Halloween has come and gone which means we’re spookily close to Black Friday, where we’re expecting a wealth of hefty discounts on top hi-fi and home cinema hardware.
But the start of November also brings a very different kind of treat: the latest entry into our regular Pick of the Month column, where we reveal the top products to pass through our review rooms last month.
And what a month October was, with our team of experts awarding a staggering 14 hi-fi and home cinema products perfect five-star ratings, after thoroughly putting them through their paces. The imminent What Hi-Fi? Awards might have had something to do with that...
Here’s what you need to know about October's five-star products.
KEF Q Concerto Meta
The KEF Q Concerto Meta are the cheapest speakers we’ve reviewed with the company’s Meta technology, which we first encountered reviewing its more premium KEF R3 Meta standmount speakers last year.
Despite being radically cheaper than the R3, we think the Concerto are a fantastic set of bookshelf speakers that are well worth considering. Pairing the bookshelf speakers with our reference Naim Nait XS 3 amp, they deliver excellent results. Whether it was bopping pop or rumbling 12-bar blues the speakers delivered a nicely balanced presentation with impressive amounts of low-end heft.
Hence our conclusion: “KEF’s Q Concerto Meta are grown-up all-rounders that deliver a top-class performance for the money.”
Score: 5/5
Read our KEF Q Concerto Meta review
Panasonic Z95A (TV-65Z95A)
2024 has been a great year for OLED TVs and that trend continues with the Panasonic Z95A. The TV is Panasonic’s current flagship TV and interesting for three reasons.
First, it’s the first Panasonic OLED in donkey’s years to be available in the US via Amazon. Second, it runs Amazon Fire TV OS, rather than Panasonic’s home-brew My Home Screen. And third, it uses second-generation, brightness-boosting micro lens array (MLA) screen tech.
Does the trio make for a good TV? Based on our testing, yes. We loved the Z95A’s punchy, but “as the director intended” performance so much, that we gave it a perfect five-star rating. Our reviewers’ verdict says it all: “Panasonic’s second MLA OLED is one of its best, offering punchy peak brightness without sacrificing the brand’s 'as the director intended' authenticity.”
Score: 5/5
Read our Panasonic Z95A (TV-65Z95A) review
Goldmund Telos 690
If you’ve frequented What Hi-Fi?’s Temptation section before, then you know our team of hi-fi experts is used to testing some very expensive hardware. So when we describe the Goldmund Telos 690 as “hideously expensive but heinously capable” that should automatically tell you a lot about the uber-premium integrated amplifier.
Retailing for £32,500 / $36,250 / AU$60,000 the amp is an undeniable luxury but, based on our testing, one that's well worth aspiring to own. Though its design, which one What Hi-Fi? team member described as “what would happen if a Soviet-era architect designed an integrated amp”, may not be to everyone’s taste, the amp delivers the goods where it matters. Paired with our reference high-end Naim ND555/555 PS DR streamer and Wilson Benesch’s Discovery 3Zero speakers, the results were excellent.
Across every genre, the Telos 690 delivered an impeccably clean and precise presentation with astounding levels of agility and dynamic expression. Hence our conclusion: “Goldmund’s Telos 690 is one of the finest integrated amplifiers we’ve heard. Its clean, precise and ever-so-detailed sound is a joy.”
Score:5/5
Read our Goldmund Telos 690 review
Samsung Q80D (QE55Q80D)
If you follow the TV market you know there’s a lot of chat going on about Mini LED being the future of the mid-range market. But in October Samsung showed there’s plenty of live left in full array LED panels with its Q80D.
Reviewing the mid-range set we found the Q80D to be a fantastic option for buyers on a budget that can’t afford an OLED. During all our picture checks, including the moody sci-fi cityscape of Blade Runner 2049 and the uber-bright desert of Dune: Part 2, the TV delivered an immersive picture with solid contrast and solidity. Hence our conclusion: “With its powerful processing, rich colours, excellent contrast and potent sound, the QE55Q80D is pretty much the consummate mid-range TV..”
Score: 5/5
Read our Samsung Q80D (QE55Q80D) review
Cambridge Audio EXN100
The EXN100 is the latest in a long line of music streamers from Cambridge Audio to earn a perfect five-star rating from our testers in recent years. But it earns particular praise as it also performed well enough to be a What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 winner.
