Further features include Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting to multiple source devices simultaneously, as well as Fast Pair and Swift Pair for a one-tap connection to Android and Windows devices respectively.

The Shokz OpenFit Air will be available from September 16th in Black, White or Ice Blue finishes, priced at £129 / $130.

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But arguably the most influential vampire to have shaped how we see the infernal creature today is from the 1958 film Dracula starring Christopher Lee. His take on the character introduced Dracula as a more suave, fanged version of the vampire.

And now, there’s good news for classic horror fans: a restoration of the film is coming to 4K Blu-ray and is being released in cinemas. It includes around three minutes of missing scenes that were originally shown only in Japan when the film was released.

The 4K restored edition was handled by Silver Salt Restoration, and I got the chance to get a taste of the process in its London studio, and to speak to the team behind the curtain.

Hope for the market

The state of physical media is a contentious topic, but Anthony Badger, Head of Restoration, has hope for the future. “It’s certainly the end of the day of buying a film in DVD at Tesco. But I think there will always be a place for it,” he says.

He adds that people seem to value the tangibility of holding a physical disc in your hands.

“I think it’s been fascinating that a lot of the more obscure Hammer stuff that isn’t horror, has actually sold really well too. When’s the last time anyone’s seen that? Like 10 pm on BBC Two in 1997. So it’s fascinating – the wealth of stuff. And there is a hunger for that.”

The editions that originally appeared, he explains, would often have been a “horrific” transfer. “I think with a lot of the older transfers, it is a barrier to enjoying it because you can’t quite hear the sound properly and the image is all blurry.”

Badger says he hopes this prompts people to look more into their archives.

4K editions, the team agrees, have more of a draw for collectors too. Mark Stanborough, Head of Restoration at Hammer, says that “when you look at some of the Hammer titles that we’ve done, they could have been filmed last week.

“They look so sharp and it’s amazing,” he smiles.

A trip to the pictures

As well as being released on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, Dracula will be shown in UK cinemas in October.

When it was first shown at the pictures, people were shocked at the graphic nature of the grizzly killings – and it still makes for tense viewing today.

Stanborough says that it was important for Dracula to get a release on the big screen. He adds: “We did Curse of Frankenstein, and I think that went into 150 cinemas and was very popular. And obviously, Dracula is the bigger film, the one that everybody knows.”

Badger says that Dracula presented the challenge of removing sudden colour changes and fringing, especially in the cut elements: “In the cut elements that were preservation elements, you tend to often get issues with it when you recombine the colour channels together from monochromatic film.”

This results in, he says, the different colours often not lining up perfectly so the combined image will be one colour, and then it will “slowly or abruptly change to a different colour”.

He continues: “We had to lock the colours even in the original negative, which had age related fading and degradation, because it is a lot harder [to colour grade] if it’s not the same colour from frame to frame.”

The Dracula 4K Limited Collector’s Edition is available for pre-order now from the Hammer website – and I can’t wait to get it into our test room to challenge the best home cinema products out there.

MORE:

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Strip away all the bells and whistles, and music immediately sounds more intimate, encouraging a greater connection between listener and artist. Great acoustic tracks allow you and your system to peer in and dig out the subtlest and finest of details and deliver tone and texture the like of which you haven’t heard before.

Our team of expert reviewers have dipped into their box of tracks to pick the acoustic test tracks that they use to highlight a system’s abilities, or shortcomings.

What are your favourite acoustic tracks? Let us know in the comments below…

Fast Car – Tracy Chapman (Tracy Chapman, 1988)

As predictable as it might be, there’s no getting away from the fact that Fast Car is one of the greatest acoustic tracks of all time.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I have heard it emanating from our test rooms while our reviewers have been putting hi-fi kit through its paces. It’s hard to resist, especially if you’ve got a talented pair of speakers sitting in front of you.

The track is a catchy mix of folk and pop, and there’s even a sprinkling of rock for the chorus. It’s an emotional story about one person’s desire and dream to leave their current circumstances for a better life, and there's real beauty in the way Chapman delivers emotion in her vocals. You can really feel the hope and yearning in her voice, and any decent system should be able to communicate this.

Add to the mix the delicate guitar playing where you can hear subtle details such as fingers sliding over strings, and contrasting drums that explode into life during the chorus, and you’ve got an awesome switch of tempo and a great test of dynamic versatility.

