Creative XF1: Two-minute review

For a cent short of $180 (or a penny short of £140) Creative will sell you its XF1 desktop stereo speaker system — and don’t imagine this money buys anything less than a fully featured and serious product. It may look a little frivolous, especially when its cork ‘wedge’ stands are attached, but the XF1 is all business. And besides, those stands elevate the speakers to the point they’re firing at your ears rather than your torso.

An active and bi-amped arrangement that requires the speakers to be wired together and one of them to be connected to mains power, the Creative XF1 has a total of 72 watts of power on board — ample in the context of the most likely use cases. Bluetooth connectivity is on board, too with codec compatibility including the high-end LDAC option, and the USB-C input on the rear of the main speaker allows for genuinely hi-res content to be an option. There’s also an analog socket for additional input flexibility.

Very acceptable specification is complemented by a more-than-adequate standard of build and finish, a couple of colour options (black or white, monochrome fans) and a control app that features a 10-band PEQ offering an enormous amount of end-user input into the eventual sound.

And that sound has plenty going for it. Good enough for our best stereo speakers guide? For this sort of money, absolutely. There’s not a huge amount of variation at the bottom end, it’s true, and not a whole lot of momentum either, but elsewhere the XF1 does good work. Detail retrieval is impressive, the simple scale of sound it’s capable of generating is almost startling, and there’s a real facility for midrange communication. Add in a fair amount of dynamic headroom, as well as a proper sensation of focus and separation even if you’re sitting very close to the speakers, and it should be apparent that a place on your shortlist is the very least the Creative XF1 deserves.

Creative XF1 Review: Price and release date

• Launched June 24, 2026
• Retails for $179 / £139 / AU$339

The Creative XF1 desktop stereo speaker system is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it will cost you £139. It goes for $179 in the United States, while in Australia it sells for AU$339.

Usually, we wax lyrical about competing products at the level, but to do that here I'd likely need to delve into cheaper Bluetooth solo speaker options, bought twice and put in stereo mode. Even Ruark's Mk1 line (now into its third iteration) bijou stereo speakers are more than twice the price.

Know this: this is not a lot of money for such a proposition. Very few companies will give you more for less, although Logitech, with its Z407 is one notable example that can be yours for just a touch less than the Creative.

Creative XF1 review: Features

• 72 watts of Class D power
• Active, bi-amped configuration
• Digital and analogue inputs

Keep both the modest nature of the asking price and the equally modest physical dimensions of the XF1 uppermost in your mind and it's difficult not to be at least a little impressed by the way it’s specified.

There’s no facility to swap the orientation of the speakers — the one that takes care of connectivity and needs mains power is the right channel and that’s an end of it. Here’s where you plug in your sources using either USB-C (the XF1 can natively handle digital audio files of up to 24bit/96kHz resolution) or line-level analogue 3.5mm inputs on the rear of the speaker, and where you connect to the left channel using a supplied four-pin cable.

There’s also a pre-out for a subwoofer, an ‘energy saving’ switch that will power down an inactive XF1 if you set it to the ‘on’ position, and a button to initiate Bluetooth pairing. Wireless connectivity is on board the right speaker, too — the Creative uses Bluetooth 6.0, and is compatible with LDAC as well as the more common SBC and AAC codecs.

That four-pin cable carries all audio data from right to left, and all power requirements too. Creative has specified a block of Class D amplification for each of the drivers in the XF1 — each 19mm soft-dome tweeter gets 10 watts of power, and each 76mm mid/bass driver (designed using what Creative describes as ‘finite element analysis’ for minimal distortion) gets 26 watts to play with.

An all-in total of 72 watts should really prove ample in a system that’s almost certain to be no kind of meaningful distance from your ears when it’s in position — especially when you factor in the back-firing bass reflex port towards the top of the rear of each cabinet. Creative suggests frequency response from this arrangement is 55Hz - 40kHz.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Creative XF1 review: Sound quality

• Manages to sound spacious yet focused at the same time
• Good with detail retrieval
• Slightly plodding character to the low end

If you’re using the XF1 on a desktop, the chances are you won’t need to explore the outer reaches of its abilities where volume is concerned. If you’re sitting a greater distance from them, though, never worry that these little cabinets will sound lost. They’re louder than they look.

And no matter the volume level at which you’re listening, the Creative system sounds bigger than it looks, too. A 24bit/44.1kHz FLAC file of Lorde’s Shapeshifter sounds open and spacious, with plenty of air around the elements of the recording — but at the same time the speakers manage to focus the performance quite convincingly too. There’s a commonality to the way it presents the recording, a togetherness that’s by no means a given in systems like this, especially not systems that cost as relatively little as this. The idea of a soundstage is made more than just a notion.

With the qualified exception of the bottom of the frequency range, the XF1 does good work in identifying details in a recording and giving them the sort of context and weighting they require. It’s particularly adept in the midrange, where the smallest variations in tone or timbre or texture are picked up on — it serves to make voices sound characterful and individualistic. The tonal balance is never truly neutral no matter how you might finesse the PEQ settings, but the suggestion of heat does at least serve to mitigate the tweeter’s tendency to hit the highest frequencies with rather too much enthusiasm.

There’s a reasonable amount of dynamic headroom available, so if your music (or your movie, or your game) ticks off a big up- or downshift in volume or intensity, the XF1 doesn’t panic. It maintains its composure and its tonal balance, its frequency response doesn’t alter, and it does a reasonable job of putting meaningful distance between the most and least attacking sounds.

At the bottom of the frequency range the Creative is a little less assured and a little less successful. It hits admirably hard, but bass isn’t as well controlled as the rest of the frequency information, and can plod a little as a result — this has an unwelcome knock-on effect where rhythmic expression is concerned. And the low end is all rather one-note - there’s little of the variation or the fine detail available here that’s apparent elsewhere.

Switch to Bluetooth stream of Girl and Girl’s Call a Doctor and, broadly speaking, the XF1 maintains its attitude and fundamental character. Derail levels drop away just a fraction, and there’s a little less positivity where stereo focus and separation are concerned, but taken as a whole the Creative is a perfectly viable system where wireless music is concerned.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Creative XF1 review: Design

• 191 x 100 x 155mm (HxWxD)
• Cork stands included
• Curved MDF cabinets

Desktop space is usually at a premium, of course, so the XF1’s 191 x 100 x 155mm (HxWxD) dimensions are usefully compact. And given that most desktops are lower than the ears of the person who’s sitting at it, the appearance of a couple of detachable cork stands that raise each speaker at an angle of 15° is very welcome indeed.

The speakers themselves are made almost entirely from MDF, and from the curves along each horizontal edge to the slightly soft-touch matte finish, they look a little more expensive than they actually are — and this is true no matter if you've chosen the white finish or the black of my sample. The standard of build and finish wouldn’t disgrace a system costing two or three times this amount.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Creative XF1 review: Usability and setup

• One physical control plus an LED tell-take
• Creative Nexus app
• ‘Wireless’ means a minimum of two wires

As far as setting up the XF1 is concerned, there’s really not much to it. As with most ‘wireless’ speaker systems, some wires are necessary — in this instance, there’s a wire from the right speaker to the left carrying all power and data, and another from the right speaker to a mains power supply. Make these two connections, pair a smartphone via Bluetooth and you’re good to go - or you may decide to go the whole hi-res hog and make a USB-C connection from a laptop or smartphone with a premium music streaming service on board.

There’s a single turn/push control dial on the front baffle of the right speaker, along with a tell-tale LED- here’s where you get control of power on/off, volume and input selection. And there’s also the Creative Nexus control app — it features precisely no playback controls, but it does allow you to check on firmware updates and let the system know if it’s on a desktop or not. It also gives access to a 10-band PEQ that has scope for custom settings as well as literally dozens upon dozens of presets, some of Creative’s own design, some uploaded by users.

• Usability and setup score: 5 / 5

Creative XF1 review: Value

As with most Creative systems, the sensation of value for money is pretty strong with the XF1. Sonically it’s not without its issues, as I’ve discussed — but it’s possible to weigh these against the things it gets right in audio terms, the standard of the build and finish that’s on display, the neat and tidy dimensions, and the amount of tweaking the PEQ allows and still conclude you’re getting your money’s-worth.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Creative XF1?

Buy it if...

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Creative XF1 : Also consider

How I tested the Creative XF1

Naturally I position the Creative XF1 on my desktop, a speaker on either side of my MacBook Pro. Plugged into the mains, connected to each other and with a USB-C cable running from the laptop to the rear on the right speaker, I am able to access lots of hi-res content via the Qobuz and TIDAL apps. I also connect an iPhone 15 Pro and a FiiO M15S digital audio player wirelessly via Bluetooth — the latter allows use of the LDAC codec, and connecting it via its 3.5mm headphone output to the Creative’s corresponding input allows me to assess how effective (or otherwise) the XF1’s digital-to-analogue conversion is.

• First reviewed: October 2026
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Wharfedale Denton 1S: Two-minute review

Wharfedale has been having a lovely old time with its range of ‘Heritage’ loudspeakers lately — revisiting, remixing and reworking some of its Greatest Hits. The new Denton 1S, though, is slightly different. It’s an update of a 1974 design that went all-out to present as modern and forward-thinking. And so this reinterpretation has a ‘modern retro’ vibe rather than the ‘antique’ feel of other Wharfedale ‘Heritage’ models.

The curvy cabinet with its recessed front baffle, the mildly dramatic coaxial driver arrangement (which sees the tweeter positioned in throat of the mid/bass driver) and the handily compact dimensions are all attractive — and the option of a fairly deep blue as a finish doesn’t do any harm in this respect either. The numbers, both in terms of frequency response and of sensitivity, are encouraging too.

And when they’re doing their thing, it’s immediately apparent that the Wharfedale Denton 1S are no mere pastiche — they are a profoundly competitive pair of loudspeakers on their own terms and yes, it's a good enough performance to make them some of the best stereo speakers on the market, right now.

The sound is, ultimately, slightly small-scale — but it’s organised, confident, entertaining, loaded with detail and has real unity and singularity to the way it’s presented. Yes, $999 / £649 spent elsewhere on a small pair of passive standmount speakers will buy you something different in sonic terms, certainly, but it’s very debatable indeed as to whether it can buy you anything better.

Wharfedale Denton 1S Review: Price and release date

• Launched May 31, 2026
• List price of $999 / £649 / AU$1,699

The Wharfedale Denton 1S speakers are available now, and in the United Kingdom a pair will set you back £649. In the United States this solution costs $999, while in Australia the going rate is AU$1,699 or thereabouts.

At this money, the just about cheaper Dali Sonik 1 might be their chief competition, at $900 / £449.99 / AU$849. And just to throw it out there, while many pricier options obviously exist, Cambridge Audio's Award-winning active L/R S can be yours for a little less, at $549 / £399 / AU$949. Something to consider, anyway.

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Features

• Coaxial tweeter / mid/bass driver
• ‘Brilliance’ switch
• Rear-facing bass reflex port

Passive loudspeakers have purity of purpose and are, unless someone’s being bloodyminded, relatively simple devices. Their list of features is seldom exhaustive. It’s a sign of just how straightforward passive loudspeakers tend to be that the Denton 1S stands apart simply because of a small rocker switch on the rear of each cabinet.

Unlike 1974’s original Denton 1, the Denton 1S features a truly coaxial driver arrangement. Here a 25mm soft-dome tweeter sits in the acoustic centre of a 165mm mid/bass driver made from polypropylene. Here, as with any coaxial driver, the idea is to offer superior time-alignment and driver integration.

With the forward-firing drivers bolstered by a rear-facing bass reflex port, Wharfedale is quoting a frequency response of 50Hz — 20kHz and sensitivity of 88dB — that second figure strongly suggests this speaker will be in no way tricky to drive. Of course, the orientation of the reflex port means that low frequency presence is likely to increase the closer to a rear surface the speaker is positioned — and that’s where the little rocker switches come in.

It’s described as a ‘brilliance’ control, and its two positions are labelled ‘norm’ and ‘max’. The idea is that setting the switch to ‘max’ will give a 1.5dB boost to the 2 - 4kHz area, which should allow the upper frequencies to hold their own against the emboldened low end in the event that the reflex port is delivering a little too much of a good thing. Of course, it will take the listener roughly no time at all to establish whether or not they think the ‘max’ setting is a good idea or not.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Sound quality

• Detailed, energetic and rhythmically coherent sound
• Great imaging and stereo focus
• Ultimately sound fractionally small-scale

Owners of loft apartments, aircraft hangars and the like, look away now. There’s a huge amount to enjoy about the way the Wharfedale Denton 1S perform, but when it comes to outright scale, the ability to fill an authentically large space with sound, there are better options around that cost a similar amount of money.

Everyone else, though, should read on.

No matter the source of music, no matter if it’s as straightforward as Looped by Kiasmos or as relatively complex as Re-make/Re-model by Roxy Music, the Denton 1S get an immediate handle on it. They’re a generously entertaining listen, vigorous in a nicely controlled manner, and carry enough detail along with them to make sure you’re as informed as you are stimulated.

That coaxial driver arrangement works a treat inasmuch as the imaging and stereo focus the speakers are capable of is completely convincing. There’s a unity and a togetherness about the way the Wharfedale present recordings that’s never less than enjoyable and periodically absorbing. In combination with their spirited and enthusiastic attitude, it makes for a genuine sense of performance — even if you’re listening to a recording that was never a performance in the first place. And while the soundstage isn’t the largest, it’s properly defined and rigorously organised.

The tonal balance is, fractionally, on the warmer side of neutral — but as long as the system that’s powering the speakers isn’t overtly toasty then it really shouldn’t be an issue. Frequency response, too, is just slightly titled. There’s a tiny suggestion of emphasis on the lowest frequencies, but again this is only likely to be a concern if the speakers are powered by a bass-centric set-up. Anyway, low-end control is confident and the Wharfedale express rhythms with real coherence as a result.

Midrange resolution is impressive too, and there’s real eloquence to the way the Denton 1S handle voices. Detail retrieval, which is impressive across the board, really comes to the fore here — the character and attitude imbued in a vocal performance, as well as information regarding timbre and technique, are made apparent. And at the top of the frequency range, the Wharfedale attack with determination — but there’s plenty of substance, as well as brilliance, to treble sounds, and never any suggestion of edginess or hardness.

The attention to detail extends as far as the dynamic of harmonic variation, and there’s a fair amount of capacity where the broader dynamics of volume or intensity are concerned. When the charge into the last chorus or the massed orchestral crescendo kicks in, the Denton 1S track it faithfully — and they do so without altering their sonic characteristics in the slightest.

And you don’t need a brute of an amplifier to enjoy all of these admirable attributes. The Wharfedale are in no way tricky to drive; even a modestly priced amplifier with unremarkable power numbers should have no problem getting the best from these speakers. And ‘the best’ is, on a pound-for-pound basis, at least on a par with the very best around.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Design

• 330 x 236 x 229mm (HxWxD)
• Magnetically attached grilles
• Choice of three finishes

The coaxial driver means the Denton 1S should be just as happy (and effective) positioned on its side as it is standing upright. And the fact that Wharfedale has provided an integrated fitting for a wall bracket suggests the company thinks the speaker will perform successfully if it’s wall-mounted too. Cabinet depth of 229mm (which obviously increases with the pair of speaker cable binding posts at the rear) doesn’t automatically shout ‘wall-mount!’ to me, though, I have to admit.

Mind you, no matter where you position the Wharfedale they look good. The cabinet features the same curves and the same recessed front baffle as the original Denton 1 — in white, especially, there’s more than a hint of that late-60s / early-70s futurism that started years previously with the likes of Dieter Rams and Stanley Kubrick. Unlike the original model, though, which was made from moulded polyurethane that looked and felt super-modern but was a bit of a disaster in acoustic terms, the Denton 1S is made from bonded and braced fibreboard. Less modern, more effective.

That recessed front baffle allows the magnetically attached grilles to almost sit within the cabinet, and they’re flush with the top, bottom and side panels when they’re in position. Both the grille and the front baffle features a quite assertive stylised ‘W’ logo that lets you know you’re in the presence of a ‘Heritage’ Wharfedale design.

