Happy Monday and welcome to another retrospective on all the big news over the past seven days in the worlds of hi-fi, TV and home cinema, plus our pick of the review headlines from our test team.
We’ve had a bit of everything this week, from Apple’s big annual announcement to a talented tablet from Samsung.
Here’s everything you need to know…
Naim launched Uniti Star Lite
We’ve been huge fans of Naim’s Uniti Star streaming system since it launched way back in 2016. And Naim took the wraps off a new version last week, but with one major change.
The new Lite model doesn’t have the built-in CD player and ripper of the original. Unfortunately, this is due to supply issues, but Naim does claim to have upped the audio performance from the machine. Even with the lack of CD-spinner, we can’t wait to get it in our test rooms.
Apple confirms September event
Yes, it’s that time of year again. Everyone in the world of tech has been waiting for that one email to go around announcing Apple’s intention to unleash its latest generation iPhone on the buying public.
But will it just be iPhones that we see this year? Rumour has it a new pair of AirPods could be on the way together with refreshed tablets and, if we’re lucky, maybe even a new Apple TV 4K. All will hopefully be revealed on the big date…
Xbox’s lifeline for physical media
Both cinephiles and gamers were disappointed when Sony announced that its next-generation PlayStation console was going to ditch physical discs, so imagine our surprise (and glee) when Xbox announced a new initiative which looks like it could keep the disc format ticking over for a little while yet.
Samsung’s talented big-screen tablet
Our test team had a great time getting to grips with Samsung’s huge Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra tablet this week.
Okay, so we realise a 14.6in tablet isn’t going to be for everyone, but if you’re a movie fan who can’t live without their fix of the big screen on the move, we think the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has iPad Pro-rivalling credentials that need to be taken seriously.
Get the full lowdown in our Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review
Bose’s flagship soundbar falls short
Our experts were also excited to get Bose’s new Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar into our test rooms, but we weren’t exactly blown away by what this flagship Dolby Atmos ‘bar has to offer.
We felt it was a good-looking unit boasting premium build quality and an intuitive control app, but it was ultimately an unsatisfying and undynamic listen, and the Sonos Arc Ultra continues to be our recommendation at this premium level.
Read our full Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar review
FiiO reveals more retro-inspired hi-fi
FiiO loves retro-looking hi-fi components, and this week, it announced a product which “takes inspiration from the 'golden era of 1950s tube amplifiers". At £769 / $769 / €665 the EA13 is a relatively affordable full-size vacuum tube amplifier, but with a solid feature set and design.
FiiO's retro-modern amp takes inspiration from the "golden era of 1950s tube amplifiers"
McIntosh revealed a new streaming preamp
This week we got a glimpse of the wonderful blue lights of McIntosh’s VU meters, this time sat on the front of the company’s new CS7500 streaming preamplifier.
Dressed in McIntosh’s trademark black, green and blue colours, the CS7500 promises a wide assortment of connectivity options and all the streaming smarts you’d expect from a product costing over $12,000.
The rest of the week's news in brief:
Apple might be about to launch new AirPods 5, but will they feature substantial improvements?
Eversolo brings streaming, downloads and physical CD playback together in one multitasking product