Words by Andy Madden

Take On Me – A-ha (MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice, 2017)

I first stumbled across this track whilst doing a recce of the Bristol Hi-Fi Show a few years ago. I can’t remember the exact system I was listening to at the time, but I distinctly remember thinking that although the tune was familiar, I had never heard this particular version before. So I pulled up a pew, sat down and proceeded to be blown away.

I suppose because the video for Take On Me is so iconic, you sometimes forget about the actual song itself, the lyrics and composition, so to hear it stripped back to just a vocal, piano and a guitar gave me a newfound appreciation for Morten Harket.

His vocal is beautifully controlled and shows some extremely subtle dynamics, while the natural texture of each instrument shines through. An intimate performance that’s just as memorable as the track’s original 1984 music video.

Words by Andy Madden

S P E Y S I D E, Bon Iver (SABLE, fABLE, 2025)

Bon Iver’s comeback track after a five year hiatus delivered all of the raw emotion I’d hoped it would, and that’s mostly down to the raw, minimalist acoustic production.

This track features minimal instrumentation, with an acoustic guitar taking an equally important role to singer/songwriter Justin Vernon’s delicate and emotionally charged falsetto vocals. Everything is underpinned by a sweeping viola that is woven in throughout the song.

It’s a dynamic showcase, with moments of near silence permeated with Vernon’s harmonised vocals. It’s a delicate balance, and it requires a system that can handle low-level dynamics with finesse for the track to truly shine. Furthermore, the stripped-back production is best served by headphones, earbuds or speakers that lean towards the natural and un-coloured end of the spectrum.

I have used this track to test soundbars, speaker packages and smartphones, as it’s a sure-fire way to find out if a product knows how to handle nuanced dynamic shifts and convey emotion.

Words by Lewis Empson

Old Churchyard - The Wailin’ Jennys (Fifteen, 2017)

If you have looked for folk music tracks on streaming services, then you have most likely come across the Wailin' Jennys. The trio is known for their stripped-back approach, and Old Churchyard from their most recent 2017 album Fifteen, is no different.

It begins with the soft drone of an accordion, setting the foundation for the intimate track to build upon. One voice is introduced, delivered with remarkable expression and delicacy. Then the rest of the vocal harmonies are added gradually; and it’s then that the hairs on your arms will truly stand to attention.

The sense of closeness brings you back to a time when music was one of the only ways we could share stories, as the song is a version of a long-told folk tune that has survived for generations.

The barebones approach will certainly not make for a floor-shaking sound experience, but it should challenge your sound system even more as it calls for a good level of subtlety and refinement.

Words by Robyn Quick

Dancing on My Own – Robyn (Radio 1 Live Lounge Vol. 5, 2010)

I first heard this version of Robyn’s electro-poppy floor-filler in the car, and even listening to it through the subpar speakers in my Vauxhall (that’s Opel for our non-British readers) Astra I was almost moved to tears, such was the quality of Robyn’s performance.

Ditching the pop backdrop for simply a piano and her bare vocal was a genius move and one that completely transforms the emotional intensity of the track. Slowed down, the vocals shine and hit you like a sledgehammer. The delicacy of her tone and the piano play paint such a vivid picture that your attention never wavers. It’s truly heartbreaking to listen to, but in the best way possible.

A word of warning, though. This version of the track is impossible to track down on streaming services, so you’ll need a copy of Radio 1 Live Lounge Vol. 5, which was released in 2010. Kings Of Leon also covered this track for the Live Lounge, and although not quite up to the level of Robyn’s performance, it’s still definitely worth listening to.

Words by Andy Madden

Hurt – Johnny Cash (2002)

Johnny Cash’s rendition of Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt remains the cover to end all covers.

With nothing but an acoustic guitar and a single death-knell of a piano stroke chiming under the 70-year-old country legend’s croaking voice, Cash’s rendition was such a powerful and poignant reinvention that it is often misattributed as his own original composition.

While the excellent Nine Inch Nails original employs the more industrial, eerie soundscape which was to define much of 1994’s The Downward Spiral, Cash’s cover stripped everything back, spotlighting the bleak nature of the central vocal performance and its accompanying lyrics of despair and regret.

For a cover that’s actually quite a long way from a wholesale reinvention, it’s striking just how much Cash’s reinterpretation affects the track’s mood and message. Trent Reznor sounds as though he is still fighting his demons; the wearier Cash – more confessional yet composed – seems to have accepted them.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) – Green Day (Nimrod, 1997)

I’ve lost count of how many times I have seen and heard this track used in a nostalgic montage. It tends to be used to help add a layer of emotion to a major sporting occasion, or it’s inserted to try to reduce the audience to tears near the end credits of a TV programme. But I never get bored of it.