The compulsory options of black and white are joined by a third finish — the deep-ish blue of my review sample. Each of the available finishes looks good, no two ways about it, but the dimensions and the shape of the Denton 1S could quite easily lend themselves to quite a few other colours. It works for Dali and Cambridge, and I see no reason why Wharfedale shouldn’t produce the Denton 1S in some livelier finishes than are currently on offer.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Usability and setup

• Attach some speaker cable running from an amplifier
• Position the speakers to your satisfaction
• Experiment with grille and ‘brilliance’ switch

Just as with ‘features’, there’s really not too much to get your head around here. You’ll decide to position your speakers on dedicated stands, or on wall-brackets, or on a shelf… no matter where you want them, though, they’ll need to be connected to an amplifier via a couple of lengths of speaker cable.

After they’re positioned and running, you have just a couple of chances to have some input into the way they sound. The sonic difference between ‘grille on’ and ‘grille off’ is, quite honestly, less significant than the visual difference — but you will most definitely have a preference as to whether you prefer your ‘brilliance’ switch at ‘norm’ or ‘max’.

• Usability and setup score: 5 / 5

Wharfedale Denton 1S review: Value

It’s very hard indeed to argue against the notion that there’s great value for money on offer here. The Wharfedale Denton 1S are properly made, expertly finished, visually interesting (everything’s relative, after all), intriguing on a technological level and, most importantly of all, sound engaging and alert. Unless you crave absolutely as much sonic scale as this sort of money can buy, there’s an awful lot to enjoy and even admire here.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Wharfedale Denton 1S?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Wharfedale Denton 1S : Also consider

How I tested the Wharfedale Denton 1S

With the Wharfedale Denton 1S on a pair of Blok Axis stands, I connect them to my reference system: Cambridge Edge W power amplifier, Eversolo DAC-Z10 pre-amplifier, Technics SL1300G turntable (with Goldring 1022 cartridge and preamplified by a Chord Huei), Arcam ST25 network streamer and Rega Apollo CD player — so I was able to listen to music from many storage formats and at a wide variety of resolutions. And then in an effort to up the ‘retro’ credentials just a little, I replaced the pre- and power amplifier with an A&R Cambridge A60 integrated amplifier from 1976.

• First reviewed: October 2026
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Though 2026 has been a tumultuous time for technology when it comes to price hikes and shortages, the tech that's reached us has been excellent — in fact, it's been a banner year in most areas, just with some downsides for your wallet.

We've already crowned the best tech of the year as chosen by you in our TechRadar Readers' Choice Awards 2026 — but this is where we let our experts have their say.

Our writers and editors chose their favorite products in nearly 100 categories, ranging across all the kinds of products we review. In some cases, we agree with the readers; in lots of cases, we don't. So read on to see which gadgets we rate as being the most impressive of the last 12 months.

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Fyne Audio Cubitt 5: Two-minute review

It’s taken Fyne Audio less than a decade to establish itself as a deeply credible manufacturer of passive loudspeakers at a wide range of prices. The Cubitt 5, though, represents its first pair of active speakers — and they've got some serious competition to overcome.

At first glance, though, the system seems to have every chance. Its compact, well-made cabinets are available in a wide range of finishes, and are home to an intriguing driver array that draws liberally from the company’s very successful (and much more expensive) line-up of passive loudspeakers. Power is more than adequate at 240 watts, and the range of inputs (Bluetooth with aptX HD capability, line- and MM phono-level analog, optical and HDMI ARC) is very competitive, too. The lack of on-system controls is an odd decision, as is the lack confirmation of selected input or volume, and the remote handset that’s your only control option is unlovely.

Get the system up and running and you’ll have to ignore the unwelcome low-volume hiss that comes from each speaker before any music is cued up — fortunately it’s not an issue once your tracks are playing. Instead you’re free to admire the Cubitt 5’s abilities with detail retrieval, soundstaging, low-frequency authority and articulate midrange communication. It’s absolutely as confident as is acceptable when it comes to handling the top of the frequency range, but even here it’s not overtly ill-balanced or unruly.

Add in significant dynamic headroom, an expansive overall presentation and a disinclination to alter its stance in any significant way no matter which of its input options is in use, and it’s apparent that where the fundamentals are concerned, the Cubitt 5 has plenty going for it. Maybe not quite for the best stereo speakers on the market, though.

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Price & release date

• Launched on June 30, 2026
• Priced $749 / £549 / AU$1,499

The Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 wireless stereo speaker system is on sale now, and in the United States it costs $749. In the United Kingdom it sells for £549, while in Australia you’ll have to part with AU$1,499.

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Features

• 127mm ‘IsoFlare’ mid/bass driver with 19mm concentric titanium dome tweeter
• 240 watts of Class D power
• Wired and wireless inputs

The idea of positioning a tweeter in the acoustic center of a mid or mid/bass driver is not a new one, but it’s a rarity nevertheless, and Fyne Audio has been busily democratizing its ‘IsoFlare’ variation on this particular theme for a while now. The Cubitt 5 is just the latest example.

In this instance there’s a 19mm titanium dome tweeter positioned in the center of a 127mm multi-fiber mid/bass driver — the idea, as ever, is to create a single point-source of sound at the same time as optimizing driver integration and sound dispersion. The mid/bass driver’s surround is the company’s ‘FyneFlute’ design, the unusual pattern of which helps minimize unwanted energy from the pistonic movement of the driver. Each of the four drivers gets 60 watts of Class D amplification to power it — an all-in total of 240 watts really should be adequate in a system such as this — and the output is bolstered by a front-firing bass reflex slot. It’s an arrangement Fyne Audio suggests will deliver a frequency response of 43Hz - 34kHz.

The primary speaker takes care of all wired and wireless connectivity. The wireless stuff consists of Bluetooth 5.0, with codec compatibility up to and including aptX HD. Physical connections, all on the rear panel, run to a moving magnet (or high-output moving coil) phono stage accessed via stereo RCA inputs, a line-level analog equivalent also using RCAs, a digital optical input and an HDMI ARC socket. All incoming digital information is dealt with by a DAC of 24bit/96kHz resolution.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Sound quality

• Expansive and controlled presentation
• Solid punch and decent dynamics
• Audible hiss when not playing

There’s a unique aspect to the way the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 performs — or, at least, it’s unique in my extensive experience of products of this type. Connect the speakers together using the supplied umbilical, plug the primary speaker into the mains, turn the power on, and there’s an obvious and consistent hiss from both speakers. Is it loud? No, but it can be heard down the length of my listening room. Is it audible when playing music? No, not at all. So is it an issue? I guess not, unless you intend to use the speakers on your desktop, but I can’t pretend it fills me with confidence.

Which is a great pity, because when it’s actually playing music the Cubitt 5 is one of the best sub-$750 wireless stereo speaker systems I’ve heard so far. In virtually every respect, it’s an enjoyable, balanced and well-sorted listen.

With a vinyl copy of Julian Cope’s Peggy Suicide incoming via the moving magnet phono stage, the Fyne Audio doesn’t take its eye off the ball for a moment. It’s good where detail retrieval is concerned, and manages to stay on top of the finest details without sacrificing any sense of unity or performance. It creates a fairly large soundstage — it’s certainly larger than the cabinets that are producing it — and it’s coherent, organized and easy to understand.

The tonal balance is persuasive, too, the Cubitt 5 hits the plosives at the top of the frequency range absolutely as hard as it dares, but somehow they never quite get too edgy or overly hard. The midrange is sweetly communicative, so there’s confidence and eloquence to the way the system handles a vocalist. And while the claims for extension down to 43Hz are, I think it’s fair to say, a false alarm, the Cubitt 5 nevertheless bigs deep, hits hard and controls its low-frequency activity well. Rhythmic expression is very decent as a result, and the way the system handles tempos is similarly unforced and naturalistic.

There’s a fair amount of dynamic headroom available, so the Fyne Audio handles big shifts in volume or intensity calmly, and its overall attention to detail means that the more subtle dynamics of harmonic variation are given their due weighting, too. Frequency response is nice and even, too. The tendency to attack the highest frequencies can make it sound like the top end is being overstated on occasion, but otherwise the Cubitt 5 gives every area of the frequency range fair representation.

It’s winningly unconcerned about volume, too. Some systems can change their character when asked to play at bigger levels, but the Fyne Audio just gets louder. There’s no change in tonal balance or frequency response, and the stage maintains its shape, too. And the same is true when you change inputs — switch to a wireless stream of John Glacier’s Money Shows and the fundamental attitude and character of the system don’t alter in the slightest. It’s still balanced, insightful, punchy and just slightly treble-happy.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Design

• 260 x 165 x 215mm (HxWxD)
• Available in five different finishes
• Supplied without grilles

It’s by no means an easy trick to pull off, but the Cubitt 5 manages to look discreet and interesting at the same time.

The ‘discreet’ part is mostly thanks to the 260 x 165 x 215mm (HxWxD) dimensions, assisted by some nicely curved cabinet corners and a selection of no fewer than five very agreeable finishes. My sample is in ‘olive green’, but ‘arctic white’, ‘midnight black’, ‘pearl titanium’ and ‘pebble gray’ are also available. No matter which finish you decide suits you best, you’ll find it’s the final flourish in a process that includes a very high standard of construction. There are no visible seams, and the soft-touch paint is flawlessly applied.

‘Interesting’ is mostly derived from the driver array that’s already been discussed in the ‘features’ section of this review, as well as the forward-facing bass reflex slot that somehow makes each speaker’s appearance easy to anthropomorphize. The not-quite-circular brightwork surrounding the driver array doesn’t do any harm when it comes to making this most functional of products look interesting, either. It comes as no surprise to me that Fyne Audio doesn’t see the need to supply the Cubitt 5 with grilles.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Usability & setup

• Speakers must be wired together
• No app, no on-speaker controls, no input selection of volume indicator
• Nasty remote control handset

In terms of getting up and running, there’s really not a lot to get your head around here. Despite the fact this is an active system, only the primary speaker requires mains power — it transmits power, as well as data, along a supplied four-core umbilical cable that screws down onto the rear of each speaker. Once the speakers are connected together and the primary is powered up, it’s really only a question of positioning them to your satisfaction and then you’re in business.

Getting what you want from the system isn’t all that tricky, either, but neither is it all that satisfying an experience. This is not a Wi-Fi-enabled system, of course, so there’s no control app, which is hardly unheard-of in this part of the market. There are no controls on either speaker, either, which is rather less common. The primary speaker has an LED tell-tale that’s red when the system’s in standby and blue when it’s powered up. The blue light flashes when it’s following instructions from the remote handset that’s your only method of operation.

Given that the remote is all you’ve got, though, it’s a shame Fyne Audio specified what I imagine is the least expensive handset it could source. The look and feel is down-market, and the fact you’ve no indication of the source that’s been selected or the volume level that’s been specified only adds to the impression of cost- and corner-cutting.

• Usability & setup score: 3 / 5

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Value

Judged purely on the sound it makes, there’s no denying the Cubitt 5 offers very decent value for money indeed — once it’s making a sound, that is. The standard of build and finish only adds to the impression of money well spent.

But there’s more to it than this, of course — and as far as the experiential goes, the feel of operating the system, the sensation is undeniably low-rent. Which unfortunately undermines the impression of value the Fyne Audio system otherwise offers.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 review: Also consider

The Cambridge L/R S system handily undercuts the Fyne Audio on price, and has an awful lot to recommend it both aesthetically and in audio terms. Not quite the room-filling ability of the Cubitt 5, mind you.

And the same is true of the Ruark Audio MR1 mk3, but if you want a well-specified and great-sounding system that’s genuinely small enough for desktop use and isn’t as pricey as the Fyne Audio, you need look no further.

How I tested the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5

Almost all my testing is done with the Cubitt 5 positioned on a pair of Soundstyle S2 speaker stands, joined together by their supplied connecting cable and with the primary speaker plugged into the mains.

Sources include a FiiO M15S digital audio player with aptX HD Bluetooth capability, a Technics SL-1300G with Goldring 1022 cartridge for vinyl via the phono stage, a Rega Apollo CD player connected to the optical input, and a Philips OLED806 via the HDMI socket.

Which means a lot of different content, stored in a variety of file types, and of many resolutions, is available — and then I listen for almost an entire working week.

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• First reviewed: October 2026

Ruark Audio Talisman-R: Two-minute review

A couple of years on from the launch of the Sabre-R standmounting speaker, Ruark Audio is revisiting another of its Greatest Passive Loudspeaker Hits — and this Talisman-R is the result.

It’s a compact and unassuming design at first glance, but get up close and that sloping ‘double baffle’ design makes for an interesting point of visual difference and harks back to 1990’s original Talisman design. It has solid acoustic benefits, too. As has long been established Ruark Audio behavior, the Talisman-R is carefully constructed and beautifully finished, with some nice details that elevate the look.

This is a small and discreet cabinet fitted with a 27mm tweeter and a 170mm mid/bass driver, an array bolstered by a front-facing bass reflex port. As such you shouldn’t expect the largest sonic presentation this sort of money can buy, but in every other respect the Talisman-R alternates between ‘very good’ and ‘really very good indeed’. Its powers of organization and control are excellent, it is alert to even the finest details in a recording, it has a respectable amount of dynamic headroom available, and it expresses rhythms with real confidence and positivity. It’s nicely balanced where tonality is concerned, is very even when it comes to frequency response, and is never less than entertaining in its fundamental attitude.

Unless you’re trying to make an entirely different visual statement, and/or unless you’re trying to fill a large space with sound, there’s really no reason not to seek out the Ruark Audio Talisman-R and give it a good listen. A contender for the best stereo speakers on the market with good reason.

Ruark Audio Talisman-R review: Price & release date

• Launched June, 2026
• Priced $2,399 / £1,499 / AU$3,299

The Ruark Audio Talisman-R floorstanding loudspeakers are on sale now, and in the United States they sell for $2,399 per pair. In the United Kingdom the going rate is £1,499, while in Australia they will set you back AU$3,299.

Ruark Audio Talisman-R review: Features

• 27mm silk dome tweeter, 170mm natural fiber mid/bass driver
• Forward-facing bass reflex port
• 35Hz - 20kHz frequency response

Like any sensible pair of passive loudspeakers, the Ruark Audio Talisman-R aren’t exactly overburdened with features. Those features that are present, though, are entirely fit for purpose.

Behind the magnetically attached grille there’s a 27mm silk dome tweeter driven by a neodymium motor arrangement. Beneath here (but still towards the top of the baffle) there’s a 170mm mid/bass natural fiber cone backed by a long-throw motor. And below this there’s a bass-reflex port, the forward-facing nature of which should theoretically make the Talisman-R a little more forgiving of room position than if it were at the rear of the cabinet.

Crossover is sensibly positioned at 2.2kHz, and the other numbers connected with the Ruark Audio are similarly encouraging. A nominal impedance of 6 ohms and sensitivity of 87dB/W suggests the Talisman-R are not all that difficult to drive (Ruark Audio recommends amplification power of somewhere between 75 and 200W), and the claimed frequency response is 35Hz - 20kHz.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Ruark Audio Talisman-R review: Sound quality

• Controlled and organized (but also more fun than this might suggest)
• Articulate and revealing, especially through the midrange
• Not quite the out-and-out scale of some rivals

You’re no doubt aware that this sort of money spent with other loudspeaker brands will buy you bigger, more physically imposing designs with a higher driver-count and greater visual drama than the Talisman-R offers. But as I’m sure you’re also aware, it’s not what you’ve got but what you do with it that counts — and the sonic output of this small cabinet, with its unremarkable complement of drivers, is straightforwardly impressive.

The speakers are certainly an appreciably larger, more spacious listen than their appearance might suggest. Play America! by Bill Callahan and the soundstage they create is properly organized and extremely carefully focused. The ability to position a voice in the center of the stage, project it slightly without making it sound estranged from the rest of the action, and have it emanate from well above the top of the cabinets themselves is a talent that never gets old. The Talisman-R may not have the outright scale of some larger alternatives, but the coherence of the soundstage goes a very long way towards making up for it.

The positive, direct nature of the Ruark Audio attitude is very agreeable, too. Tonality is clean and consistent from the bottom of the frequency range to the top, and this goes a long way towards facilitating this level of clarity, but this sonic personality goes beyond tonal neutrality. It’s not about the amount of detail the speakers reveal, either — although their powers of detail retrieval are significant, both where the broad strokes and the more minor, more transient stuff is concerned. The candid, upfront quality of reproduction here also leans heavily on the midrange eloquence available. The articulate and revealing way the Talisman-R has with voices means everything in a vocal performance, from technique and tone to character and attitude, is made fully available.