Why this streamer in particular despite it having incredibly similar specifications to its cheaper siblings? Because it delivered the goods sonically. Paired with our reference system of the Burmester 088/911 MkIII pre/power amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers the EXN100 delivered stellar results across the board.
Whether it was Breezeblocks by Alt-J or Major Lazer’s Pon de Floor the streamer delivered a remarkably clear, open and controlled sound that set it apart from rivals.
As we said in our EXN100 review: “Cambridge Audio has refined its streaming experience even further with the elevated, refined, features-packed EXN100 that remains pleasingly slick and easy to use.”
Score: 5/5
Read our Cambridge Audio EXN100 review
Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9
The Bravia Theatre Bar 9 is the latest premium Dolby Atmos soundbar from Sony and a direct replacement for last year’s award-winning HT-A7000. Does it live up to its predecessor’s strong legacy? Based on our testing, the answer is a definitive yes.
The Bar 9 has a reworked design that houses a new 13-driver setup – an upgrade on the outgoing A7000’s 11-driver count. The arrangement pairs four front woofers with three standard tweeters and two beam tweeters on the side. Up top, these are complemented by two up-firing speakers.
The setup delivers amazing results, with movie audio holding a wonderful sense of directionality. Hence our conclusion: “The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 is comfortably better than the excellent HT-A7000 that preceded it. For clarity, detail, dynamics, solidity and outright Atmos-ness, it’s hard to fault, and its design is a big improvement, too.”
Score: 5/5
Read our Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9 review
Nagaoka MP-200
The Nagaoka MP-200 is another What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 winner and based on our testing a fantastic cartridge for any vinyl fan. Technical highlights include the use of a low-mass boron cantilever and superfine polished elliptical diamond tip stylus.
But most importantly it sounds great. Pairing the cartridge with our reference Technics SL-1000R record player feeding a Cyrus Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phono stage, a Burmester 088/911MkIII amplifier and ATC’s SCM50 speakers, the results were excellent.
Music sounded balanced, detailed and precise, which is why we heaped praise on the MP-200 in our review, concluding: “The Nagaoka MP-200 is a terrific all-rounder and is easily one of the best performers in its class.”
Score: 5/5
Read our Nagaoka MP-200 review
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Apple’s iPhones have long held a place among the best phones for music streaming on the go. The iPhone 16 Pro continues this trend.
The handset isn’t a massive upgrade at a technical level, outside of minor spruces to the chipset, camera and a wealth of “AI” Apple Intelligence features – which weren’t actually active at the time of review. But in the two areas that we care most about at What Hi-Fi? – video and audio quality – it remains one of the top performers in its class.
During our tests, the screen uniformly offered a detailed and impactful picture that’s good enough for casual viewing on your commute or at home. Audio was also excellent, delivering a dynamic, engaging performance with headphones connected. Hence the perfect score and our verdict: “The iPhone 16 Pro certainly isn’t a generational leap over its predecessor, but refinements to picture and sound make it an even better device for portable AV tasks.”
Score: 5/5
Read our Apple iPhone 16 Pro review
Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023)
Amazon’s line of Fire tablets has a track record as the best option for people that want to watch TV and movies on the go, but don’t want to pay for an Apple iPad.
The HD 10 (2023) is a great example of the form. Despite being relatively affordable by tablet standards it offers a balanced, surprisingly punchy picture, travel-friendly build quality and access to all the major film streaming apps you’d want thanks to Amazon’s Fire OS.
It earned five stars and, as we concluded in our review: “If you can’t justify stretching to an iPad, the Fire HD 10 is a great, affordable way to get your movie fix on the move.”
Our only word of caution is, don’t plan on relying on the Fire HD 10’s built-in speakers all the time, as they can sound a little soft. You’ll get a much better experience watching with a decent pair of headphones connected.
Score: 5/5
Read our Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) review
Hisense PX3-Pro
The Hisense PX3-Pro is the Chinese tech giant’s latest “gaming focussed” UST projector. And while Hisense’s marketing may focus on its ‘designed for Xbox Series’ certification, during testing we found it’s also pretty darned good for movie watching.
Capable of throwing up a 4K 80-150-inch image and coming with an atypically low throw distance, the PX3-Pro delivered a wonderfully immersive viewing experience during our checks. HDR performance was also surprisingly solid, considering its focus.