The track kicks off with just an acoustic guitar and Billie Joe Armstrong’s instantly recognisable tone holding the track together, but it’s the injection of slow, sweeping strings into the performance which really elevates it to another level.

They rise and fall, complementing Armstrong’s expressive guitar playing. It all rolls along at quite a rate of knots before the guitar starts to slow before fading to black right at the end. It’s a real test of fine detail, timing and low-level dynamics which can be tricky for even the most capable of hi-fi systems.

Words by Andy Madden

Free Fallin’ – John Mayer (Live at the Nokia Theatre, 2007)

John Mayer loves playing the guitar. In fact, his attachment to the instrument as a teenager became such a concern for his parents that they enlisted the services of multiple psychiatrists to diagnose what they perceived to be an increasingly unhealthy obsession.

Whether you love Mayer or loathe him, there’s no denying that those isolated hours of adolescent practice paid serious dividends. The man’s guitar work, even among credible blues and rock circles, is held in truly high regard; it’s a talent onto which the spotlight fully shines during Mayer’s 2008 live album Where the Light Is.

Recorded at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, the concert features Mayer performing as part of a trio and a full-scale band, but it’s his acoustic opening salvo – particularly his acclaimed cover of Tom Petty’s Free Fallin’ – that really merits close attention.

Petty’s tune was already a well-worn classic, but the acoustic Where the Light Is rendition gives it an intimate melancholy and vulnerability that now feels lacking from the original recording. Wherever John Mayer goes and whatever he does, his most beloved tune may end up being one originally penned by somebody else.

Words by Harry McKerrell

Change – Big Thief (Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, 2022)

Big Thief have been a major player in the modern alternative scene since the release of their 2016 album, Masterpiece. Over the decade since, the band has gradually embraced a more acoustic, earthy sound than their indie folk beginnings foretold. Their recordings are often roomy, littered with characterful imperfections, and feel – to put it simply – very real.

Of course, a no-frills recording makes a solid live performance all the more essential. Thankfully, Big Thief have no trouble in this department, and Change from Dragon New Warm Mountain I believe In You sees the band shine as a unit, by way of a simple, heart-rending arrangement.

The recording style does much to serve the song, with a substantial kick-drum delivering a healthy dose of room ambience, while close-up vocal harmonies and Buck Meek’s trembling guitar solo contribute a sense of vulnerability and emotional potency.

“Would you smile forever, never cry,” sings Adrienne Lenker – not very easily while this tune is playing.

Words by Ioan Hazell

Michael Hedges - All Along the Watchtower (Watching My Life Go By, 1985)

Michael Hedges is one of the quintessential acoustic guitarists of his time. Featuring an atypical style, for me, he did to acoustic what Eddie Van Halen did for electric guitar in the ’80s.

His revolutionary style features heavy percussive elements and atypical, at times outright bonkers, tunings; even now, there really has been nothing else quite like him. He was also a stellar live performer to boot, as evidenced by the above video.

But despite his diverse portfolio, which kept evolving right up to his tragic death in 1997, for most people it’s his iconic cover of Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower, especially the performance from his Live on the Double Planet album, that gets recognised.

In true Hedges style, it sees him masterfully use a mix of percussive slapping on the guitar, which is in an atypical D A E E A A tuning, and left-hand hammer-ons and pull-offs to create an enthralling, dynamic rendition of the classic song that is entirely unique.

And the version captured on Live on the Double Planet is a personal favourite. It captures the nuance and dynamism of his playing in a way most other recordings, including the studio version on his Watching My Life Go By album, fail to match. I highly recommend any guitar player or fan of the song give it a listen if you haven’t already. You won’t be disappointed.

Words by Alastair Stevenson

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In fact, it’s kind of refreshing to hang out with such a fuss-free, unpretentious projector – especially when that projector retains a more serious set of specifications than today’s portable projectors typically provide.

Add to this a couple of significant eco-friendly features in the shape of a nifty hybrid laser/LED lighting system and a chassis made from 50 per cent recycled plastics, and the unassuming-looking HL6810ATV has the potential to teach some of the new flash Harrys on the projector block a trick or two.

Price

At £1499 (around $2025 / AU$2825), the HL6810ATV sits at the affordable end of the 4K projector market. Take into account its built-in smarts, eco-friendly laser/LED hybrid lighting system, 240Hz refresh rate support and 4000 lumens of claimed peak brightness, and it has the potential to be a pretty serious bargain. Though, as we’ll see, you do have to accept a few compromises along the way.