The careful neutrality the speakers exhibit also means the overall presentation is quite tightly unified and ‘together’. There’s a sensation of singularity to the way these speakers present music that gives more than a hint of the idea of ‘performance’. Crossover between the drivers is imperceptible, the inputs of the bass reflex port are subtle and well-managed, ensuring the idea of coherent timing, that all of the frequency information is reaching your ears at the same time, is strong.

Frequency response itself is smooth and convincing. No area of the frequency range is overstated and no area is underplayed, even as the speakers give the midrange a little nudge towards the front of the stage. And its seems nigh-on impossible to fluster the Talsiman-R with the music you want to listen to — even an element-heavy and/or complex recording like If You Want Me by Cisco Cisco is properly organized on that gratifyingly well-defined soundstage, and the speakers give due weighting to the spaces and silences on the stage just as readily as they do to the actual occurrences.

Low frequencies are nicely shaped, equally nicely controlled, and the combination of punch and attack means there’s plenty of momentum available for those recordings that require it. Detail of tone and texture is readily available, there’s plenty of variation in the way the Ruark Audio presents bass sounds, and attack and decay is beautifully judged and naturalistic.

There’s ample dynamic headroom available for when the going gets particularly rowdy or intense. The Ruark Audio can track big shifts in volume and attack without sounding stressed or altering their sonic characteristics in any meaningful way. They’re generally untroubled by high volumes, either — there’s no suggestion of shoutiness or two-dimensionality to their presentation even if you listen at properly antisocial levels.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Ruark Audio Talisman-R review: Design

• 840 x 210 x 255mm (HxWxD)
• Choice of two finishes
• ‘Double baffle’ has sound acoustic principles

It doesn’t do to get carried away when it comes to the design of floorstanding loudspeakers — seldom does any good come of it. The Talisman-R, though, have enough about them where design is concerned to count as ‘interesting’ while stopping well short of ‘weird’.

At 840 x 210 x 255mm (HxWxD), each speaker is usefully compact and, at 17.6kg, no kind of burden to get into position. Those dimensions, though, don’t tell the whole story.

Seen from the dead ahead, the speakers seem to lean back just a little on their plinths. View them in profile, though, and it becomes apparent that they feature an extruded front baffle that is a little larger than the main body of the cabinet and that means the overall design is mildly trapezoid (just as the original Talisman was). In fact, the Ruark Audio feature a ‘double baffle’ arrangement that’s intended to minimize resonance and the transfer of vibrational energy from the drivers into the cabinet. So, not for the first time where this company is concerned, solid acoustic principles have had a pleasant knock-on effect where industrial design is concerned.

The standard of build and finish is, as we’ve all come to expect from Ruark Audio, basically impeccable. The satin charcoal finish of my review sample is smooth and almost tactile (an alternative finish, with a fused walnut baffle in front of the satin charcoal cabinet, is also available), the magnetically attached grilles sit neatly inside the baffle edges, and there’s a small design flourish at the bottom of the front panel in the shape of some trademark walnut slats and a little badge carrying the company logo. At a part of the market when too many rivals indulge in rather shouty looks, the Talisman-R are a model of visual discretion and understatement.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Ruark Audio Talisman-R review: Usability & setup

• Bi-wire speaker cable terminals
• Forward-facing bass reflex port helps with positioning
• Silicone feet or floor spikes are available

As far as ‘usability’ is concerned, well, these are passive loudspeakers so there’s really not a great deal to it. Ruark Audio recommends ensuring the speakers are somewhere between 1.5m and 2.5m apart (bear in mind you will, ideally, be further from them when you’re listening than they are from each other), 20-30cm from rear and side walls, and toed in just a little towards your listening position. Each speaker has bi-wire cable terminals that can accept banana plugs, spade connections or bare wire — they’re linked when you take them from the box, so if you intend to bi-wire don’t forget to take the links off.

When they are unblocked the Talisman-R are fitted with low-profile silicone feet for use with hard floors. There are floor spikes in the packaging, too, which are ideal if your speakers are going to be on a carpeted floor.

As with almost every loudspeaker, it’s just a question of putting some hours on them before you make a judgement on the way the Talisman-R sound. A period of running in before a speaker is ready to reveal everything it’s capable of is far from unusual, and it’s the case here.

• Usability & setup score: 5 / 5

Ruark Audio Talisman-R review: Value

If you’re going to judge your $2,399 floorstanding speakers by the amount of space they occupy or by the number of drivers they feature, nothing about the Ruark Audio Talisman-R is going to convince you of the value for money they represent.

But if you value discretion, build quality and, above all, sound quality — and you’re not trying to fill an especially large space with music — then there’s an awful lot of bang for your buck here.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Ruark Audio Talisman-R Luxe?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Ruark Audio Talisman-R review: Also consider

At either side of the asking price for a pair of Talisman-R you’ll find very worthwhile models from very credible brands.

The Q Acoustics 5050 are now available at around the $1,300 mark, and they represent excellent value for money where sound is concerned — they make a much more assertive visual statement than the Ruark Audio, too.

Go to the other end of the scale, consider spending $2,500, and the PMC Prodigy 5 can be yours. In their own way they’re just as visually unassuming as the Talisman-R, and in their own way they’re just as sonically accomplished.

How I tested the Ruark Audio Talisman-R

I used QED GA XT speaker cable to connect the Talisman-R to a Cambridge Edge W power amplifier.

The amp gets its signal from an Eversolo DAC-Z10 which is being fed by a Ruark Apollo CD player and an Arcam ST25 network streamer (both via digital optical) and a Technics SL-1300G with Goldring 1022 cartridge via a Chord Huei phono stage.

This way I’m able to listen to lots of content stored in various formats.

• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee
• First reviewed: October 2026

• Magico completely reworks its A3 floorstanding speaker
• The new model brings refined design and all-new drive units
• Oh, and it costs the amount of a small holiday home

Californian audio brand Magico has impressed us a lot in the past with its expensive but amazing-sounding speakers. We loved the company's $560k Magico M7 and its $200k Magico S7, and now it has something that's (relatively) affordable (but still quite expensive).

Meet the Magico A3 2027 which, as the name suggests, is a reimagined version of an existing speaker. The original A3 released in 2017, and the upgraded model makes changes to basically every part of the speaker.

When I called these "affordable", I was speaking relatively: they are set to go for $25,000 / £28,998 (about AU$60,000) per pair. Thanks to my idle Rightmove searches in the Cairngorms (a mountainous range in Scotland), I know for a fact that the UK price would cover a small holiday home, so it's still a huge cost for most of us.

But that's the floor-stander thing, isn't it? They're never especially cheap, and these really are only for people to whom money is no object.

I get a strange Magico

The Magico A3 2027 has a 28mm tweeter, 5-inch midrange driver and dual 7-inch woofers, in a total overhaul of the previous model's audio set-up. The latter three speakers use aluminum-honeycomb cores.

It's not just the drive units which are new, and it sounds like the biggest overhauls came to the design. And I'm not just talking about that space-age cuboid look , with rounded corners and a soft elegance.

I'm talking about the architecture. Magico has used Constrained-Layer Dampening, along with smart brace and bolt placement, to create a quiet structure that avoids unwanted resonance. The drivers also come with motor systems to stabilize them, avoiding distortion in music.

Lots of these systems come from the brand's pricier M9, so you're getting refined hi-fi intelligence for a (relatively) low price.

I think I'd still choose the holiday cottage if I had that kind of money (just), but if you don't want a small cabin in the mountains, the Magic A3 2027 could be the next best thing.

So, the second day of Amazon Prime Day is in full swing and, as this one's only a two-day event, it's fair to say that we don't have much time. Don't worry, but, you know… don't miss out.

Could today be the day you treat yourself to a Bluetooth speaker for the shower, or level up your home with a more significant Wi-Fi multi-room investment for cosy nights in? I really hope so. If it's something musical and the deal's good, you'll find it here, in this little missive.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Whether it's a WiiM Sound Lite (a rival to the Sonos Era 100), which is now just $183 (was $229) at Amazon US) or £189 (was £229) at Amazon UK, or even the Bose Soundlink Micro Gen 2, now just $99.99 (was $129) at Amazon US and just £79.95 (was £119.95) at Amazon UK, I've got a deal for you.

Stick with me, there's still plenty of time. Happy shopping — and always, always enjoy the music, friend.

The best Prime Day audio deals still live now, US

Bluetooth speaker deals still live now, US

Wireless speaker deals still live, US

The best Prime Day audio deals, UK

Bluetooth speaker deals still live, UK

Wireless speaker deals still live, UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.36
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $28
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $89
• Smartwatches: up to 36% off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $49

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: up to 67% off Fire, Ring & Blink
• Amazon Haul: extra 15% off for Prime members
• Appliances: up to 40% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: cleaning & groceries from £2
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: record-low Nintendo Switch 2
• Headphones: up to 50% off Anker & Sony
• Laptops: up to £800 off Microsoft & Asus
• Tablets: up to 50% off Fire tablets
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 50% off Shark & Dyson
• Wearables: Samsung & Oura from £31

We're into the day two of Amazon Prime Day and, not to startle you, but it's only a two-day event — which means today is the final day.

Maybe today is the day you kit out your home for what I like to call 'cosy season' (although I would, I'm a Brit and the nights are drawing in) or at least in time for friends to swing by this festive season. Wouldn't it be great to have a top music and TV setup to show off?

Allow me to present WiiM. You've probably heard of the likable Californian wireless home audio firm, but in case you haven't, it makes Hi-Res Audio certified, Wi-Fi and touchscreen-enabled smart speakers. And a great example of such a speaker is the WiiM Sound: now $239.20 (was $299) in the US, or £249 (was £299) in the UK.

I heard these speakers shortly after their release last summer, as a stereo pair but also as rear channels in a home cinema setup that also comprised the WiiM Sub Pro and Elipson Prestige Facet II 24F passive towers. I watched a key section of Dune: Part 2. I can tell you that, purely owing to the independent volume readings on each WiiM Sound's screen, I prefer them to using to Sonos Era 100s in a similar setup.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

That WiiM Sound pricing still a bit rich for the blood? The smaller WiiM Sound Lite (which doesn't have the touchscreen, but is still gorgeous — and is still bigger than a Sonos Era 100) is now just $183 (was $229) in the US, or £189 (was £229) in the UK.

I'll do a big ol' roundup of US and UK deals below, because there's a fair bit to get through. But know this: WiiM has been a name to watch for quite some time now, and its products have rated highly in our reviews (which I'll attach, to the relevant products). Also, the company's product lineup is only expanding.

At these prices, some of which are new lowest-seen fees, they're well worth investing in.

Today's best WiiM deals, US

Hop down to the UK deals

Today's best WiiM deals, UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.36
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $28
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $89
• Smartwatches: up to 36% off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $49

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: up to 67% off Fire, Ring & Blink
• Amazon Haul: extra 15% off for Prime members
• Appliances: up to 40% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: cleaning & groceries from £2
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: record-low Nintendo Switch 2
• Headphones: up to 50% off Anker & Sony
• Laptops: up to £800 off Microsoft & Asus
• Tablets: up to 50% off Fire tablets
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 50% off Shark & Dyson
• Wearables: Samsung & Oura from £31

• Wharfedale launches four new subwoofers: 8, 10, 12 and 15 inches
• New long-throw drivers and up to 360W output
• From £799 (about $1,068 / AU$1,499)

Legendary speaker maker Wharfedale has created four new boom boxes in the form of the new Nova subwoofers. Ranging in size from an apartment-friendly 8-inches to an enormous 15 inches, all four models feature newly developed drivers, passive radiators and refined cabinet architecture.

These aren't thuggish bass monsters; they're designed for the more discerning listener who wants to hear as well as feel the low end. Wharfedale says that "rather than chasing chest-thumping, window-rattling exaggeration, the Nova Series is built around balance, texture and precision."

There are four subwoofers in the range: the Nova 8, the Nova 10, the Nova 12 and the Nova 15. The Nova 8 is designed for smaller setups and stereo installations, with the Nova 10 upping the power for medium-sized rooms. The Nova 12 is for more immersive home theater setups, and the flagship Nova 15 is made for larger spaces and the most demanding setups.

Wharfedale Nova 8, 10, 12 and 15: key features and pricing

All four models feature Wharfedale's newly engineered long-throw driver, which is made from rigid but lightweight speaker cones that have been treated with a proprietary coating to make them stiffer and better at self-damping without also increasing their mass.

Those cones are teamed with a heavy duty die-cast chassis, an oversized high-roll surround, and a high-excursion motor system to deliver high output while maintaining stability. A large diameter voice coil and aluminum shorting ring minimize distortion and improve transient response, according to Wharfedale.

The second key feature here is the Auxiliary Bass Radiator, which is downward firing with a dual suspension design. It's made to work alongside the new driver by extending low-frequency output without the need for a conventional reflex port.

Wharfedale says that enables it to avoid issues such as unwanted resonance, turbulence, chuffing and compression, and each Nova is optimized according to its cabinet volume, driver size, amplifier configuration and intended operating range. The goal, Wharfedale says, is the speed of a sealed enclosure with the scale of a larger reflex design.

Depending on which model you choose, you get between 200W and 360W of built-in Class D amplification with up to 80V peak output and "substantial" dynamic headroom.

The amplifier, driver, cabinet loading and DSP have been designed as an integrated system rather than separately in order to maximize power and precision. And there is an adjustable crossover, phase alignment and level calibration to fine-tune the sound to suit your space.

One of the interesting features here is the way the DSP adjusts the dynamic EQ. When you're listening at lower volumes it focuses on perceived weight and range, but at higher levels it manages the driver's excursion to keep the audio clean without overdriving, enabling the Nova to punch above its size.

All four models will be available in late September 2026 and the prices are:

• Nova 8: £799 (about $1,068 / AU$1,499)
• Nova 10: £899 (about $1,202 / AU$1,686)
• Nova 12: £1,099 (about $1,469 / AU$2,061)
• Nova 15: £1,299 (about $1,737 / AU$2,437)

Sonos, a name synonymous with effortless home audio, has had a somewhat spotty track record in recent years. The audio quality has been unfailingly excellent, but Sonos software efforts have been an enervating mix of doing too much and too little, leaving customers not just cold but actively frustrated. Its latest updates and innovations are quite different: The introduction of a unifying platform, Sonos 27, and the threads that can pull it all together in something unironically called Sonos Fabric, which Sonos says is a name for a unifying subsystem that has long existed, though not with all of these capabilities.

I reached this conclusion on Tuesday as I sat in a darkened space and watched relatively new company CEO Tom Conrad dash from one demo living space setup to another, carrying a pair of Sonos Play speakers. He placed the pair of them on a credenza opposite the new Sonos Beam Ultra and then, without touching the Sonos app or even fiddling with the speakers, transformed the three audio sources into a unified surround sound system. And when he was done integrating the small speakers into the larger sound system, Conrad simply picked up the Sonos Play speakers and returned them to their original space. The speakers then reconnected to the standard Sonos Wi-fi network and resumed their regular roles.

This is Sonos 27 and Fabric at work, where Sonos products know when they're being lifted and moved and then can communicate ultrasonically with the Beam Ultra, which then makes a small mesh network connection to build a super-low-latency surround system.

It looked and sounded like magic and is exactly the kind of dream audio scenario I imagined when buying disparate speakers. Sonos, which has always allowed its speakers to communicate and create stereo sound systems, has long held the promise of this kind of automation, but it was never possible before Fabric.

It's a hardware and software feature that could excite existing customers and even inspire a legion of new ones.

Doing what makes sense

Where Sonos' software development once seemed sort of aimless and disconnected from consumer demands, Conrad's Sonos appears to be hyper-focused on doing only what makes sense for its customers.

Take its Sonos 27Voice, which manages to up the intelligence of the Sonos voice system while staying firmly in the audio lane.

Read our exclusive interview with Sonos CEO Tom Conrad

Instead of trying to transform your Sonos speaker into a voice-activated hub for all your smart home needs, Sonos decided to keep the 27Voice fixated on Sonos capabilities, but with a bit of a twist that I think people will appreciate. In Conrad's demo, he asked a sort of rambling question about a musician, and 27Voice quickly connected him to his desired music. Time and again, Conrad's vague queries resulted in sonic pleasure.

Sonos' other strategic gem, though, is openness. So, if you want to ask your Sonos tougher questions, like how to properly cook tenderloin, it'll happily pass only the prompt to another AI of your choice.

