We’re one week away from the Bank Holiday weekend (at least those of us in Blighty), but ahead of it, the news continues to flood in.
Which is why even the most hardened of audiophiles and cinephiles may, justifiably, be struggling to keep up with all of it.
Here to help, we’ve penned a fresh entry into our weekly hi-fi and home cinema news digest, Rewind, to help you know what’s going on in both worlds.
Philips has some interesting thoughts on RGB Mini LED
There are few hotter topics in the world of TVs than RGB Mini-LED; a new panel technology hitting the market this year, being touted as an “OLED-killer” by many brands, including Hisense and TCL.
But, blunt industry expert that he always is, Philips’ Senior Director of Product Strategy and Planning, Danny Tack, had some choice words about the hardware when we asked him about it at a press event in Belgium last week.
Specifically, while Philips is going to use it and sees a lot of benefits, it doesn’t see it dethroning OLED in the premium market any time soon.
Read the full story: Philips on RGB Mini LED: “OLED is still better”
But OLED is having a minor wobble…
Despite Tack’s punchy comments, the team at What Hi-Fi?, last week voiced some concerns about the direction OLED is going in.
Specifically, after two of the first new OLED TVs to pass through our viewing rooms, the LG C6 and LG G6, suffered from minor black level issues, we’re slightly concerned that companies are beginning to forget what made OLED great to begin with. Here's hoping we're wrong.
Read the full story: OLED needs to lean into its unique strength, rather than fix its biggest “weakness”
BMW cars are getting a new Dolby Atmos sound system
It seems more and more car companies are adding “proper” sound systems to their wares. But last week it was BMW that got in on the action, confirming it will be offering a swanky Bowers & Wilkins Dolby Atmos system as an option on its latest generation of 7 Series luxury saloon.
With the firm also offering nifty 31.3-inch touch screens for people sitting in the back as an option, the system isn’t just for music, and looks like a tasty treat for movie fans who are regularly on the road (and can afford a chauffeur).
Read the full story: Dolby Atmos is coming to the new BMW 7 Series and its 36-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system
A surprisingly affordable UST projector, from a company we didn’t expect
Ultra Short Throw (UST) and 'home cinema in a box' projectors are both growing in popularity. Which is likely why Acer decided to get in on the action, unveiling its new, catchily named, PD1520Us.
The unit aims to let home cinema fans throw up a giant 100-inch-plus image on the fly, featuring a tiny design and a surprisingly affordable £550 / €650 (or £650 / €700 for the Touch variant) price tag. That puts it well below the Award-winning Hisense PL2, which we currently recommend to UST buyers.
Read the full story: Acer's compact new projector can beam a 100-inch image onto your wall without breaking the bank
We reviewed some high-end JBL speakers
Last week, our testers finished reviewing the £14,999 ($19,999 / AU$35,000) JBL Summit Ama standmout speakers. And, while they demand top-class partnering, when matched well we’re pleased to report that, as well as looking lovely, they sound sublime.
Across every genre and track we threw at them, the speakers delivered a bold, punchy, dynamic sound with authoritative, but never out-of-control bass. Hence, our five-star rating and verdict: “JBL’s Summit Ama is richly talented and capable of delivering a spellbinding performance. Partner with care, though.”
Read our full JBL Summit Ama review
MORE:
These are the best standmount speakers we’ve tested
We rank the best OLED TVs money can buy
Our picks of the best projectors for every budget