Rivals for the HL6810ATV would be the Hisense PT1 if an ultra short throw projector would work for you, or Hisense’s What Hi-Fi? Award-winning M2 Pro if you’re looking for a more ‘lifestyle’ coffee table model with a convenience-focused design.

Design

The Acer HL6810ATV might not have the glamour or distinctiveness of many of today’s living room projectors, but it’s cute enough in its own throwback way.

Its small footprint and much lower stance than you get with the en vogue cubic designs currently dominating the living room projection market mean it scarcely makes any impact – positive or negative – on your decor, while its white finish is crisp and clean.

Its rounded-off corners give it a domesticated feel, and it’s nice to find it partnered with a remote control that also sports a white finish in harmony with the projector.

A full set of control buttons is provided on the HL6810ATV’s top edge for when you can’t find the remote, and a ‘window’ cut into the top edge above the lens barrel provides access to manual adjustments for zoom, focus and vertical optical image shifting.

Screw-down feet under the projector’s bottom edge help you get images in the right place on your wall or screen and, finally, the lens can be protected in transit by a little plastic lens cover attached by string to the projector’s underside.

Features

The Acer HL6810ATV is matter-of-factly described by Acer as a “4K UHD smart projector”, where the ‘smart’ bit refers to mini dongle-delivered Android TV support. Integrating a smart TV system proves right away that the HL6810ATV is aimed at the domestic rather than business market.

This position is backed up by such features as a Football Mode that exaggerates colours for more spectacular ‘big game’ nights, and gaming features that include support for 120Hz and 240Hz refresh rates and a Low Input Lag setting that gets input lag down to just 17ms at 60Hz. This lag pretty much halves each time as the projector moves through its 120Hz and 240Hz gears, too. These are all excellent numbers for a projector.

The HL6810ATV is built on a DLP optical system illuminated by hybrid laser and LED lighting. This relatively rare lighting approach has apparently been chosen by Acer because it delivers a longer lifespan (up to 30,000 hours is claimed if you stick with its Eco image setting) and uses less energy than other lighting systems.

The HL6810ATV adds playback of the HDR10 and HLG HDR formats to its 4K playback. There’s no support for the premium HDR10+ or Dolby Vision formats, with their extra scene-by-scene image data, but such support is relatively rare at this level, so that's no huge surprise.

Peak brightness from the HL6810ATV is claimed to be 4000 lumens, while contrast is claimed to be a very respectable 50,000:1. It’s highly unlikely you’ll experience either of these figures in the real world, but they’re still good numbers for the projector to build its picture performance on, hinting as they do at images capable of looking decent in both dark and bright room settings.

Also impressive for its money is how easy to set up the HL6810ATV is. The manual focus and zoom adjustment rings deliver a handy 1.3x level of zoom, while a little wheel adjustment above the lens and focus rings provides a degree of optical vertical image shift. There are options in the projector’s menus, too, to compensate for keystone errors and even the colour of your wall.

There’s no significant automated image set-up system of the sort we’re starting to see on many projectors, but given how many of those don’t work particularly well, we actually find the hands-on simplicity of the HL6810ATV’s all-manual picture set-up surprisingly welcome.

It helps on paper, too, that the HL6810ATV carries a built-in 10W speaker, to save you the trouble of having to find an external audio source wherever you’ve set the projector up. Though as we’ll get into later, this ostensibly helpful feature doesn’t quite pan out as hoped.

Being easy to set up adds weight to the HL6810ATV’s status as an unusually portable projector for anyone looking for a model that’s easy to move between different rooms or houses. Acer supplies a carry bag with the projector to further bolster its ‘go anywhere’ credentials.

The HL6810ATV’s connections include two HDMI ports (both 2.0b-specified, so there’s no support for 4K at any higher frame rates than 60Hz, or VRR); a 3.5mm mini jack audio output; an RS-232 control jack; and a 5V-out USB port that’s otherwise just for service use.

Unfortunately, we need to finish on a couple of significant limitations.

First, as well as being a bit buggy, the HL6810ATV’s Android TV smart system doesn’t carry any of the catch-up services for the main terrestrial UK broadcasters.

Second, while the Acer provides a pretty wide array of picture presets for SDR viewing, with HDR it frustratingly only offers a single preset mode, which you then have to manually adjust yourself in areas such as your preferred EOTF setting and Dynamic Black preference (there’s no true HDR tone mapping here, in case you were wondering).