This open approach also carries through in reverse, with AI models like Claude, ChatGPT and, yes, Siri, able — via something Sonos calls Sopnos MCP — to control Sonos speakers through the new Sonos platform.

Sonos is also fixing past missteps by, for instance, making sure that new products joining the mix are complete and fully integrated members of the Sonos family.

Music to my ears

The new Ace Ultra ($449 / AU$699), which Conrad at one point wore around his neck as he presented the new products, platforms, and strategies, is a far more complete member of the Sonos family than the original Sonos Ace headphones. Those high-end headphones only connected to the Sonos Arc soundbar. The new Ace Ultra, which includes Sonos's Headphone Engine 2, uses Sonos Fabric and, with a press of a button, can pick up the audio from the Beam Ultra or any other member of the current Sonos audio family. I saw this in action, and it really is a one-button operation.

What has remained consistent in 25 years of operation is Sonos's audio quality (I have an aging pair of Play:1 speakers that I love and use to this day), and even in my brief time with the Beam Ultra soundbar and Ace Ultra headphones, I found impressive audio chops.

The Ace Ultra headphones, which promise 35 hours of battery life (3 hours on a 3-minute charge), feature a new driver and updated adaptive EQ that adjusts each time you put the headphones on. The headphones delivered a wide range of sonic experiences to my ears, which I selected from the new Sonos iPad app. I heard deep bass, sharp highs, and warm mids. I never wore the original Sonos Ace headset, but I can report that these are not only comfortable to wear, but the updated ear foams and greater yoke range and flexibility provide a near-perfect fit and seal.

The button placement, which was new to me, took a bit of getting used to, but I found I liked the volume slider that also doubles as a push-to-pause button. There's also a button that you can push to quickly sync up with the Beam Ultra. Onboard ANC also managed to cut out the thrum of a very noisy demo space.

Similarly, the Sonos Beam Ultra is a relatively compact soundbar capable of producing some very rich sound. There are now 9 drivers, including a pair of upfiring ones dedicated to bouncing dialogue off the walls and ceiling. Sonos says it provides 7.1.2 surround sound, and in my experience, it was loud, clear, and exciting. During the demo, they were playing Godzilla vs Kong, and I immediately wanted to grab some popcorn and park myself in front of the 4K TV and white Beam Ultra soundbar.

Overall, the $699 / AU$1,099 speaker bar seems well equipped to transform any audio-challenged TV.

Both the Ace Ultra and Beam Ultra are on pre-order now and start shipping on September 29.

Sonos appears to be taking some care with the rollouts, with some arriving as soon as next week and others more slowly as previews and early access builds. I'm sure Sonos would love to avoid another calamity where everyone's Sonos app changes at once, and they suddenly lose features or even gain ones that confuse them. I'd argue, however, that these alterations — Sonos 27, Fabric, and 27Voice — are some of the most thoughtful updates the company has produced in a generation, and could turn your disparate collection of Sonos hardware into a cohesive, useful, and sonically pleasing whole.

• Dali launches budget-friendly subwoofer in colorful colors, to match its Rubik and Sonik 1 speakers
• 8-inch downwards firing subwoofer with adjustable gain and phase, 170W RMS / 220W peak Class D amplification
• Launching in October 2026 for $800 / £429 (about AU$815)

Dali has a habit of making five-star speakers, including the Dali Kupid and Dali Sonik 1, both of which got full marks from us. And now there's a colorful compact subwoofer to give these two speakers even more oomph, if you find bookshelves to be light on low-end.

The new Basik Sub turns your stereo setup into a 2.1 system and solves a problem that applies to any compact bookshelf speakers: there's a limit to how low you can go without putting in bigger drivers. By adding an eight-inch downfiring subwoofer to your setup, the Basik Sub is designed to add the low-end punch that makes music and movies even more entertaining.

Dali Basik Sub: key features and pricing

The Basik Sub features Dali's own 8-inch long throw woofer, which is teamed with an oversized ferrite magnet and a high-flux motor system that Dali says delivers precise control. It also features a long, vented voice coil designed to maintain cooling and minimize compression as you turn the levels up.

Dali went with a down-firing rather than front-firing subwoofer for two key reasons: to deliver more even bass distribution, and to give you more options when it comes to positioning your subwoofer in your room.

Power comes from a 170W RMS / 220W peak Class D amplifier, and there's a built-in dual-stage limiter. Gain, crossover and phase controls are adjustable to make the Basik compatible with a wide range of speaker setups.

Of course, it's not just limited to being used in a 2.1 system — the Dali Sonik range is also designed to be used as surround sounds as well as for stereo setups, so the Basik is a good fit for a budget home theater system too.

The enclosure is made of MDF, features four decoupled feet to reduce vibration and comes in a choice of Solid Black, Solid White, Caramel White, Golden Yellow and Chilly Blue.

The Dali Basik Sub will go on sale in October 2026 with a recommended price of $800 / £429 / €500 (about AU$815).

• Castle unveils four new loudspeakers in two ranges
• Castle Tintagel sell for lower prices, with refined driver combos
• Castle Walmer are a higher price, and one has an unusual driver layout

When you think about British Castle, you probably think about Windsor, Warwick or the Tower of London; little did I know that the name also referred to a brand making old-school-looking loudspeakers.

I learned the truth because British Castle is back with a new quartet of speakers, all designed and made in the UK.

These new models, named Castle Tintagel and Castle Walmer after the real-life castles (and, in the case of the former, King Arthur's stomping ground), all have an old-school look which really catches the eye. Now, I'm not talking 'ancient castles' old-school — think ’70s wood-on-wood vibes.

The models will go on sale in September. We only have UK prices for now, and there's no word whether the models will sell elsewhere.

Hearing some Wamler audio

The lower-cost new models are the British Castle Tintagel range: the Tintagel 1 costs £1,999 (roughly $2,700 / AU$4,000) for a pair and a duo of the Tintagel 2 sell for £2,999 (about $4,000 / AU$6,000). The former is a two-way standmount, the latter a 2.5-way floor-stander.

The Tintagel 1 combines a 130mm mid/bass driver and 28mm silk dome treble, while the Tintagel 2 keeps that treble, but enhances the low-end with twin 150mm drivers. Apparently the low-end drivers are a real selling point, and are fiber cones that are designed for quick response and controlled low-end.

Despite not being cheap, the Tintagel is aimed as British Castle's entry-level speaker line. It offers a warm sound profile and classic ’70s look at a lower cost compared to its other options.

Then we have the Castle Walmer line. The Walmer 1 is a 2-way standmount speaker which sells for £2,499 (roughly $3,400 / AU$5,000) for a pair, while the Walmer 2 is a 3-way floorstander that you can buy for the sum of £4,999 (around $6,800 / AU$10,000) for a pair.

In the Walmer 1, you'll find a 130mm mid/bass driver and 12x45mm high-frequency true ribbon unit. The Walmer 2 keeps the latter but uses dual 150mm bass drivers and a 115mm midrange unit, with all of these made of the same fibre as we've already seen in the Tintagel — and what's unusual is that one of the two bass drivers is actually above the tweeter and mid/bass driver, while the other one is below them.

Normally, speaker drivers are simply arranged from highest-frequency at the top to lowest at the bottom, so I'm curious as to how this performs.

Not only does this more advanced driver combination keep the Walmer feeling unique, but the ribbon unit apparently offers a unique top-end which is detailed and delicate. The entire Walmer 2 set-up is unusual, with a bespoke mid-range speaker being relatively rare.

KEF LS Luxe: Two-minute review

The LS Luxe is the new high-point — by which I mean ‘most expensive’ — of KEF’s fêted range of wireless stereo speaker systems. Having precisely nothing left to prove where products of this type are concerned in the lower $1,000 / £750 - $3,400 / £2,500 arena, the company has made a decisive move upmarket — and the LS Luxe seems to leave very little to chance where engineering, specification and aesthetic shock and awe are concerned.

You will make your own mind up about the looks, of course; for my money, the ‘eclipse black’ of my review sample is the least successful of the three available finishes, but there’s no denying the LS Luxe is an individual looker in a market where design flourishes are always at a premium. But when talk turns to engineering and specification, subjectivity ceases to be all that much of an issue.

Numerous input options (both wired and wireless), genuinely high-resolution playback (24bit/192kHz is yours if you connect the speakers together, while 24bit/96kHz is available from a wireless connection), and some proven technologies exclusive to KEF serve to make the LS Luxe look like a very serious proposition on the page.It’s only fractionally less serious when it comes to performance, too.

Make sure you’ve positioned the speakers carefully, get beyond the slightly restricted dimensions of the soundstage it conjures… and then there’s a huge amount to enjoy here. Some of the best stereo speakers on the market? Yes.

The LS Luxe is a deftly accomplished listen, able to combine forensic attention to detail with an energetic, almost forceful attitude that brings recordings of all types bounding to life. It manages to combine analysis with entertainment in a way that’s rare at any price.

KEF LS Luxe review: Price & release date

• Launched on July 30, 2026
• Priced $3,999 / £3,499 / AU$6,399

The KEF LS Luxe wireless stereo speaker system is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it costs £3,499. In the United States it sells for $3,999, while in Australia the going rate is AU$6,399.

If you don’t want this to be the end of your spending, KEF will happily sell you a pair of its bespoke ‘S-Luxe’ speaker stands for £799 / $799 / AU$1199…

What of note at the level? The Sonus faber Duetto are the same price and also present a fantastic listen, albeit with a very different aesthetic.

KEF LS Luxe review: Features

• 12th-gen Uni-Q driver array
• Wired and wireless connectivity options
• 560 watts of Class D power plus 200 watts of Class A/B

It’s not the only thing that’s attention-grabbing about the look of the LS Luxe, of course, but there’s no denying that the 12th generation Uni-Q driver array is just as visually impactful as it was when the first generation was revealed back in 1988.

Here, it features a 25mm aluminium tweeter behind a complex waveguide, in the throat of a 165mm aluminum mid/bass cone — as always, the arrangement is designed for optimum time-alignment and superior driver integration.

A more recent KEF innovation, ‘metamaterial absorption technology’, sits behind the tweeter where it’s designed to mop up energy travelling from the back of the tweeter dome and allow for sweeter, cleaner treble response as a result.

The driver arrangement is mechanically decoupled from the cabinet, and a decoupling chassis within the assembly damps any vibrations from the motor system — in both cases, the idea is to reduce the vibration affecting the cabinet structure to an absolute minimum. Low distortion and sky-high clarity are the results KEF is aiming for.

Unusually, KEF has deployed two distinct methods of amplifying the Uni-Q array. Each mid/bass driver feels the benefit of 280 watts of Class D power, while each tweeter is driven by 100 watts of Class A/B amplification — an all-in total of 760 watts of power really ought to prove adequate. KEF reckons a frequency response of 42Hz - 28kHz results from all this very thorough engineering.

Naturally, that’s not the end of it where clever technologies are concerned. KEF’s ‘Velocity Control Technology’, first seen in the XIO soundbar, measures the speed of movement of the cone and compensates for discrepancies between actual and expected values in real time. The ‘Music Integrity Engine’, meanwhile, maintains tonal consistency at all volume levels.

In terms of getting audio information into the system where it can be had at by these various highlights of specification, your options are fairly extensive. Dual-band wi-fi is on board, naturally — there’s also an Ethernet socket on the rear of the ‘primary’ speaker for absolute network stability — and this allows the system to be compatible with Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, the ‘Connect’ versions of Qobuz, Spotify and TIDAL, and UPnP. Internet radio is available too, and Roon Ready status is due to be confirmed much sooner rather than later.

A USB-C slot looks promising, but it’s ‘only’ a 5V output for charging. Bluetooth 5.3 is also on board as an additional wireless option - all the wireless stuff is handled by KEF’s proven ‘W2 Wireless Platform’.

The primary speaker is also home to the system’s physical connectivity. Here that means an HDMI eARC socket, optical and coaxial digital inputs, and a 3.5mm analogue input, as well as a kettle-lead socket for connection to mains power, a pre-out for a subwoofer and an RJ45 socket for connection to the secondary speaker. That secondary speaker makes do with a mains power socket, a corresponding RJ45 and a subwoofer pre-out.

The LS Luxe will support resolutions of up to 24bit/384kHz and DSD128 via its network inputs, 24bit/192kHz via coaxial and HDMI, and 24bit/96kHz via its optical input. If the speakers are connected using the supplied cable, everything is up- or down-sampled to 24bit/192kHz - if you decide the cleaner look of a wireless connection between the two is your preference, then the system tops out at 24bit/96kHz.

• Features score: 5 / 5

KEF LS Luxe review: Sound quality

• Detailed, organised and robust sound
• Eloquent midrange fidelity
• Could conceivably have greater out-and-out scale

First things first: the LEF LS Luxe is not remotely forgiving where the positioning of the speakers is concerned.

The overwhelming majority of stereo speakers I’ve tested, both active and passive, have given their best when toed in towards the listening position — in fact, off the top of my head I can only think of Dali that recommends its speakers should be pointing dead ahead to perform to their full potential. The KEF, though, like only the tiniest amount of toe-in. Too little or, especially, too much and they lose some of the width of their soundstage and a more noticeable amount of sonic height.

Even when ideally positioned, the soundstage they generate is not the biggest you’ve ever heard. It escapes the confines of cabinets quite comfortably, in both horizontal and vertical directions, but is still relatively limited.

Mind you, it’s fair to say a) the soundstage is extremely well laid-out and controlled, and b) that’s just about where my complaints end regarding the way the LS Luxe performs. In every other respect it’s a remarkably accomplished listen, and is undoubtedly one of the most effective pound-for-pound wireless stereo speaker systems around.

No matter if you listen to the avant-electronica of Arca’s eponymous debut album via a CD player connected to the KEFs digital optical input, a 24bit/192kHz FLAC file of David Bowie’s Stationtostation wirelessly streamed from Qobuz Connect or a heavyweight vinyl reissue of Takk… by Sigur Rós from a pre-amplified turntable, the LS Luxe is a remarkably articulate, utterly revealing and deftly punchy system that is likely to steal your time away.

The tonal balance is exquisitely neutral. The KEF is more than happy to get out of the way of a recording and let it dictate terms in this respect. It’s similarly balanced and egoless where frequency response is concerned, too — it digs deep into the low frequencies and hits with real authority and control, while the opposite end has the substance to counteract the brilliance of the treble response, but at no point does the system over- or understate any part of the range.

The balanced and even-handed nature of its presentation goes a long way towards creating a strong impression of fidelity. So does the amount of detail it’s able to retrieve, reveal and contextualise. At every stage it is alert to the finest, most minor occurrences in a recording, in a voice or an individual instrument — and it’s able to give these details the appropriate amount of weighting no matter how fleeting they might be.

Its transient response is thrillingly positive, and the overall sound is eloquently alive and communicative as a result.

And when it comes to communication, the way the LS Luxe resolves the midrange means it’s brilliantly informative where voices are concerned. The minutiae of timbre, texture and technique are all made available, and the KEF can describe the attitude and character of a vocalist just as directly.

Rhythmic expression is confident, thanks to the careful control the system pays to the attack of low-frequency information. It’s a deftly fluent listen at the bottom end, and marries outright punch to a huge amount of tonal and textural variation. And when it comes to the dynamic of a recording, whether that’s the big shifts in intensity and volume or the more nuanced dynamics of harmonic changes, the KEF is an assured and convincing performer.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

KEF LS Luxe review: Design

• Bulk moulding compound allows for organic shape with no seams
• Another Ross Lovegrove design
• Color makes a disproportionate difference to appearance

Q: When did you last see a pair of speakers that look like this? A: Never, that’s when.

The LS Luxe is the latest results of KEF’s ongoing collaboration with designer Ross Lovegrove and, just as with previous KEF/Lovegrove designs, there’s something almost organic about the shape of these loudspeakers.

The use of BMC (‘bulk moulding compound’) as the material for the cabinets means this smoothly curvaceous shape has no edges or visible seams, and is less prone to the build-up of internal standing waves than a more conventional box. It also means the requirement for internal bracing is minimised, so there’s greater internal volume than would otherwise be the case as a result. And there’s further visual drama at the rear of the cabinet: an elaborately shaped and channelled heatsink, fashioned from aluminium, has sufficient surface area to allow the heat from the internal electronics to be efficiently dispersed.

There’s also a fairly large bass reflex port nearby — it features KEF’s ‘Flexible Port Technology’. This means the walls of the port are not completely rigid, which should in theory help keep internal resonance to a minimum.

