Simon Lucas

Everyone’s idea of ‘mainstream’ is slightly different, of course, but in the case of the Dali IO-8 wireless noise-cancelling headphones it would seem to mean ‘really quite expensive’...

Meet Focal’s class-leading, bank-manager-bothering wireless streaming system – think more Utopia than Diva.

A tiny product with a tiny price-tag that wants to make a big difference to your listening experience – and to a degree, it succeeds.

The Final Audio D7000 planar magnetic over-ear headphones have more technical acronyms than most, but is that enough to produce a premium class-leader?

Bowers & Wilkins’ entry-level 607 S3 is the smallest and most affordable member of the 600 range, but more than that, they're an ideal gateway drug to a lifelong hi-fi habit.

Ease of use is a very good thing when it comes to turntables – but it still needs to be underpinned by a sense of sonic prowess.

With the Stax Spirit S5 wireless over-ear planar magnetic headphones, Edifier is attempting to sell you a taste of the truly high-end while only charging premium money.

FiiO has become so well-known for its great-value, high-performance players that the M23 is almost unremarkable. Almost.

Monitor Audio has deployed as much of its hard-earned elite knowledge as possible in a more affordable standmount speaker pair with a resonant model name.

The A&K HC4 can turn your smartphone into an open, detailed listen – but in a saturated market, it isn't always the perfect solution.

The Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000T is another seismic step forward to create the perfect portable music player

The Bose SoundLink Max is a robust Bluetooth speaker that creates punchy, assertive sound with a sturdy design to ensure your party goes off with a bang. It can attract marks, though.

The Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless want put the cat among the midrange big-brand pigeons, but there are more dynamic options for less money readily available.

The iFi Zen DAC 3 headphone amp is a digital-to-analogue converter that has secured a top spot in the mid-range DAC market.

The Three Plus is more than the sum of its parts

The iFi GIO Bar Kensei is a stylish portable headphone amp/DAC that might be perfect if it weren't for a couple of niggles.

As long as you’re not expecting some sort of sonic armageddon, the iFi iDSD Diablo 2 has an awful lot going for it.

Rely on Lenco to pile on the features, including the ability to digitize your vinyl collection, without letting costs get out of control.

The VR500 by Final Audio are the wired earbuds that can elevate your listening experience without the significant outlay.

Grado originally released its Reference Series Hemp headphones as a limited edition – but obviously the lure of the Hemp was too great for people to resist…

Q Acoustics takes the proven concept of its excellent little M20 HD streaming system and makes it bigger. Not by much, mind you...

With the addition of one or two premium features, Sennheiser turns its ‘entry-level’ wireless over-ear into a ‘mid-market’ proposition.

The Pro-Ject Debut continues its relentless journey up-market – but is still cracking value for money.