Picture

The HL6810ATV can be really engaging to watch – so long as you’re not trying to do so in a bright room. It just isn’t bright enough with HDR or SDR, even in its brightest settings (which here means choosing the High setting of the ‘EOTF' feature), to punch through ambient light with enough conviction to keep colours looking bold, black levels looking solid and details looking defined. Quite where those 4000 claimed lumens have ended up is anyone’s guess.

While this lack of bright-room potency though will be enough to put off some buyers looking for an all-conditions all-rounder, the HL6810ATV is a more assured dark room watch than many projectors that try harder to punch through ambient light.

In particular, in a dark room, the projector delivers deeper and more convincing blacks and dark scenes than we had expected. This is particularly true if you use the Mid EOTF setting, which really does look startlingly cinematic for such a ‘casual’ projector.

Black levels are still decent, though, even if you switch the EOTF setting to High – which, in the end, you kind of have to, especially with HDR, if you want to stop significant amounts of faint detail in dark areas disappearing from view.

The High EOTF setting is also the only one where the HL6810ATV manages to give a sense that you’re watching HDR, as it enables the projector to deliver its highest ‘baseline’ HDR brightness level while still finding an extra gear to imbue the brightest HDR highlights with that sense of gleam and glimmer that’s so beyond what SDR can do.

The HL6810ATV handles colour very well for its money, too. Every now and then, a very bright shade, especially if it leans towards a secondary rather than primary colour, can become slightly washed out – as if the projector’s colour palette isn’t quite expansive enough to keep up with its brightness extremes (even though they’re not actually very extreme).

For the most part, though, colours look natural, nicely balanced against each other, and devoid of the sort of noise or lack of shading subtlety that can trouble some HDR displays (both TVs and projectors).

There’s no noise in dark parts of the picture either, and both HD and 4K sources look crisp and detailed without that detail being impaired by grittiness or moiré noise.

Judder, even with 24p movie sources, looks clean and natural enough to retain the clarity for most of the time as well, with only small movements of very detailed content sometimes looking a bit tweaky for a frame or two.

The HL6810ATV’s straightforward but natural and immersive presentation extends for the most part to its game performance. In fact, the relative starkness of graphics versus video sources makes them an even better fit for the projector’s engagingly no-nonsense approach.

The only rider is that for some reason graphics look noticeably coarser at 60Hz refresh rates than they do at 120Hz, even if the 60Hz images are 4K while the 120Hz images are (as they have to be) HD. Because of this, where the choice is available, we much prefer gaming at 1080p/120Hz than 4K/60Hz.

Sound

There isn’t really much to say here for the simple reason that there isn’t much sound to listen to. The speaker struggles to produce any volume worthy of the name, leaving the projector’s big, engaging pictures sounding like they’re being partnered with the audio equivalent of a peashooter.

There’s no bass, either, leaving action scenes sounding thin as well as quiet.

The only things stopping the sound from registering a single-star score, in fact, are the way the sound projects a little forward from the projector’s body to make it sound slightly more connected with the onscreen images, and the fact that dialogue always sounds surprisingly clear.

The reality is, though, that anyone wanting a sound experience that’s anywhere close to matching the impact of the HL6810ATV’s pictures is going to have to find some sort of external audio solution.

Verdict

The HL6810ATV’s lack of brightness limits its usage scenarios a little more than we’d like for a projector at this level. Its Android TV system is a bit dated, too.

You can always add a cheap HDMI streaming stick, though, and if you don’t mind using it in a pretty consistently dark environment and can pair it up easily enough with an external sound system, this Acer is actually surprisingly fun to use regardless of whether you’re watching a film or playing a game.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 2
• Features 3

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The player in question is the Acer MP340 pictured above, which came out in 2006 when I was in my first journalism job. This was before the financial crash, in the days when companies would occasionally let us humble journos keep the odd review sample. And so, being the generous sort that I am, I must have sent it to my brother (possibly in lieu of a birthday present, but let's not dwell on that – I blame the first-job wage).

Anyway, I'm sure he got a lot of enjoyment out of it, despite the tiny 1.8-inch, 160 x 128 TFT display (don't zoom in on the photos of it, or you might fall into the gap between the on-screen pixels). It had two headphone jacks for sharing audio with a friend, voice recording, and could display photos as well as playing videos (albeit only in H.264). It even had playable Sudoku built-in! And if that's not the most early noughties thing ever, I don't know what is (the 2020s equivalent would be a Covid face mask with built-in Wordle, I suppose).

