Simon Lucas

Simon Lucas

Simon Lucas is a freelance technology journalist and consultant, with particular emphasis on the audio/video aspects of home entertainment. If it's involved in the production of sound or visual images, Simon will have written about it during the course of what will soon be a 20-year career.


Before embracing the carefree life of the freelancer, Simon was editor of What Hi-Fi? magazine and whathifi.com – a stint that lasted nearly six years and coincided with the website becoming the planet's leading source of audio/visual buying advice for consumers. Since then, he's written for titles including (but not limited to) to Wired, Metro, the Guardian, HiFi+ and GQ, and has acted as an audio consultant for some of the world's most high-profile consumer electronics brands. All from what he likes to call 'The English Riviera' but what is more commonly known as 'Brighton'. 


Despite an invariably packed schedule, Simon likes to make time during the working week to publish (and invariably then hastily delete) tweets about the state of the nation (in general), the state of Aston Villa (in particular) and the state of his partner's cat via @OnlySimonLucas.

Articles by: Simon Lucas

FiiO's BTR17 DAC/amp in black, on a gray table, showing PCM resolution in yellow font

FiiO's wireless little BTR17 headphone DAC and amp is a tour de force at a very attainable price

By Simon Lucas published

Recommended

Look, this is FiiO we’re discussing here, it because of that it naturally follows that the BTR17 portable Bluetooth DAC/headphone amplifier is very, very good indeed.

Cambridge Audio P100 on a wooden table in the sun

Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: incredible value wireless over-ear headphones that last and last (and last)

By Simon Lucas last updated

Editor's Choice

Cambridge Audio's first ever wireless noise-cancelling over-ear headphones have landed. Do they have what it takes to stand out? You betcha they do.

Focal Bathys Mg in bronze, featuring ear cup detail on gray background

Focal Bathys MG review: beautiful wireless headphones that are so very nearly the finest in the game

By Simon Lucas published

Recommended

You’d never know by looking at them, but Focal’s Bathys MG represent a pretty big step on from the inaugural 2022 Bathys

Bose SoundLink Plus on Brighton Beach pebbles, with the old pier in the background

Bose SoundLink Plus review: a difficult middle child in Bose's Bluetooth speaker lineup? Not. At. All.

By Simon Lucas published

Recommended

As Bose fills the gaps in its SoundLink range, is the Plus just a difficult middle child?

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 on white background

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 review: these earbuds are even crazier about music now, in the best way

By Simon Lucas published

Editor's Choice

In which Cambridge Audio attempts to move the dial on its earbuds lineup from ‘very good’ to ‘truly great’... and succeeds with gusto.

JBL Tour One M3 over-ear noise-cancelling headphones on a white surface

JBL Tour One M3 review: a determined attempt to dominate the over-ear noise-cancelling headphones market, with one issue

By Simon Lucas published

JBL’s third generation of its Tour One wireless noise-cancelling over-ear headphones have a party piece – but it will cost you…

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Generation in silver, on gray table

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Generation review: three is truly the magic number for this excellent portable speaker

By Simon Lucas published

Editor's Choice

If three really is a magic number, the Beosound A1 3rd Gen is going to be quite a speaker – given how good the first two were…

iFi iDSD Valkyrie on gray table

iFi iDSD Valkyrie DAC review: a headphone amp capable of staggeringly complete, informative sound

By Simon Lucas published

Recommended

Never knowingly understated, iFi has upped the ‘transportable DAC/headphone amp’ once again with another portentously named product. Is the iDSD Valkyrie ready to slay the opposition?

2 Comments
JBL Flip 7 portable Bluetooth speaker on a white surface

JBL Flip 7 review: meet the new portable Bluetooth speaker boss, even better than the class-leading old boss

By Simon Lucas published

Editor's Choice

The JBL Flip 7 portable Bluetooth speaker bests its class-leading former self to make the most of music on-the-go

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 over-ear headphones on a white surface

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review: gorgeous over-ear ANC headphones with near-perfect sound

By Simon Lucas published

Editor's Choice

Considerably more than a simple refresh, the third version of Bowers & Wilkins’ Px7 wireless over-ear noise-cancellers is the best (and the priciest) so far

2 Comments
Vertere DG X turntable, in a hi-fi listening room, ready for testing

Vertere's DG X turntable is both sonically gifted and easy to use, and for 'serious' hi-fi, that's rare

By Simon Lucas published

Recommended

In which Vertere delivers a complete, ready-to-go turntable package at what is, by its standards, a very affordable price indeed…

The Sennheiser HD 505 headphones held in a man's hand

I tested Sennheiser's HD 505 wired headphones, and they give you a taste of the high end at a real-world price

By Simon Lucas published

Affordable Sennheiser open-backed headphones with rich sound and a comfortable fit.