We concluded in our review: “The PX3-Pro’s handling of dark scenes is particularly excellent by UST standards, and in general its picture is a marked improvement on any other projector in its class we’ve tested.”
Score: 5/5
Read our Hisense PX3-Pro review
Sony Xperia 10 VI
The Xperia 10 VI is the second phone to appear in our latest Pick of Month column. It’s the latest affordable Android phone from Sony, but despite its affordable price tag, the handset remains a fantastic option for music and movie fans.
From a picture perspective, this is in part due to its atypical 21:9 aspect ratio, which is designed for widescreen movie content. But it’s also thanks to the OLED panel’s stellar picture quality, with it delivering a wonderfully detailed and three-dimensional viewing experience during our checks.
Add to this its insightful performance with headphones connected and it becomes an easy recommendation. Hence our verdict: “The Sony Xperia 10 VI is yet another impressive budget handset that excels for movies and music.”
Score: 5/5
Read our Sony Xperia 10 VI review
Epos ES-7N
“Small box, flexible nature and a huge talent” – that’s how our reviewers described the Epos ES-7N, which tells you pretty much everything you need to know about them.
The tiny, brightly coloured bookshelf speakers were a delight to listen to during our testing, offering a clear, forthright and expressive sound with impactful dynamics regardless of what reference hardware we matched them with.
Hence their five-star rating and our conclusion: “Overall, the Epos ES-7N are charmers. They are small, hugely capable and surprisingly unfussy in use. Pamper them with careful placement and a top-quality signal and they will deliver an excellent performance that’s good enough to challenge the very best alternatives at this level."
Score: 5/5
Read our Epos ES-7N review
Rotel A8
The Rotel A8 is a stark contrast to the Goldmund integrated amplifier further up this list. Specifically, it’s an affordable, no-frills unit designed for hi-fi aficionados on a budget.
That means you have to forgo certain luxuries, including digital inputs. But if that doesn’t put you off and you want the best audio possible at this price, we’d strongly recommend considering it. Even when driving affordable speakers, including the budget Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 we found it delivers clear, controlled and precise presentation with expressive dynamics and punchy bass.
Which is why we gave it a What Hi-Fi? Award and heaped praise on it in our review, concluding: “Rotel’s A8 is an unassuming but hugely capable integrated amplifier that is sure to worry the class leaders.”
Score: 5/5
Read our Rotel A8 review
BenQ W5800
A lot of projectors these days try and be Swiss Army knife products offering things like inbuilt streaming, next-generation HDMI 2.1 connectivity and more, which not everyone needs. Which is why it was refreshing to have the BenQ W5800 pass through our test rooms in October.
Unlike a lot of modern projectors, the BenQ W5800 has one singular focus: offering the best home cinema picture quality possible. While this means it’s not good for gaming, or casual viewers, for those willing to match it with a good source and surround sound system, it’s one of the best options out there. Running our standard suite of 4K Blu-ray test discs the unit delivered outstanding colour performance, and excellent levels of sharpness and detail.
Which is why we concluded in our BenQ W5800 review: “If you’re in the market for a serious movie projector for a dedicated home cinema room, the BenQ W5800’s class-leading colour delivery and impressive contrast-boosting set-up flexibility means there’s finally a compelling rival at this level for Sony’s awesome VPL-XW5000ES.”
Score: 5/5
Read our BenQ W5800 review
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024)
The wireless earbuds market is already fairly full. So full in fact, that many big names in hi-fi are struggling to differentiate, let alone compete in the space – which is why you’ve likely seen a number of four, and at times three-star earbud reviews appear on What Hi-Fi? this year.
So the fact Bose has managed to do both with its latest affordable QuietComfort Earbuds is a particularly impressive achievement. During testing the company’s entry-level earbuds not only delivered the effective noise cancellation Bose is famous for, they also delivered excellent sound. Though aptX support isn’t included, during our checks they delivered a solid musical sound, even when streaming from Spotify, making them an easy recommendation for their target market.
Our review’s conclusion says it all: “Bose’s entry-level ANC earbuds display many talents, from their powerful, entertaining sound to their impressive customisation options and solid noise-cancelling skills. An excellent option for the money”
Score: 5/5
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) review
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