The LS Luxe is available in three finishes. My review sample is in ‘eclipse black’, which is my least favourite of the three. To my eyes it makes the cabinets look bulkier and heavier than they actually are. Check out the alternative ‘mineral white’ or ‘dusk titanium’ and see if you know what I mean. Regardless of the finish you choose, though, you’ll be the owner of a pair of speakers that are beautifully constructed, flawlessly finished, and both look and feel like the money’s-worth.

KEF didn’t supply me with the cost-option ‘S-Luxe’ stands developed specifically for use with this system, but unless you intend to position your speakers on a shelf or desktop (in which case I will judge you quite strongly) it’s worth factoring this extra cost in.

Other speaker stands work perfectly well, of course — I position the KEF on a pair of Soundstyle Z2, and they perform admirably. But the way the cabinet swoops and tapers towards the base means that a lot of the (regulation size) top plate of my stands is visible when the speaker is in place, and the look is not especially harmonious.

• Design score: 4 / 5

KEF LS Luxe review: Usability & setup

• ‘Wireless’ means either two or three wires
• Remote control handset and app
• A little patience sometimes required when using the app

There’s really not that much to setting up the KEF LS Luxe, and once it’s set up it’s pretty straightforward to operate — but that’s not the same as saying it doesn’t require a little attention.

As already discussed, this is a wireless system that requires at least two wires; both speakers must be plugged into the mains. After that, you can choose to connect the speakers together using a supplied cable, or you can take the hit in terms of resolution and establish a wireless connection between them.

There are a couple of control methods available. KEF supplies quite a nice, metal-fronted remote control that covers off the fundamentals like playback, power, volume and input selection — and there’s also the ‘KEF Connect’ control app that’s free for iOS and Android.

Naturally it duplicates all the remote control functions, and adds in the ability to integrate music streaming services, search for and save internet radio stations, trim the system’s response to suit your specific environment, check for firmware updates and so on. It can be a little lethargic at times, but on the whole it’s a stable and useful user interface.

• Usability & setup score: 4.5 / 5

KEF LS Luxe review: Value

If you want your fancy new wireless stereo system to turn heads on the basis of its looks as well as its sound, you can’t really argue with the value the KEF LS Luxe represents.

If you’re after great build quality and nicely realised control options to go along with the sonic performance and the visual drama, the case for this system gets stronger still. The bespoke stands are no one’s idea of a bargain, admittedly, but in every other respect there’s undeniable value for money on offer here.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the KEF LS Luxe?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

KEF LS Luxe review: Also consider

The Sonus faber Duetto is, in its own way, just as visually arresting as the LS Luxe — it’s more identifiably a pair of speakers, but the established Sonus faber virtue of outstanding cabinet-making means this system looks and even feels the part.

It’s no slouch sonically, either — it’s a composed, informative and periodically thrilling listen.

At the other end of the spectrum (at least where aesthetic considerations are concerned) you’ll find the sonically impeccable, visually challenging JBL 4329P. JBL speakers have looked like this since the middle of the last century, and there’s no denying that in terms of performance they’re a roaring success. Their appearance in your home may cause a row based on their divisive looks, though…

How I tested the KEF LS Luxe

I position the KEF LS Luxe on a pair of Soundstyle Z2 speaker stands, and plug each one into the mains.

I listen with the speakers connected wirelessly, and I also listen when they’re physically joined together.

I stream music using TIDAL Connect and also access a lot of hi-res content from a Synology BeeStation Plus NAS device.

I connect a preamplified turntable to the analog input, a CD player to the coaxial input, and an OLED TV to the HDMI eARC socket. This means I’m able to access lots of different styles of content, in lots of different digital file types, and in a variety of resolutions.

• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee
• First reviewed: August 2026

The concept of a hybrid speaker is rare, but not necessarily unique. However, what hybrid means when it comes to the Goldenear T44 is unparalleled. That’s because this speaker, along with its big brother, the T66, is both a powered and a passive speaker. All the best stereo speakers that I’ve come across have been one or the other, but not both.

If you’re not familiar, a passive speaker used to be the standard in homes 20 years ago (and a lot further back too). And when it comes to audiophile-level Hi-Fi, it still is. These speakers connect via speaker cables to an external amp that provides all the power and through which the audio signal is sent (whether directly or through additional hardware). You cannot use them without an amp.

Powered speakers (and their active cousins, where each driver receives its own dedicated amp unit), have become the more popular type of speaker with the advent of portable and bluetooth speakers. Powered designs integrate amplification so that all you need to do is give your speakers a power source, whether there's a battery that needs to be charged or they just need to be plugged into the wall. But you don’t need a separate amp, because it’s all inside the speaker. Just connect your phone and you’re off to the races.

So, why make a set of speakers where half of the frequency range is already powered and the other half is not? For the Goldenear T44 (and the T66), it’s the listening experience. By using a 56-bit DSP-controlled Class D amplifier for the low-end, the T44 allows for a few things.

First, the low end will always have that quick, dynamic response that one should expect from a strong solid state amp. And second, by removing responsibility for the low-end from your external amp, it puts much less stress on that equipment, which is especially important if you’re using a tube amp. By removing the low-end from the tube amp, the Goldenear T44 can extend the life of your tubes.

The flexible sound

If you’ve never spent any time in the audiophile world, it can be an intimidating and expensive one — the Goldenear T44 themselves retail for $5,000 (about £3,700 / AU$7,070) a pair. And that’s without that external amp needed for the high end — you should be aware that using different amps with speakers will affect the way they sound. If you get deep enough into this world, you’ll come across bickering about which cables sound the best.

Because of that, being able to play around with different amps to change the sound of the top end of the Goldenear T44, specifically the sound that’s coming out of the High-Velocity Folded Ribbon tweeter (basically the same as an AMT tweeter) and the 4.5-inch mid-range driver, allows for a level of flexibility that’s just not available with other speakers.

If you want a very clean, detailed sound, you can pair them with all sorts of solid state amps, whether it’s another Class D one like what Goldenear uses to power the 5 x 9-inch bass driver (there are also two passive radiators to help with the low end) or maybe a Class A or A/B one. You can even bi-wire whichever amp you choose.

Or you can get a tube amp to add some of that sweetness, even harmonic distortion, to give a softer, more laid back sound to the high-end, while still retaining that punch in the low end. Plus, there’s a subwoofer level control so you can adjust the balance between the internal and external amp.

The drivers themselves are pretty special

Regardless of what amp you use, the fact that Goldenear uses a folded ribbon for its tweeter means exceptional detail – I’ve always found tweeters like this (again, similar concept to an AMT tweeters) means that you will be able to hear incredible nuance in the high-end. When I’ve seen speaker lines upgrade to AMT tweeters, it’s always been an improvement.

The woofer for the low-end is also fairly different. It’s a rectangular, long-throw driver that is able to move more air without needing a wider cabinet. These speakers measure less than eight inches wide. That’s not a lot of space for a big woofer. And being a planar speaker, it uses a flat diaphragm as opposed to the traditional cone, which minimizes the amount of distortion in the low-end.

To give you an idea of what these drivers do, the frequency range goes from 32Hz to 25kHz.

My experience with the Goldenear T44

I admit that I’m pretty new to Goldenear, but the company has a strong pedigree. It was started by Sandy Gross in 2010, one of the original founders of Polk Audio and also of Definitive Technology, and is now part of PML Sound International (Martin Logan, Paradigm, Anthem).

So, when I got a chance to sit and listen to the Goldenear T44 at this year’s Audio Advice Live, I really didn’t know what to expect. But I was more than pleasantly surprised. Kacey Musgraves’ Slow Burn sounded both intimate and epic with the way the T44 handled both her vocals, the guitar, and ethereal pads, while Ghost Rider’s Make Us Stronger hit hard in the low end for just a couple examples.

While I didn’t get a chance to hear the Goldenear T44 through multiple amps (this little listen was powered by one from Anthem), I can see how separating the highs and lows really open up what you can do with these speakers. I think if you’re looking for something different with the ability to blend sounds, the Goldenear T44 should be at the top of your list.

One of the nicest things about checking out the best speakers at a big trade show, (in this case, Audio Advice Live in Raleigh, North Carolina) is that sometimes you have family nearby. So, when I was doing my second round of some of the vendors that really stood out to me, I was able to bring my cousin along — and if you’re within driving distance next year, $30 will get you in the door.

On that short list was one of the three Martin Logan rooms equipped with a pair of the Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X. These speakers, the flagship model of the company’s entry-level electrostatic line called the ElectroMotion Series, greeted us from the far corners of the room backed just by a big, wide window and some drapes. Not much for sound dampening. Following my cousin’s request, Bon Iver’s Holocene would be the focus of this listening session.

The experience

I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, but what I heard surprised me. The level of detail was unparalleled. If you want to sit there and listen to the pristine decay of a cymbal hit, you do it on these speakers. When listening to Holocene, Bon Iver’s voice has this delicate nature that’s not all that noticeable on lesser speakers. And the guitar sparkles similarly.

Since electrostatic speakers reproduce audio in a different way, the low end had this tight but balanced presentation that made the whole song come across as clearer with better resolution than I had ever heard before.

Plus, it felt more open — I could hear the extra dynamic impact of the snare roll on the right side of the song (a more traditional kit plays on the left), pulling forward and back as it varied in volume. Put on a pair of (non-electrostatic) headphones and you’ll probably hear what I typically hear — a fairly even drum roll throughout the song.

I had already gotten a chance earlier to listen to some jazz, of course a song with female vocals, and an EDM track or two. And this second go-around just confirmed how I felt the first time around. Essentially, detail for days, an openness, and a balanced presentation with tight low-end.

Of course, I was less gobsmacked than my cousin who heard things he had never heard before, such as a particular bassline that comes in as the song builds. And this was the song he picked and that he knew well.

The design

Since the Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X speakers use a 40-inch tall, 8.6-inch wide electrostatic transducer, they do something interesting. Each enclosure disperses audio in a unique pattern, going out at panel height with a 30-degree curvature so that most of what you’re hearing is directly from the speaker. The audio is not reflecting off the ceiling or floor, limiting the amount of reflections coming to your ear.

The electrostatic transducer also has very little movement, as it’s basically a metal membrane with electricity moving through it, so there’s very little speaker cone distortion. It also has the same level of detail regardless of volume. We’ve all heard speakers where the high-end starts to roll off as you turn the volume low. Well, that’s not the case here.

But, it’s only semi-correct to call the Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X an electrostatic speaker. It’s actually a hybrid, with the electrostatic transducer covering a range of 400 to 22,000Hz. At 400 Hz, it crosses over to dual eight-inch passive drivers housed below the transducer in the speaker cabinet. There’s one in front and one in back. And the cabinet is ported. These drivers go from 400Hz down to 41Hz, a telling cutoff for why the bass sounds so controlled.

At the end of the day

When I went to Audio Advice Alive, I heard speaker after speaker that just blew me away. It wasn’t all of them, but it was quite a few. But as great as many of them were, most of them are ones that I would never consider buying. For the best of them, it’s mostly a matter of cost (and a little bit space too). I don’t expect to have $65,000 sitting around any time soon for a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5s, and that’s without including the rest of the signal chain.

The Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X is on a very short list of speakers that not only sounded special but I could potentially justify buying. Spending $4,499.98 / £5,500.00 / AU$8,499.00 on a pair of speakers before including an amp, streamer, and cables is still no small chunk of change. But it is within reach.

Have you ever had four religious experiences in a weekend? OK, that might be hyperbole, but if you had the weekend I just had at Audio Advice Live in Raleigh, then you can relate. Disregarding audiophiles’ apparent love of Steely Dan, I was enthralled and impressed time after time at what I was hearing.

Just about every audiophile adjacent brand (and some more budget friendly enthusiast ones) was there showing off its best stereo speakers. Bowers & Wilkins showcased its flagship 801 D5 , Focal had its all-in-one active Diva Alta Utopia, Klipsch went back to one of its original speaker designs with the Klipschorn, and JBL had its new Summit Series on display including the almost flagship K-2 (the flagship Everest model didn’t make it to the show).

All in all, it was an exciting time to get acquainted with these speakers. Of course, some of them cost the equivalent of a small house in the Midwest, but that’s the deal when a team of audio engineers put their best ear forward.

1. Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5

Though the company’s original version of the Diamond Series (what the D stands for) came out in 1979, a lot has changed since then. Specifically, 2026 brings with it the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5, an update that doesn’t look much different to the D4 but sure sounds it.

The model keeps the same design principles in that every driver has its own casing, but comes with a number of improvements. Externally, there are three noticeable changes from the 801 D4: the more open tweeter grille design introduced on the 801 D4 Signature, the stronger and stiffer aluminum spine that’s fully incorporated into the cabinet, and an upgraded plinth that reduces vibrations via tuned mass and constrained layer damping.

More importantly, the internal matrix bracing has been completely redesigned so that the 801 D5’s cabinet is as stiff as can be. This means that the signal is less affected by internal vibrations and reflections.

All of these changes result in a speaker that sounds incredibly detailed yet warm, with a resolution worthy of a studio. They basically disappear so that you’re just focused on the music and reveal things you’ve never heard in your favorite tracks. The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 might possibly be the best pair of speakers I’ve heard. Just be ready to drop $65,000 (£43,000, or around AU$81,900) on a pair…

2. Focal Diva Alta Utopia

Going into this event, I was excited to hear the Focal Diva Alta Utopia, the newest iteration in Focal’s first active speaker series. I almost didn’t get to hear them. Held hostage in customs during the first half of Audio Advice Live, their fashionably late entrance only made me want to hear them more. And oh, were they worth the wait.

There’s a lot going on here. The Focal Diva Alta Utopia speakers use Adapt, a DSP technology that can adjust listening position for imperfect rooms or placement. It also adds an additional driver per cabinet over the Focal Diva Mezza Utopia (the previous generation of this speaker line), making it a four-way speaker. And Focal added an additional Class A/B amp per cabinet for a total five per 600 watts per cabinet or 1200 watts total.

The Focal Diva Alta Utopia also features the company's new PRISM tweeter that’s only available on this model and the company’s Scala Utopia Evo M. This tweeter is essentially a carbon-coated composite material that offers more detail and more aural flexibility over the beryllium drivers that the company has leaned on previously.

Looks are important too, so Focal has made the accessory panels removable, so you can change out the color of the speakers if you get tired of a colorway by ordering additional ones in a different finish.

When I got to listen to these, the first thing I wrote down was “energetic.” These speakers, which retail for a cool $210,000 (£165,000, or around AU$296,800 and FYI, I don’t think you can take a mortgage out to finance these) are in your face in the best way. Room-filling with plenty of mid-bass, they offer that flagship audiophile experience without needing any additional amps or streamers. This is as good as it gets when it comes to active speakers.

3. Klipsch Klipschorn 80th Anniversary Limited Edition

People love vinyl for that analog sound. And if there’s anything that most resembles the feel of vinyl in speaker form, it’s the Klipsch Klipschorn, specifically the 80th Anniversary Limited Edition. Based on Paul Wilbur Klipsch’s original design from 1946, it comes with a few updates to bring it into the modern era.

Since only 280 of the 80th Anniversary Limited Editions will be built, Klipsch has pulled out all the stops visually. From its tigerwood veneer to the brass inlay adorning the front of the cabinet meant to emulate the folding that’s happening inside the cabinet, it’s stunning in a very mid-century modern kind-of way.

As far as its actual design, it has an active crossover and a two-way speaker design, composed of the K-5-K high-frequency horn with a 2-inch throat and four-way compression driver that takes care of everything above 350Hz and a 15-inch woofer hidden behind those brass inlays responsible everything under.

The resulting sound is one that’s a little softer around the edges than the other speakers I’ve mentioned here (hence the vinyl comparison). This makes them less ideal for reference-level use, yet they still work wonderfully with all sorts of music.

In terms of flagship speakers, the Klipsch Klipschorn 80th Anniversary Limited Edition are downright reasonable, a word I never would have expected to use for a pair of speakers costing $24,998 (so around £18,485 or AU$35,329).

4. JBL Summit Series K-2

If you’re not familiar with JBL’s project series, let me give you a brief definition. A project series for JBL is one in which the lead engineers have been given a no-expense-spared, carte-blanche approach to making the best speaker they possibly can.

There have been five of these series since the company’s inception, and the Summit Series is the newest. Not only are they named after a series of mountains that have struck fear in many an expeditioner’s heart, but they have 12 US patents that have come about just from the creation of this series.