But, life being life, the MP340 soon found its way into my brother's garage, where it remained for well over a decade.

He recently started clearing out this garage, and found the MP340 nestled among the old family photos and pointless receipts. And to his – and my – amazement, it switched on on the first attempt. This is despite lying unused in his lock-up for at least the last 13 years (he can trace this back to when his first child was born).

Which made me think: was the MP340 a marvel of engineering? Were all portable music players of the time this durable? And would today's players pass the same test? I put on a 2006 playlist and went in search of answers.

A changing musical landscape

The MP340 launched in a digital music landscape that's unrecognisable to today's. Back then, downloads ruled the roost, led by iTunes, Rhapsody and Napster in its second, legal incarnation. Spotify was still two years from launch.

The fifth-gen iPod Classic was the player to beat (though this was before Apple started calling it the 'Classic'). And for any serious player offering a significant amount of storage, hard drives were the order of the day.

It's not just the landscape that's changed drastically – the players have too.

The MP340 had 20GB of storage, which you could expand using an SD card. Nowadays any portable player worth its salt supports streaming, though for those of us who prize sound quality, local storage never really went away. The FiiO M21, for example, has 64GB onboard (although as with all modern players, it's flash memory rather than a hard drive) as well as taking microSD cards up to 2TB, as does the pricier – but Award-winning – Astell & Kern A&norma SR35.

Apple did sell an iPod with 160GB of storage, which since became something of a collectible. But that's still paltry compared to today's 2TB-via-expansion options.

Industry experts put the jump in storage down to the introduction of hi-res music downloads.

"The early generation of portable players was built around a simple idea: downloads and on-board storage. You filled a device with files you owned, and those files were usually compressed – a CD rip was about as good as it got," says Dave Jang, Business Lead at Astell & Kern (which grew out of iRiver, so has been in the portable music player market ever since MP3s were a thing).

"When high-resolution downloads arrived, that changed the equation completely. Hi-res files are many times larger, so the demand for storage grew with them."

One other area the MP340 lags behind today's players is battery life. While its headline figure of 10 hours doesn't look too shabby initially, it certainly does once you realise that's with the screen turned off. Keep it switched on, and you'll only get a paltry 3-5 hours. Which is laughable by today's standards (though don't tell that to anyone who's pre-ordered the latest AirPods).

For more serious music fans

The rise of streaming completely changed how people consumed music, while smartphones mean everyone has a pretty sophisticated music player in their pocket at all times. As a result, "A dedicated music player had to justify itself all over again: it needed to offer a genuinely higher-quality alternative to listening on a phone, while still delivering the convenience and usability people had come to expect from their phones," says Jang.

Cheaper players fell by the wayside – why would anyone buy an iPod Shuffle when their phone can do all that and more? As a result, the market was reshaped as a more premium product category aimed at those more interested in sound quality.

While Bluetooth became a given (something missing from the MP340), today's players mostly support wired headphones as well, to provide higher-quality sound – which we welcome, of course.

The MP340 might be a relic of a bygone age, but the fact it still works after so long left unused is seriously impressive, let alone that it's held its charge for all this time.

So is this a one-off? Or were players just hardier in those days?

"That story is very familiar to us," says Jang. "We still see people using our first-generation players today, and when they get in touch, it’s rarely because something has gone wrong." Rather, they're after a new battery to replace the worn-out one that came with the player.

And would today's generation of players still turn on if left untouched for that long? I'll let you know in 2046.

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The famed Swedish furniture manufacturer already boasts a host of Bluetooth models in its current speaker arsenal, with the super-cheap ‘Kallsup’ model setting you back a paltry £5. You could buy a plate of meatballs for less than that.

The new Badkruka is larger and a little more premium than the dinky Kallsup, sporting a rather no-frills cuboid form made from plastic and polycarbonate.

Designed for home rather than portable use, the new speaker houses a range of top-mounted physical control buttons, including a Spotify Tap toggle for faster access to your Spotify streaming library. As well as standard Bluetooth, you also get an optical input alongside a 3.5mm auxiliary port. Nice.

Inside, the Badkruka packs 25 watts of total power feeding a single tweeter alongside a complementary woofer to produce what IKEA describes as a “clear, powerful sound” that “meets everyday needs at home”.

You can connect two speakers together to create a stereo pair, or use multi-speaker mode if you want to have a string of Badkrukas tethered together for a more immersive, room-filling audio experience.