FiiO JM21 portable music player on a white surface

I tested the FiiO JM21 portable music player and it's hard to believe an entry-level digital audio device can sound so good for so little outlay

By Simon Lucas published

Editor's Choice

FiiO has come up with another intriguing product, and the JM21 is now making a play at the digital audio player entry level market...

4 Comments
The EAT C-Dur Concrete turntable on a wooden shelf

EAT C-Dur Concrete review: yes, it's real concrete, and it's amazingly detailed and insightful

By Simon Lucas published

Big and heavy and intermittently clever, the C-Dur turntable (plus the C-Tone tonearm and the Jo No.8 moving magnet cartridge) create a strong visual, as well as sonic, impression.

2 Comments
Sonus Faber Lumina II on a stone surface

Sonus Faber Lumina II review: Italian-made stereo speakers that deliver an engaging sound and an indulgent finish (if that's your bag)

By Simon Lucas published

Recommended

Sonus Faber has added an entry-level alternative to its wide-ranging catalog of balanced, rewarding stereo speakers that deliver a detailed and engaging sound.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds on the left, Technics EAH-AZ100 on the right

I tested Technics' EAH-AZ100 against Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, so here are all the key ways each of these buds beats the other

By Simon Lucas published

Bose's best buds vs Technics' technical triumph – I've compared both directly

Sonos Ace on the left, and Bowers & Wilkins PX8 on the right

I tested the Sonos Ace against Bowers & Wilkins Px8, and which one to pick comes down to how much you focus on music or movies

By Simon Lucas published

Two premium brands with rather different histories of headphone manufacture go head to head.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones on the left, held in a man's hand, Sonos Ace on the right, rest on their case

I tested Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones against the Sonos Ace, and it's a nuanced battle between these elite wireless headphones

By Simon Lucas published

Looking for some premium headphones? Let's dig into all the little details that make the big differences.

The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition on a shelf with a pink light on next to a music player.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition review: the best sound from a single wireless speaker at this price

By Simon Lucas published

Big, expansive sound from a one-box speaker with an iconic design

Technics EAH-AZ100 on the left, Sony WF-1000XM5 on the right

I tested Technics' EAH-AZ100 against Sony's WF-1000XM5, and here's how the elite wireless earbuds compare

By Simon Lucas published

Technics' new high-tech hotness versus Sony's flagship earbuds.

2 Comments
Meze Audio 105 AER headphones in a hi-fi testing room, on gray background

Meze Audio 105 AER review: open-backed wired headphones that sit beautifully in the consumer market – and feel like they shouldn't

By Simon Lucas published

Editor's Choice

A tale in which Meze Audio, pace-setters where high-end headphones are concerned, decides to drop some of its talent on us mere mortals who exist in the mainstream...

Gadhouse Duke & Roy turntable and powered wireless speaker stereo system

Gadhouse Duke & Roy review: a turntable and powered speakers combo that sounds like warm milk... and not in a good way

By Simon Lucas published

The Gadhouse Duke & Roy turntable and powered speakers sound system struggles sonically, to the extent that all the kit still isn't really worth the affordable price.

The KEF LSX II LT speaker against a pink background

KEF LSX II LT review: the best small hi-res wireless stereo speakers you can buy for the price

By Simon Lucas published

Editor's Choice

KEF's mastery of the ‘all in two’ speaker system comes down to its keenest price so far.

Noble FoKus Rex5 earbuds in a green case on a metallic surface

Noble FoKus Rex5 review: well-built true wireless earbuds that err on the expensive and make you think – 'when is green too green?'

By Simon Lucas published

The Noble FoKus Rex5 true wireless earbuds have detailed sound and great build quality but average noise-cancellation and low-end issues make them so expensive.

Technics EAH-AZ100 in-ear headphones on a white surface

Technics EAH-AZ100 review: premium true wireless earbuds that bridge gap between 'good' and 'great'

By Simon Lucas published

Recommended

With its latest premium true wireless in-ear headphones, Technics is attempting to make the jump from ‘really good’ to ‘truly great’ – and the EAH-AZ100 achieves this.

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