The penultimate of this series is the JBL Summit Series K-2 ($99,990 per pair, or £71,998, which is roughly AU$141,300), featuring a single 15-inch woofer, a 10-inch woofer, and three 1-½-inch dual-diaphragm, dual-motor compression drivers going into a 3-into-1 expansion manifold. That manifold has been designed in a way that requires it to be 3D printed instead of a more traditional construction method. The woofers themselves also use a rigid carbon fiber (HC4) material.

Also worthy of mention is the fact that they have decoupled isoacoustic isolation feet and come with the ability to tri-wire /tri-amp – a feature that only the more expensive Everest can do. The rest of the line can bi-amp.

When I had the opportunity to listen to the K-2s, it was in a large hall, bigger than any of the other spaces, yet these speakers filled out the space with seemingly plenty of headroom to spare. Despite the large room, these speakers had one of the cleanest sounds I heard over the weekend. And that 15-inch woofer kicked like a mule.

Honorable Mentions

While I was most impressed with this set of speakers, there were quite a few other towers of power that impressed me more than enough to be worth a quick mention. The three-way ported Sonus Faber Olympica V, powered by McIntosh amps, sounded almost as good as the speakers listed above, as they should since they’re about $30k a pair.

Wharfedale impressed with its Elysian R and is probably one of the best representations of a speaker using an AMT speaker. And the new old kid on the block, French brand Cabasse (the company is actually 77 years old), just starting to make inroads into the US is one to watch out for. Cabasse makes some really unique looking and functioning active speakers, but also some great-sounding floorstanders. This time next year, you might be looking at a set of Cabasse speakers with the same amount of interest and deliberation as any of the other brands mentioned here.

• Mur mur is 'a speaker that plays ambient sounds from the tiny world inside'
• No, I've never seen anything quite like it — there's an eyepiece in the top
• Still in prototype now, but the company is looking to bring it to market

Just when you thought you'd seen enough 'Eucalyptus' (or as I like to call it, 'Shrek') green audio kit for one month — and please see the new Bose QuietComfort over-ear headphones for proof — a truly unusual prototype speaker crosses your desk and makes you go "It's a… what now?"

What you're looking at is mur mur. How to describe it? Let's try 'speaker meets AI-generated terrarium on a keychain'. No? Maybe 'AI-generated ambient music linked to a tiny society, squirrelled into a physical product you can carry around, spy on and listen to as it evolves and changes'.

As for what goes on inside: maybe it'll rain; maybe it'll be sunny. Maybe there will be another heatwave and marine mammals will start migrating to areas never seen before in new and increasingly worrying ecological developments — all with accompanying AI-generated ambient sounds.

Mur mur is made by "a creative company on a quest to turn emerging technologies into an approachable, everyday and sustainable reality, for humans and beyond" of the same name.

Unusually for a portable speaker, there are no listed Bluetooth credentials. That's because it won't play your Spotify playlists or connect with your phone; this is a self-governing ecosystem, thank you very much.

Hey tiny kingdom, how do? Any climate crisis in there (and if not, can I come in)?

Mur mur is available in three colorways, but they're not skin-deep. Here, the hue corresponds to the type of society you'll get when you look through the viewfinder at the top of the speaker. 'Block!' (white with orange accents) mur mur owners can expect "A tiny city and its society — morning rush hours, street musicians, delivery robots, pigeons". 'Plot!' (green) meanwhile is a "lively forest full of chirping birds, crackling leaves, and the occasional lost hiker", and 'Pond!' (blue) is a watery ecosystem "where soothing waves come alive with fish, ducks, and occasional boats".

Perhaps the green model sounds most intriguing, because who could imagine being a hiker lost in an ever-evolving AI ecosystem? The accompanying audio I listened to for around 20 minutes on mur mur's website sounds decidedly soothing (even if that scenario does not), but remember, you have no input here — the music and scenarios in this little thing happen whether you're looking and listening or not. No AI prompt-made music here.

Mur mur says this trio of tiny worlds in speakers are currently still prototypes, so you can't buy one yet, but the company is "looking for musicians, technologists, and hardware producers to help bring it to your desk, your keychain, or your studio".

As a lover of human-made music, I won't be first in line, but there's something compelling about the promised uniqueness of each unit. Who knows, maybe 10 years down the line, certain mur mur communities will be running for government with a "lost hiker" running the show…

• Kanto Audio launches Obi3 Gen 2 turntable
• Follows on from October 2025 previous model
• Has speed sensor, user-friendly manual arm, automatic size sensing

Canadian hi-fi brand Kanto Audio has just unveiled a second-gen model of a turntable it originally unveiled in October 2025; now the Obi3 Gen 2 is here, and it's another low-cost record player with a few considerations for novice vinyl owners.

Selling for $249.99 / £179.99 (about AU$360), the Obi3 Gen 2 undercuts our favorite budget turntable: the Sony PS-LX310BT, at least in the US (it matches elsewhere). And given that the rest of our best turntables recommendations cost much more, it's clearly a great pick for first-time buyers who want an affordable deck.

Looking at the Obi3 Gen 2, you can see why. It's fairly small, taking up a 43.2 x 36cm footprint, without unnecessary extra bells and whistles to hog space. Unless you're moving house and can set up your turntable first, hi-fi space can be a privilege, and so smaller units are great for people who haven't already earmarked shelf space for the device.

But I've tested a few budget turntables in my day, and there are a few other useful tools on the Kanto which should appeal to the newcomer and veteran alike...

Get into the groove

The Kanto Audio Obi3 Gen 2 has a built-in speed sensor, which monitors how fast the turntable platter is rotating and makes adjustments if the motor is running too fast or slow. It means you won't have your music accidentally changing pitch if the motor plays up. This also doubles as a speed selector, so you don't need to flick a dial or press a button if you switch between 33 1/3 or 45 RPM records.

Unlike most other budget turntables I've used, the Kanto is a manual turntable, so you don't have to rely on simply pressing a 'play' button to get your music running. However the arm has an adjustable counterweight, anti-skate design and reference marks, so you can experiment with the complexities of manual without it being too complicated.

The stylus is an Audio-Technica AT3600L, which is pretty common for this kind of record player, and it has auto-stop technology for when your record is over.

The Kanto connects wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.3, or cabled using RCA. The company, of course, recommends using its own speakers (like the 5-star Kanto Ren, for example?) the Obi3 Gen 2 will connect to a range of devices.

You can buy the Obi3 Gen 2 in black, white, green, ice blue or walnut models, the second and third of which you can see pictured. Kanto is also selling it alongside a range of accessory kits like the TT-GKIT, a gel cleaning kit for your record and stylus, and the TT-SB, a cleaning brush for the same kit.

Q Acoustics 3040c review: Two-minute review

The 3040c is the smaller of two floorstanding speakers in Q Acoustics' celebrated 3000c range — it’s the fifth and final 3000c model, and it’s arguably the best of the lot.

For £599 or equivalent, depending on where you reside, you'll receive two reasonably compact, elegant and nicely finished cabinets (available in four different finishes) with optimised point-to-bracing inside and a three-strong driver array on the outside.

Two 120mm mid/bass drivers sandwich a 22mm soft-dome tweeter that’s decoupled from the rest of the cabinet — and with some input from a rear-firing bass reflex port, a claimed frequency response of 43Hz - 30khz is the result.

Sensitivity of 88dB means you don’t need all that burly of an amplifier to drive these Q Acoustics speakers effectively.

And when they’re being driven effectively, there’s plenty to like in ultimate terms and even more when you keep the price of these speakers uppermost in your mind. They’re a balanced, poised and expressive listen, good at soundstaging, better at maintaining a convincing tonal balance, and best of all when it comes to detail retrieval.

Some of the best stereo speakers on the market? Yes. OK, they could do with a touch more dynamic headroom and a slightly more assured method of expressing rhythms, but really I’m tempted to ask what more you might realistically hope for when listening to a pair of compact, well-made floorstanders for this money…

Q Acoustics 3040c review: Price & release date

• $1,099 / £599 (around AU$1,140, based on UK pricing)
• Released July 30, 2026

The Q Acoustics 3040c passive floorstanding loudspeakers are on sale now, and in the United Kingdom a pair will cost you £599. This translates to €899 in the Eurozone and £1099 in the United States (yes, a little pricier in the States) while prices for other territories, including Australia, are yet to be confirmed.

Competition? You'd really be looking at bookshelf speakers for anything as affordable as this from a trusted name — and let me be clear, Q Acoustics is one such name. So, it's a lot of speaker (and speaker tech) for the price.

Q Acoustics 3040c review: Features

• 22mm soft dome tweeter
• 2 x 120mm Continuous Curved Cone mid/bass driver
• 43Hz - 30kHz frequency response
• 88dB sensitivity

No one’s expecting a whole lot of features when it comes to reasonably affordable passive loudspeakers, which is just as well given the Q Acoustics 3040c have just the essentials.

As is the company’s standard operating proactive, though, these few features are completely fit for purpose.

On the inside, Q Acoustics has used its targeted ‘point-to-point’ bracing technology — having identified those areas of the cabinet that are prone to low frequency vibrations, ‘P2P’ reinforcement seems to minimise those vibrations and produce a cleaner, better focused soundstage as a result. It’s also deployed ‘Helmholtz Pressure Equalisers’, a series of tubes that minimise internal pressure; this reduces the build-up of standing waves inside the cabinet and keeps sonic colouration to a minimum as a result.

At the rear of the cabinet there are a couple of very low-profile speaker binding posts, positioned just below a fairly large bass reflex port. Q Acoustics provides foam bungs for the ports — so feel free to experiment with the position of the speakers and the effect of the bungs too.

Up front there are three drivers that are familiar from some of the more expensive model ranges in the Q Acoustics line-up. Here, a decoupled 22mm soft-dome tweeter is positioned between two 120mm mid/bass drivers — these are of the ‘continuous curved cone’ design that made its debut much further up the Q Acoustics loudspeaker range.

‘‘C³’ is designed to combine the low-frequency response of a straight conic cone with the control and clarity more commonly associated with a flared cone design. It’s a straightforwardly impressive design with, at this point in time, nothing to prove.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Q Acoustics 3040c review: Sound quality

• Full-scale sound with drive and poise in equal measure
• Great facility with detail retrieval
• Could use greater dynamic impetus

Every audio product reviewed at TechRadar (and there are myriad options) has be put into proper context, of course — and so while I’m going to open this section with a couple of mild-ish criticisms, it’s important to remember that these are relatively affordable floorstanding loudspeakers that are likely to form part of a relatively affordable stereo system. Agreed? Good.

So when playing a copy of Phoebe Bridger’s Lost Boys the 3040c don’t have quite the dynamic potency to track the changes in volume or attack quite as fully as they might. They can do more than allude to changes in intensity, of course, but they don’t put quite as much distance between ‘minimum’ and ‘maximum’ as is absolutely ideal.

And while I’m finding fault, there’s no denying the Q Acoustics don’t quite have the instinctive flow that’s required to fully express a rhythm or manage a tempo. Control of low-frequency activity is never in any doubt, and there’s no suggestion the speakers can drag at the rhythm of a recording — but there’s no denying the 3040c could sound more fluent, especially when asked to play overtly rhythm-based material.

But with this griping out of the way, I can concentrate on all the ways the 3040c is straightforwardly impressive.

It’s a very nicely balanced listen where tonality and frequency response are concerned, for starters. Previous Q Acoustics loudspeakers have tended to err on the warm-ish side of neutral when it comes to tonality, but the 3040c is not at all inclined to stick its oar in — any heat (or lack thereof) in the sound you’re experiencing is there before it reaches the speakers, either in the recording or in the source equipment that’s delivering it.

The speakers are poised and even from the bottom of the frequency range to the top; there’s no overstating of any part and no underplaying, just a smooth and balanced representation. The integration of the drivers is first class, and the point at which handover from the bigger drivers to the tweeter takes place is imperceptible.

As well as the low-frequency punch and substance I mentioned, the Q Acoustics deal with the attack and decay of bass information fairly confidently — and they’re just as adept when it comes to midrange resolution. The 3040c are a detailed listen in every respect, and this manifests itself particularly where voices are concerned. There’s plenty of information about timbre and texture made apparent. At the top end there’s similar alacrity, and more than a hint of bite and shine — but with the substance to ensure treble sounds are never hard or edgy.

Despite the lack of ultimate dynamic headroom, the Q Acoustics do good work with the more minor, but no less significant, dynamics of tonal and harmonic variation. They can identify and reveal even very fleeting and/or subtle occurrences in a recording, and coherently lay them out as part of the overall presentation. If there are details embedded in a recording, the 3040c do their utmost to get them to you.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Q Acoustics 3040c review: Design

• 942 x 285 x 281mm (HxWxD)
• Magnetically attached grilles
• Choice of four finishes

You have to hand it to Q Acoustics: the 3040c look, and even to an extent feel, like much more expensive loudspeakers than they actually are.

The standard of build and finish is excellent, and even the vinyl wrap that covers the MDF cabinets of my ‘Claro’ walnut review sample is a cut or two above the norm — and I am confident that is also the case if you prefer the ‘pin’ oak, satin white or satin black alternatives.

The 942 x 285 x 281mm (HxWxD) dimensions mean the proportions of the cabinet are harmonious. That ‘width’ measurement includes the small aluminium stabilisers that fit to the back of each cabinet and make it less susceptible to rocking or, heaven help us, toppling. The look of the cabinet is further enhanced by the crisply rendered curves along each horizontal edge.

Q Acoustics supplies magnetic grilles, but for my money you’re better off leaving them in the packaging and enjoying the sight of the driver array instead. The satin nickel brightwork that surrounds them is a confident touch, and another little flourish that suggests the 3040c might cost a fair bit more than they actually do.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Q Acoustics 3040c review: Usability & setup

• Attach the stabilisers and spikes
• Connect to an amplifier using appropriate speaker cable
• Toe in just a little towards your listening position

Well, they’re passive loudspeakers and so setting them up and using them is hardly rocket science.

You’ll need to attach the little outrigger stabilisers to the bottom of each cabinet, and then attach the floor spikes. These can be adjusted from the top, so getting the cabinets level is no hardship.

Then, connect the speakers to the amplifier that’s driving them with speaker cable — ideally two identical lengths. And then try to make sure the speakers are toed in, just a fraction, towards the spot from where you do your listening.

• Usability & setup score: 5 / 5

Q Acoustics 3040c review: Value

• You'll struggle to find decent floorstanding speakers for this money
• Q Acoustics is a trusted name — and the 3040c are worthy of that heritage

This money won’t even get you on the ladder at some loudspeaker companies, but Q Acoustics first made a name for itself by redefining what ‘entry level’ ought to mean where booth sonic performance and build quality are concerned.

It almost goes without saying that the 3040c does nothing to spoil this reputation — and as a result, it represents prodigious value for money for anyone who wants a fairly big sound from a fairly compact and unarguably affordable floorstander.

• Value score: 5 / 5

Should I buy Q Acoustics 3040c?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Q Acoustics 3040c review: Also consider

Part of the appeal of the 3040c, in addition to the way they look and sound, is the money Q Acoustics wants in exchange for a pair. It’s genuinely hard to find a pair of floorstanding loudspeakers from a brand anything like as credible as this one for anything like the money — even brands such as DALI, Fyne Audio or Monitor Audio (to name just three) start their floorstanding ranges with models costing several hundred of your chosen currency more than this.

If you're happy to consider bookshelf models however, look to the Dali Sonik 1 or even Cambridge Audio L/R S. But again, they're not floorstanding speakers.

How I tested the Q Acoustics 3040c

I connected the 3040c to a WiiM Amp Pro using a couple of lengths of QED loudspeaker cable, and then connected a preamplified Technics turntable to the WiiM’s single analog input.

I used a Rega CD player, connected to the amplifier’s digital optical input, and also streamed via Bluetooth and Tidal Connect using an Apple iPhone 15 Pro. Which meant I was able to listen to music in lots of different formats, and at lots of different resolutions, more-or-less non-stop for a week or so.

• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee
• First reviewed: July 2026

The Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus is a speaker that requires no introduction. It’s a truly iconic model, and there really is nothing else on the market that looks quite like it.

With its mollusk-like build, tapered damping tubes and exceptional sound, it's no wonder that Bowers & Wilkins proudly announces it as “the last wish” of co-founder John Bowers. And even though the Nautilus launched all the way back in 1993, it's still being produced to this day.