The word ‘Badkruka’ in Swedish means someone averse to bathing outdoors (literally a “bath-coward”), so we’re assuming that IKEA’s speaker of the same name doesn’t particularly enjoy being taken for a dip. Best to keep it inside, then.

The IKEA Badkruka Bluetooth speaker is available now in pink or black finishes, priced at €50 / $60. We haven’t seen the Badkruka listed on IKEA’s UK site yet, but we imagine that it will sit at around the £40-50 mark when the time comes.

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Two Japanese AV titans are going head-to-head today, and more is at stake than you might think.

Sony’s TA-AN1000 AV amplifier turned our Awards list on its head in 2023, dethroning both the Denon AVR-X2800H and Denon AVC-X3800H in one fell swoop.

Ever since, Denon has been working tirelessly to reinstate its AV amplifiers as the top choice for home cinema fans – and that brings us to its most recent launch.

After almost four years of anticipation, Denon launched the AVR-X2900H earlier this year, alongside its step-up sibling, the AVC-X3900H.

The X2900H was developed as a direct response to the TA-AN1000, and Denon’s goal was to knock Sony off the top spot after spending multiple years virtually unchallenged.

So, has Denon succeeded? Or are you better off sticking with the Sony? We tested these sub-£1000 AVRs side by side to answer that very question…

Sony TA-AN1000 vs Denon AVR-X2900H: Price

Both the Denon and Sony amplifiers occupy the more affordable end of the mid-range AVR market, though the Denon technically launched at a slightly lower price.

The AVR-X2900H launched at £899 / $1349 / AU$1799 earlier this year, whereas the TA-AN1000 cost £999 (around $1240 / AU$1850) when it was released back in 2022.

However, the Sony’s age becomes an unexpected advantage, as we find that it is practically always subject to heavily discounted prices.

The TA-A1000 seems to have widely adopted the £699 price tag that was once reserved for Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day, making it the cheaper of the two amplifiers.

**Winner: Sony TA-AN1000**

Sony TA-AN1000 vs Denon AVR-X2900H: Design

Neither of these home cinema amplifiers will make you swoon, but they’re also by no means unpleasant to look at.

We think that they both look practical and understated, which is a nice way of saying that they’re black aluminium cuboids with a smattering of buttons and knobs on the front, and a heavy helping of ports and connections on the rear.

The Sony looks almost identical to the STR-DN1080 that it replaced, which launched in 2017. It sports a split-layer design, with a row of slim buttons sitting below a slender horizontal display that runs along the width of the amplifier.

There are separate volume and input selection wheels, as well as a few front-facing ports.

The Denon, on the other hand, looks almost identical to the last decade of Denon AVRs that came before it. It sports a brushed metal finish, a row of buttons that sits below a slim horizontal screen, separate volume and input selection wheels, and a few front-facing ports.

While that might sound identical to the Sony (because it pretty much is), the Denon’s display and buttons take up only a central panel rather than the full width of the amplifier.

Denon has also kindly tweaked the on-unit controls this year, with buttons that are angled slightly upwards, making them easier to press if the AVR is sitting on a lower shelf in your media unit.

Truthfully, this is a horses-for-courses situation, and which looks better will depend on your personal taste.

**Winner: Draw**

Sony TA-AN1000 vs Denon AVR-X2900H: Features

The AVR-X2900H and TA-AN1000 both feature seven channels of amplification, which can power up to 7.1 surround sound or a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos speaker system. The Denon takes the crown when it comes to power output, though, as it features a claimed 95W of power with two channels of the seven driven, whereas the Sony touts a claimed 85W with two channels driven.

Denon also beats the Sony when it comes to connectivity; both amps feature six HDMI inputs on the rear; however, three of them are full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets that can handle 4K/120Hz or 8K/60Hz signals with VRR and ALLM on the X2900H.

The TA-AN1000, on the other hand, has just two HDMI 2.1 inputs. The X2900H also adds 1440p support for console and PC gaming, as well as AMD FreeSync for smoother gameplay.

Wireless connectivity is also solid on both. Bluetooth is featured on the Sony and Denon, and they can both handle music streaming over wi-fi, though they take different approaches.

The Sony allows for direct streaming via AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Google Chromecast, while the Denon funnels these services through its HEOS service, which also allows users to tie this amp into a multi-room system with other Denon and Marantz audio products. The Sony has a similar trick up its sleeve with its Works With Sonos feature, which means that you can link the TA-AN1000 with Sonos’ wireless multi-room speakers.