During my time at the High End Vienna show earlier this year, I got a chance to check out the B&W Nautilus for myself, and got to learn more about its weird and wonderful design. I even had the chance to speak with Bowers & Wilkins’ Product Marketing Director, Andy Kerr, about why people keep coming back to the speaker, even 33 years down the line — and you may be surprised by just how popular it still is…

Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus: an introduction

For the uninitiated, the Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus is a floor-standing loudspeaker that boasts a striking spiral design and tapered tubes, resulting in one of the most unique looking models that money can buy. But despite its off-the-wall appearance, its design is very much rooted in utility.

Kerr explained to me that, in essence, the speaker attempts to create the impression of drive units “hanging in free air,” operating without the typical restrictions of a traditional cabinet or enclosure.

While B&W still decided to harness the “pressurization benefits of some form of an enclosure,” he said, there was an active effort to remove the audibility of the box — something that was achieved by using the tapered tubes that the Nautilus is still known for.

“Each tube increases in length relative to the size of the drive unit,” said Kerr. “So you've got a relatively small one for the upper tweeter, slightly longer still for the lower mid, and then this [tube for the bass section] is three meters long but kind of swirled up”.

As the driver operates, pressure dissipates into the Nautilus' tubes — which are also padded with “an absorbent wadding material” — eliminating rearward reflections and drastically reducing distortion while capturing that sense of the driver operating in free space. “It's one of the best loudspeakers you'd hear at disappearing.”

And while he accepts that the Nautilus may not be suited for a studio environment in the same way that the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 are, Kerr states, “As an experiment for reducing the audibility of a loudspeaker, it’s perfect”.

The legacy lives on

The ingenious design and sound of the Nautilus has remained, and Kerr notes that many people still purchase the speaker to this day. In fact, so many people are interested in having a Nautilus of their own that there are years' worth of backorders.

I was told that B&W is still producing approximately 50 pairs a year for sale — pretty impressive given that each individual pair takes around 31 days to make, all meticulously done by hand.

Audio enthusiasts can grab a pair of Nautilus speakers in the standard colorways — Black, Midnight Blue, and Silver — for a sum typically in the $110,000 or £100,000 ballpark. But there’s a slightly more expensive alternative, one that’s proved very popular with buyers: a custom option.

That’s right, for around £120,000 (US pricing was not shared), you can order the Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus with special paint, and get the speaker in just about any color imaginable. I was shown a handful of customer photos, and there were some exceptional finishes to behold, including McLaren Orange, Ferrari Red, and Minty Green variants, only adding to the unique nature of the Nautilus.

As things stand, there are three years — yes, three years — of backorders. Even though the Nautilus is a speaker like no other, the sheer volume of interest is seriously impressive all of these years later.

You may not have heard of the Armour Home Group, but you have almost certainly heard of its three hi-fi brands: Q Acoustics, QED, and Goldring. Q Acoustics is one of the masters of great-value value speakers, QED is one of the best-known cable makers, and Goldring is a 120-year-old turntable specialist.

And you may not have heard of its new Managing Director, Charlie Henderson, but you will absolutely have heard of the audio brands he's helped to lead, including Cambridge Audio, Naim, and Jabra.

I've met Henderson before in his roles at Cambridge and Naim, and I was fascinated by how the email I received announcing his appointment promised to focus on expanding the brands "beyond the hi-fi" sector.

I wondered if that meant moving into more 'mainstream' parts of the audio world, and I wasn't sure how that would really work with a brand like QED, so I wanted to find out more — but it turned out that Henderson had something completely different in mind.

He wanted to talk about how the brands can support the return of public listening rooms, how they can engage with the new wave of people getting into hi-fi — and how the hi-fi world can get its "mojo" back.

TechRadar: You said in your introduction at the company that "My goal is to elevate these brands beyond the hi-fi sector and into the broader music community", referring to Q Acoustics, QED, and Goldring. So what do you have in mind?

Charlie Henderson: I have felt for a long time that the hi-fi industry has lost some of its mojo. If we go back to the '50s, '60s, '70s — kind of the essence of British hi-fi in particular — lots of those company founders were either part of rock bands, or they were gigging, or they were visiting live venues, and that's why they got into this industry. So a real love of music was always there.

I think we've seen maybe over the last 10 years or so that it's gone a bit stale. And I think in all the roles I've had in this industry, I've been really keen to make sure that we reboot it. So we talk about our mission as a business, which is to move beyond the hi-fi bubble and become part of music culture — almost as though that's revolutionary, but it's not; it's just going back to what hi-fi was. It was always part of music culture.

But if we think about going around Vienna High End or the Bristol Hi-Fi Show or any of these kinds of events, it's usually less about the music and it's mostly about the equipment and the technology. I think that's a shame. It's not why I'm in this industry; it's not why all the people I tend to find that I'm working with are in this industry.

So that is our mission, and the way we do it is by just being authentic about why we're really here.

TR: It's funny, of all the big tech shows, IFA is the one that has started doing what you're saying, and trying to be a cultural hub as well as a tech show. But really audio is such a kind of tangential part of IFA compared to these music shows that you're talking about.

CH: I remember chatting to a [very respected] hi-fi journalist at the Munich show a couple of years ago, and he just hung out with us. This was in my Cambridge [Audio] days, he just kind of just hung out because he was like, 'Man, at least someone's playing some proper music.'

You walk around the halls and it's Kate Bush and Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin and all of the usual stuff. Great artists, they're still important musical acts and incredible — but decades have moved on and there's different artists today, you know? People like Fred Again and Ren are my two favorites at the moment, because I think they're British artists who are defining the real musical culture right now. And I haven't heard any Fred Again or Ren at an audio show.

I probably would hear it at IFA, and I think it's because IFA represents companies who understand that they are part of consumer culture. I think the hi-fi industry maybe sometimes thinks that consumer culture is a dirty word. I couldn't disagree more. Knowing who your customer is and what appeals to them and being part of their world, that's our responsibility as manufacturers ultimately.

TR: So what do you see music culture as being in 2026? We're in the middle of one of the most interesting times of audio I can think of, where the new audience who grew up on streaming are coming in and going, ‘I want to move beyond this.’ And that is partly behind the vinyl revival with young people really wanting to actively get into that side — but it's also leading us in the direction of every device having streaming built in or being ‘active’. There are these two arguably separate paths, so where can you ‘meet’ music culture as a company?

CH: There's a little bit of convenience going on here. Active is clearly a future direction for our industry, fueled by convenience and simplicity. I've spent a long time in my career involved in separates hi-fi, and that has a place, but I think even companies who have been focused on that over the last few decades realize that active is the direction of travel. I think that's down to people just wanting a simpler life.

But then there's the ironic flip side of that. We talk about the vinyl revival and analog renaissance and all these things, [including] CDs. I'm using one of my old Motorola phones for my phone because I don't always want to be connected on a smartphone.

But one of my favorite cartoons is [the one that asks] ‘What got you into vinyl? Was it the inconvenience or the expense?’ You know that one? I think the ritual [of playing and choosing vinyl] is really important.

Just for a second, I'm going to kind of dive off into part of how we'll execute our mission. You know, moving into being more a part of music culture isn't just about understanding the music side of it, it's actually how people experience music. I think as an industry, the hi-fi industry has long lamented the question: how do we get people to come in and listen to what music should sound like?

I don't believe [getting people to come to us] is the right answer. Go to where people are listening to music and show them how it could sound. There is a bar culture called the kissa bar culture that came out of Tokyo over the last 20 or so years. It manifests itself in these listening rooms, and you see them at Studio 180 in London, for example. Spotify has just announced its own version of one of these listening rooms as well. That's where music culture is for me.

There was a great article I was reading the other day where it's basically saying listening rooms like that are the new nightclubs. I thought that was super interesting because it's a place where people just assemble, share a passion of music. They might be sipping nice teas or drinking great whiskey or maybe just chatting, you know? It's a place to socialize.

We're seeing this resurgence of gaming, and I mean board gaming. I think that's beautiful, because it's people coming together and escaping the distractions of modern-day technology. It's definitely a younger audience who are doing that because they are sick to the high teeth of everything being online, everything being intangible and losing that connection with friends.

You're seeing it also manifesting in things like running clubs appearing and becoming a huge thing for people in their teens and 20s and early 30s, just craving for human connection.

And I think that is part of music culture. It's human connection. It's why gig tickets are going through the roof again — Glastonbury's selling out faster than ever.

And people really spend more on music, on a hi-fi system or an audio system. They're quite happy with their [premium] Apple Bluetooth products, they're already spending that money. They're dropping £1,000 on Glastonbury tickets and spending all this money on Taylor Swift to get the eight different versions of an album that she releases. They're obsessed by music, but they don't know who to talk to because no one's talking to them.

TR: This might tie back to what your plan is to get out there and interact with people, but the immediate problem that occurs to me with having more of these spaces — and about these spaces becoming more popular even though there's appetite for them — is the general collapse in the ‘third-place’ concept. Places you can go that are not work and that are not home and that are also sustainable businesses. A lot of these places are struggling. Board game cafes have done all right, but you've got maybe one or two per city. They're not like how pubs and bars have been absolutely everywhere in the past. So do you see yourselves opening some of these venues, or supporting them directly in other ways?

CH: I think the pub reference is interesting because we've seen a decline in pubs. We know how many pubs are shutting every week, and nightclubs. I think it's just a different way of people getting together. I'm not surprised that there's only one or two [board game cafes] in a town, because there's probably only ever been one or two nightclubs in a town. Clearly not the same number of people going through [board game cafes as nightclubs], but it's just a place where people can get together.

But just because they're not doing it publicly, doesn't mean they're not doing it at home, you know? We know that vinyl and turntable sales continue to increase year over year over year because people are creating their own environments at home.

In terms of how we execute it, it's by working through our relationships that we have as a team — and that I bring to the business as well in terms of relationships in the music industry and venues within the music industry — and saying ‘how do we support you creating your own listening bar environments’ or being able to [develop] kissa bar culture.

And doing that globally, importantly, as well. We might be based in the UK and proudly British hi-fi brands, but we're a global business, so how do we get a venue in Tokyo, the home of all of this culture? We've had some really good conversations in Vienna just last week about being able to do this in places in Australia, and opportunities in places like New York and across Europe. Spain, Italy and France are way ahead of the UK when it comes to this listening bar culture already.

And then obviously in the UK, our approach will be to support those venues either by equipping them with the right kind of technology to be able to deliver it, or helping people to open them. There's a difference between pop-up events, which are fun for the industry, and actually supporting these venues to be successful in what they're trying to do.

There's an ethical story here. Sometimes people say, ‘So what is it you do as a business? You're making stuff?’ I'm like: no, it's bigger than that. We make products for sure, but they transform people's lives.

It sounds very floaty and you know, almost ephemeral, but it's true: music changes how people feel, so we have a responsibility to make that available to people wherever they want to be. That's kind of our cultural thing, and we'll do that by making sure that the great kit that we make is in the places they want to go to — the two come together.

The outcome is that people realize that [our brands are] actually part of music culture, and therefore we are the people who are signposting who they could listen to great music through, and that's the business upside of it.

TR: So when you talk to these places about what support they need from you, what are they saying?

CH: Support financially. Equipment. There are some which have been really successful with very advanced audio systems, but most locations can't manage that.

We are proudly in the accessible end of the spectrum as a company, particularly around the Q Acoustics range. It's high-quality equipment, but it doesn't cost the Earth, so we can help some of these smaller venues perhaps be part of this movement; we can loan equipment to them, or work with them on [cost]. I think that's probably the practical thing that we'd be able to do.

TR: You’re talking about getting closer to music culture and being a music-listening brand, not a technical brand, if you think of it in those terms. Do you think that's something that separates you from the Chinese hi-fi brands that are exploding in popularity? A lot of them feel quite led by technical people who are able to create pretty incredible products for low prices, but the pitch feels based on technical specs.

CH: I think these brands aren’t that different to traditional hi-fi companies. You know, I've worked in a number of brands where it’s an engineering-led culture — and there's a bit of a transformation that we'll do at Armour Home; there's a degree of engineering-led culture [there].

What has been fun is seeing everything from the engineering teams, but also that our designers saying, ‘Hang on, we could be bolder and braver and less safe and actually be really exciting.’

So I'm already seeing renders for products that will come out in the next 12 to 18 months where I'm like, ‘Yeah, OK, now we're talking’. These are products that really speak to having a sense of style and presence, and really selective decisions around the colors, materials and finishes that we use, and being much closer to interior design. Pantone colors of the year and these similar cultural cues that matter [to people] — just being cool and relevant, that alone is more than maybe the Chinese brands are able to do because they're not attuned to it in quite the same way.

There is a distinction, though. It isn't just British tastes that matter; it's understanding the global tastes as well. So working with our global distributors as well to really get a sense of what is current right now in China or in Australia or in the US, and bringing that as a bit of a mix. Otherwise we fall into the trap I think British hi-fi brands have done in the past where they think everything starts and stops at the English Channel.

TR: Right now, Goldring is really a turntable accessories company that happens to make one turntable [the Goldring GR3]. So, is your plan to expand its reach by offering more turntable models, or are you thinking more about expanding the kind of accessories it makes into phono stages or something else that's not in the range at the moment?

CH: One of my observations when joining the Armour Home Group is that we focus a lot around the Q Acoustics business. And then we have two other businesses within it, which are Goldring and QED. I think that focus is a miss, [and] that's a shame, because we have 120 years this year of history with Goldring. It is one of two of the oldest audio brands in existence, and it has been there at all the defining moments over a century.

Then we have QED, which is 53 years old this year, and it was the brand that started the whole cable revolution from bell wire to proper audio hi-fi grade cables. Something called the Genesis report, which was written by the guys at QED, is still the bible that everyone else has followed ever since.

Q Acoustics has been the new kid on the block a little bit. It's 20 years old this year, so I kind of joke with people in the business that it's not a teenager anymore, we're a grown-up… but we have 120 years of Goldring.

So in the context of your question, Goldring is a beautiful thing for us to have in the family because it allows us to talk about 120 years of history, and iconic decks like the G99 or GL75 with Lenco that were built over the decades. But it's also bang up to date, because vinyl culture is hot.

So we have to do a couple of things. One is to celebrate the past and then also bring things bang up to date in the future. I've had some extraordinary conversations with some of the people I've met in this business, but one of them in particular is a guy called David Giffin.

He's been in the business for 40 years, his father was in the business for 41 years before that, and he was sharing with me this extraordinary scrapbook of all of the sort of cuttings over decades of this business.

That is extraordinary in itself, but he's now the person that people come to from all of the forums going, ‘This is the guy who can rebuild whatever cartridges from around the world’. He's showing me pictures of some Japanese cartridges, like super-esoteric cartridges made out of marble, that he's been tasked with repairing.

So this extraordinary level of skill sits in our Goldring team, and we don't talk about that nearly enough; it's extraordinary. How do we make that manifest itself in the consumer world? We let people know that we have some of the best cartridges, certainly for consistency of performance, that money can buy. We've got everything from entry level right up to Ethos at the top level

You can come to us for turntables too. We have GR3 as a turntable at the moment, and without giving any secrets away, of course we're looking at what more we can do more around that.

But I need to make sure that [a new] turntable is something truly iconic that celebrates 120 years of Goldring, that reminds everybody that this was the brand that started it all, and can sit proudly in a kissa bar environment, celebrated on this plinth, almost like they're shrines. Something that's truly special.

And then at the same time, [should] tie our brands together, so I can use QED technology in the development of that turntable, and I can also make sure we've got Q Acoustic speakers that do service to a turntable with 120 years' worth of history. That’s where some of these new flagship projects that we're working on are really exciting, because the material choices alone are bold.

I talk a lot internally about the thread between the brands. They're not disparate brands. We're incredibly fortunate to have three brands that bring everything together from the source through the connectivity through to the output, and we need to do more of that.

TR: So we should probably expect a cohesive, very premium, very celebratory set of stuff to come from this thinking?

CH: This is where I get kicked under the table by my PR handlers. You should expect a much more bold and confident view as to what we bring to market because I believe we've earned that over many, many, many, many decades.

TR: Are you considering doing something like special edition versions of Q Acoustics speakers that are Goldring-branded or designed? Q Acoustics' design language tends to have friendly, rounded corners, and rounded edges. I look at the GR3 and I see this stark, hard-edged cuboid block. Do you want a set of Q Acoustics speakers that are equally hard-edged and glossy-finished, [and] maybe have the Goldring logo on?

CH: I think it could be that way, or it could be the other way around. You could see a Goldring turntable that leans more into the home-friendly design, or I could see everything elevating to a new design approach as well, sure.

What I can be clearer about is that I think it's important that there are technology linkages where possible across the three brands, and design cues where appropriate across all three as well, without betraying the core design fundamentals of each brand. It's a balancing act.

TR: The biggest missing pieces of your portfolio are the amp and streamer. Is that something you think about expanding into, or do you think the future is more in the combined active speaker route in the Q Acoustics range?

CH: There are two parts to that. We have our core business, and we have our distribution business in the UK, and it’s important to mention that our distribution business is really interesting.

We've got Xgimi at one end in terms of cutting-edge projector technology; we’re just rolling that out with retailers across the UK, and we literally can't keep up with demand.

Almost at the other extreme we've got Grado. Cool as hell, legit New York vibes, super interesting, iconic design. And then in the middle we've got Burson Audio, a head-fi and amp brand.

But there is the missing link [in our brands], which is amplification and streaming. Active speakers definitely support that, clearly, but we have a very successful passive speaker range, and I need to work out how to tackle that. Is that through partnerships? Is that through collaboration with existing manufacturers in the industry, those who are on the same mission as us of understanding that music culture is really important for the industry? Or do we treat it as a distribution opportunity for us in the UK? And I don't have the answer yet, but I know it's important.

TR: QED is surely the hardest brand here to expand beyond the core hi-fi community, unless you take a bit of a left turn. So what is your thinking there? Would you keep QED as a nice ‘glue’ option to connect everything together, or is there some future for QED that goes beyond what it does now?

CH: I would start by saying it’s about re-remembering that QED is the brand that started it all, and helping that awareness grow. There are other brands out there who've established a strong position in the premium and luxury cable sector, but they're all essentially going back to the Genesis report.

We are working on redefining the ranges, I'll put it that way, so you'll see some news coming out of QED fairly soon anyway.

I think connectivity is a question in itself. Cables were the original connection, but now wireless is a connection, and so I'm certainly pondering in my idle moments about whether QED should be in that wireless area. Because it's the modern day glue, and it's interesting you ask the question because it's definitely in my mind.

TR: You alluded to this earlier, but it's the old business study question of asking ‘What do we actually sell? Is it cables or is it connections? And if it's connections, then should we think about something medium than cables in the future?’ Is that the kind of question you're exploring for QED?

CH: Absolutely. And I’m only four weeks in, which is why I'm not giving you clear answers, but I can see that there is a clear consumer understanding among those who know us today that we are the connection. But there are consumers today who don't even know us, they're not being signposted well enough because of the music culture topic we've gone into as to how they listen to music — so they might recognize QED as being the connection, but they're only used to wireless connectivity. And so what do we do with that?

TR: I'm sure you are not going to have anything specific to say on this subject when it comes to products, but it's very relevant to this topic: have you seen the Pro-ject Wireless Box E? They've made this little box that connects directly to the speaker posts on the back of your passive speakers, it plugs into power, and it makes them wireless using the WiiM platform.

CH: I think that's actually quite exciting for our category. A theory I have is that a lot of people are starting to inherit hi-fi, so family members might be getting to an age or passing on, sadly, and people are discovering turntables in the loft. ‘What do I do with this?’

That's interesting for me as well, which is getting people on a journey. One of the companies I worked at was world-famous for understanding the importance of being there at the beginning of someone's journey and being with them for life. It’s a separates company, and it's the upgrade journey that people went on that's really important to me. It's one of the things that I'm talking to the marketing teams about, within the group. It's about making it easier to understand where you start and where you could go.

QED is a perfect example actually, where it's a bit of a maze and really hard to navigate, so making sure that, just from a packaging and a communications point of view, people know where they are on that journey. Are they at the beginning? Are they at our ‘good’, our ‘better’ or our ‘best’ — so they can work out where they could step up through their audio life.

I don't think we have done that enough in our ranges. It's the same with our 3000 series to our 5000 series range, and then up to our Concept portfolio, in Q Acoustics. It's making it really clear about what this [product] does at this level, what you can expect at this [higher] level and what you can expect at this [highest] level. This idea that it's always a little itch that's not quite scratched; it could always get better.

TR: One of the entry points that I think we're seeing a lot of at the moment is desktop speakers. You guys have compact speakers, bookshelf speakers that are pretty small — but in particular, there's this kind of breakout sector right now that’s one step down in size from there. Quite often wireless or active, but designed for people who are getting into the audiophile stage via their desktop. Based on what you were just saying, are you guys exploring more of these opportunities where there is some breakout sector where you can say ‘OK, this is where we can get people on board in our journey’?

CH: I'm gonna half answer that. We have three different bookshelves in our 3000 series and the same in the 5000 series, and those are to meet the needs of three different kinds of bookshelf customer. Some of them are international, like the 3030c, because they’re the bigger of the lot and the US buyers like a larger volume for the cabinet.

The 3010 and 5010 are our small footprint version. They are used in home offices a lot, but I think there are new audiences coming through. There's gaming, and there are younger consumers who might be in flat shares or whatever that need something smaller. So yes, we are watching that part of the industry very closely.

TR: We’ve talked a lot about music, and that's kind of clearly where your focus is as far as building a new identity and the opportunities. But Q Acoustics has such a successful history in the home theater space; it was one of the earliest pioneers of soundbars and soundbases, but left that area really right as it was exploding — though exploding with entries from the likes of LG and Samsung. At the moment, there's no a product in that area; is that something you could see the brand getting back into, or do you want to focus on that music side?

CH: So there is a crossover. Being part of music culture doesn't mean it's exclusive to other elements of it, and I think home entertainment and AV is still very much part of that culture of entertainment. And it is important to us strategically; we still have products in the range that allow us to satisfy a lot of those needs. We have a range of subwoofers from entry through to high performance.

In terms of the soundbar category, it’s quite a scary category. It's very hard to compete with free, and the TV manufacturers will offer a soundbar as free, or give a retailer the latitude to offer it for free to close a TV sale.

I've been actively involved in some products in that space in the past, and I've seen how successful they can be if they are designed really well.

I'm dancing around an answer to say: no plans at the moment. It is a category that I look at with curiosity, but I'm not sure if it's the absolute priority yet. Surround sound, yes — but soundbar, I'm not sure yet.

TR: In surround sound, what we’re seeing there is, again, a lot of people who are ready to step up, in the same way as we talked about people in hi-fi wanting to move up in the journey. One of the key trends happening in home theater right now is the move to wireless surround systems. Do you think that is a route you can see Q Acoustics going down? It's a complicated technical thing to deal with, but I feel like it's something that any company in the space right now needs to reckon with.

CH: So we've definitely got the capabilities to develop solutions in that space. An area we haven't talked about is install, and I think there is a bigger opportunity actually about making install an option for homeowners. We have a branch of products that we call ‘easy install’ — the name says it all, you know, super easy for the average DIYer through to electricians to install. I see that there's probably a future for much more there, in terms of in-ceiling speakers and maybe some satellite speakers to create this environment.

There's a whole tangent we could go down about whether Atmos has gained momentum. I think for me, it's still a ‘watch and see’.

But I think the idea of in-ceiling or in-wall speakers and satellite speakers, and maybe some floorstanders or bookshelves as an option, and them all working together, that's interesting — and I think wireless within that environment is really interesting. And by ‘interesting’ that means ‘yes, I'm considering that’.

The ‘easy install’ stuff is super interesting though for us, because we've all been in this industry a long time. We've seen that installation systems are seen as complex and scary and difficult and expensive. You need a server-mounted system and you need specialisms and you need lots of complexity and disruption to your home… it isn't like that anymore. I've been really blown away.

My wife doesn't know this yet, but I'm going to switch stuff out in our house, because I've suddenly realized how easy it is. Q Acoustics has a thing called the E300a, which is essentially a built-in amplifier and streaming modules in a down-lighter-like size. Wire it up to a couple of in-ceiling speakers, you've got a system ready to go. It couldn't be easier. Voice controlled, so you can say ‘Alexa play BBC 6 Music’ or whatever.

I don't think people realize they can do this yet generally, and that they can do it themselves on a weekend, or they can get their local electrician to come and pop it in, because it's easy. And we're trying to support the electrician channel to do more of that. Maybe that's more interesting than the soundbars on their own.

Let's get nerdyish for a second. HDMI ARC I think is really, really important. Thank God for it, because I think particularly if you're earlier on in your [hi-fi] journey, you have to make some compromises, but you can enjoy hi-fi quality sound through an HDMI ARC interface and it'll still be part of a pseudo AV system.

Sure, it's compromised because you're not going to get the bells and whistles coming from all around — Titanic isn't going to sound quite the same — but it's going to sound beautiful when you listen to music. In that kind of relationship between ‘is it music’ or ‘is it audiovisual’, I think it’s entertainment as a whole, and finding the best of both worlds. HDMI ARC has been a savior.

TR: There's also the element where, if people go to [the] Reddit home theater community for their advice on whether to buy a soundbar, or which is the right soundbar, what they will get is a lot of people saying that they should actually get a stereo setup. There are people who say this will always be better than any soundbar, and you guys do have that option in your active speakers.

CH: That's what I mean; you can get the best of both worlds. That stereo presence though is always going to be better; that’s the point, isn't it, because you're not compromised by [having] the bar in the middle.

TR: So finally, what is the holistic brand proposition you want to offer from Armour Home? If you're addressing what you want all of your brands to do at once, and you’ve got this idea of how you can integrate with the community, what do you want people to think about Q Acoustics and QED and Goldring in combination?

CH: I want people to see that there is a relationship between all three brands that takes us from the origins of the audio experience right up to the modern day. That there is some confidence in those brands, that we understand the legacy that they bring, and that Q Acoustics kind of brings that freshness to it as well.

That we can bring those technologies together more, so there's more integration there and the design and feel about them having a relationship closer together as well. So rather than Armor Home as a parent company being a collection of brands, Armor Home is the home of source through to the output.

And that we've got a vibe as well, that we're not passive, forgive the pun, in this industry — that we recognize that it's about the hairs on your arms. It isn't just about the engineering.

It's just about having a shared passion and experience and being visible to everybody in the places that they enjoy being. This idea of ‘we'll come to you, you don't need to come to us because we are the same as you’.

It's Amazon Prime Day, and one of my favorite deals of day isn't actually a huge discount, but I think it's a really worthwhile buy at the lower price. It's the WiiM Amp Ultra, which is available for $449 at Amazon US (down from $529), or you can get it for £425 at Amazon UK (down from $499).

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

I have the WiiM Amp Ultra at home, and it's an amazing streaming amp for this price. It's really well-built and looks at home among nice furniture, with a solid metal finish — and it's shockingly compact, considering that it provides up to 100W per channel, so it can work with some really hefty speakers,

Most importantly, it sounds excellent, and there's support for nearly every music service you could want (but I'll come back to that "nearly), plus useful inputs for a turntable and so on.

I use it with a pair of Dali Oberon 5 bookshelf speakers, and the combination is off the charts for a hi-fi system that barely takes up any space. Obviously, floorstanding speakers are tall, but the Oberon 5 only have the same footprint as bookshelf speakers, so these three boxes overall can be used even in space-starved homes, but sound like you've got a much bigger, beefier setup.

When I started this configuration, I auditioned it against using the Amp Ultra with a pair of Dali Oberon 1 bookshelf speakers, and against a pair of Sonos Era 300 speakers (a pair of which costs about the same as getting the Amp Ultra and Oberon 5 speakers).

The Oberon 1 bookshelf speakers crushed the Sonos Era 300 when it came to detail and dynamic response in music, but they were equally crushed by the Sonos for bass depth and dispersion of sound in the room.

However, the Oberon 5 are the best of all worlds with the WiiM powering them — big and controlled bass, fantastic detail in the mids and treble, superb dynamic attack, and great dispersion in the room.

So I'd recommend the WiiM Amp Ultra generally, but if you're thinking that you'd like a whole magnificent hi-fi setup for under £1,000 in the UK, here's my recommendation today — if you're in the US, scroll down, because I've got a recommendation for you right after.

Today's best UK WiiM Amp Ultra and speaker deal combination

Today's best UK WiiM Amp Ultra and speaker deal combination

Some speakers are quite a lot more expensive in the US than in Europe, and Dali speakers are chief among this category. So when looking for an equivalent system to suggest with the WiiM Amp Ultra in the US, I wanted to find something that was also a huge bargain, and that's just as good, and the ELAC Debut 2.0 F6.2 is the perfect option, because their bookshelf version also got five stars from What Hi-Fi? in their review.

The downside to the WiiM Amp Ultra

There is one thing I want to note about the Amp Ultra: it's not 100% ideal for Apple Music households, despite its aluminum look and slick design. It lacks any kind of Apple support outside of Bluetooth — not just Apple Music (which is normal for streaming amps, only Sonos has this natively), but even AirPlay 2, which nearly every other music streaming device on the planet supports.

It doesn't have a USB audio input either, which seems like an odd omission for an 'Ultra' device — and it's annoying that it rules out using your Apple device's USB port to send Hi-Res Audio to it.

Now, Spotify is the most popular service, and that's supported. I have a Tidal subscription, so I'm all good. This is far from affecting everyone, but there are plenty of people who are deep in the Apple system, who use Apple Music only, and the Amp Ultra is oddly hostile to those people.

More Prime Day deals in the US

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When the Canvas L was announced, and declared itself the "world's first audiophile soundbar", the TechRadar Slack lit up. The likes of KEF and Bang & Olufsen would surely dispute that claim — and is this upstart company really going to beat them at their own game?

Well, I got to listen to the new Canvas L in action at the High End Vienna 2026 hi-fi show, and my skepticism is gone. Other companies have produced absolutely glorious-sounding soundbar-shaped speakers, but the Canvas L is pretty astounding even in that context.

It's not trying to be like soundbars that apply 50 drivers to create a really big sound that works with Dolby Atmos spatial audio in all directions. It's pretty clear when you see the speaker arrangement that this is following a more traditional stereo speaker setup, just transplanted into a shape that's more like soundbar, and that sits below a TV.

Each side of the soundbar has an arrangement with a 29mm SB Acoustics ring radiator tweeter, a four-inch mid-range driver custom-built by Scan-Speak, and an eight-inch Scan-Speak woofer, the latter of which is paired with a matching eight-inch passive radiator.

So that's a pretty classic three-way system (plus a radiator), just in a cunning disguise. It requires a pretty robust amount of bracing, and the cabinet here certainly looks more like what you'd expect from hi-fi than from a soundbar. And the hefty size means it's designed to mount to the back of your TV, rather than sit on a surface.

Of course, even though this is basically a pair of floorstanding speakers in a cunning horizontal disguise, all the amplification is on board, and there's a hefty 1,500W of peak power. Specifially, there's 300W per woofer, 200W per mid-range driver, and 50W per tweeter, all class D.

Canvas Hifi says the frequency response is a huge 25Hz to 40,000kHz — and that brings me the juicy part: how it sounds.

Let's start with the fact that I can easily believe those big frequency range claims, because there's just wildly deep bass that resonates convincingly right through your abdomen, in a great way.

The low end is just gloriously meaty, giving you something to really grip onto and flow with in the music, and that can wake you up with guttural punch if it needs to.

I felt that were was just a slightly boomy edge to it when digging to the deepest depths, which wouldn't necessarily be surprising for something with two huge radiators, but it may have just been an artefact of the cobbled-together listening rooms we have to use at trade shows.

Even if it it's part of the bar's sound, I'd still have no real complaints if I wanted a powerful system without a sub — you just wouldn't need one, and it had no problem dispersing bass thoughout the room, as you'd want.

The sense of power goes beyond just the bass — it has no problem filling the whole room in front of me with a wall of sound that's packed with texture, and brings convincing realism to every delicate element in vocals.

It's so dynamic and impactful, with excellent musical timing, in a way that just gives it engrossing rhythmic energy. I could have happily sat floating in its sound the rest of my day at the show.

I've talked about the power a lot, because it's what stands out most. It can be really light-touch when it needs to be, meaning that it really does feel like an elite hi-fi experience in soundbar form, because it has the versatility that I associate with truly excellent large speakers — and then the ability kick you like a horse when the song demands it.

My overarching takeaway from the experiences was just for firm and 3D the instruments feel in music, even without the full separating you'd normally have for a stereo soundstage.