The X2900H beats the AN1000 when it comes to HDR support too. Both amplifiers can pass through HDR10, HLG and Dolby Atmos video, but the AVR-X2900H adds HDR10+ support, which is missing on the Sony. Both amplifiers support a wide array of Dolby and DTS audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

Both amplifiers also have comprehensive room calibration systems built in, with the required microphones included in the box. The Sony uses its own proprietary system, which requires a little bit of manual labour – including taking measurements of your ceiling height, screen height, and distance to your listening position – though it rattles through the calibration process at speed afterwards.

The Denon features Audyssey’s MultEQ XT, which allows users to take measurements from multiple positions to determine the best speaker distances and levels for your space.

If that doesn’t float your boat, then Dirac Live Room Correction is also supported, though it requires additional paid software and accessories to complete.

While the Sony is a well-equipped amplifier by general standards, there’s no denying that the Denon steals the spotlight with better connectivity, HDR support and calibration options.

**Winner: Denon AVR-X2900H**

Sony TA-AN1000 vs Denon AVR-X2900H: Sound

Here is where the winner of this battle is truly decided. Sound performance is everything, and as the star ratings for these amplifiers may give away, there is a clear winner in this regard.

We’ll start with the AVR-X2900H, as there is plenty to like here. Denon’s signature sound is on full display here, as there is a rich, weighty and broad sense to the sound that this amplifier produces.

This ensures that the Denon is in its element with large-scale action set pieces, as the big, powerful sound sweeps us up in its cinematic presentation.

While it may sound like this amplifier is all muscle, that’s far from the case; sonic subtleties are handled with care, meaning distinct background sounds are preserved to ensure immersion.

That is paired with an excellent sense of sonic cohesion, as the Denon is a dab hand at passing sound effects – big and small – around the surround sound channels without noticeable gaps or distractions.

The Denon’s richer and more powerful sound makes it talented for music. The smooth, inviting sound makes stereo recordings a joy to listen to, and with that level of detail that we mentioned earlier coming into play here with vocals and instruments. We find that the Denon is talented for AV and hi-fi tasks alike.

That said, the Sony also delivers detail in droves, and it too delivers an impressive surround sound showcase. It also introduces a much-needed sense of energy and agility to the sound, which highlights the Denon’s tendency to veer into sounding somewhat over-indulgent and slightly lethargic.

Furthermore, the Sony dominates when it comes to dynamic control. Immediate jumps in volume (think explosions and car crashes) are punchy, powerful and engaging, and there’s also much more care given to low-level dynamics too.

Paired with the crisper and snappier nature of the Sony, we find that dialogue sounds much more lifelike through this amplifier compared to the Denon too.

What really seals the Denon’s fate, however, is how it handles bass. While this amplifier can pump out a truly impressive amount of bass (certainly more than the Sony), it often feels disappointingly ill-defined and mushy, with surprisingly little tonal variation on display here.

The Sony, on the other hand, dials back the bass depth slightly, but in doing so it makes low frequencies sound much more intentional, with more dynamic, textured and expressive low end.

**Winner: Sony TA-AN1000**

Sony TA-AN1000 vs Denon AVR-X2900H: Verdict

Denon’s mission to knock Sony down a peg and reclaim its spot as the champion of mid-range AVRs may not have succeeded this time, but that doesn't mean there isn't lots to like with the X2900H.

It delivers a warm, rich and powerful sound that will appeal to and delight many, and it's talented for movies and music alike. If you want grandeur, scale, and a surround sound experience that envelops you in every aspect, then the Denon could be ideal for you; however, the Sony once again reminds us why it's earned its praise and accolades once we fire it up for comparison.

Truthfully, we wanted the Denon AVR-X2900H to give the Sony TA-AN1000 a serious fight. The Sony has sat too comfortably on our annual Awards list, shooting down any competition that comes its way thanks to its superb handling of dynamics and detailed sound.

It may not be as well equipped as the Denon, but given the price drops that can be forgiven for now. And once we immerse ourselves in the agile, dynamic and crisp sound it produces, it begins to highlight some of the Denon’s inherent flaws.

We can't fault Denon’s grit and determination to deliver an AVR that beats this three-time Product of the Year Award-winner, but it needs to rethink its approach to dynamics and bass performance if it truly wants to knock Sony off the podium.

**Overall winner: Sony TA-AN1000**

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And our Denon AVR-X2900H review

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