Welcome to the latest entry of our weekly Rewind column, where our team of experts give you the perfect way to start the week with our hi-fi and home cinema news digest.
As always, we detail the top headlines and developments in the world of hi-fi and home cinema to break over the past seven days. Last week was a doozy, with our team delivering their final verdict on two big-name products and fresh news from Triangle and Tidal hitting the headlines.
Here’s what you need to know.
The LG G4 achieved home cinema glory
Last week our testers had the joy of reviewing LG’s latest flagship OLED TV, the G4. We use the word joy because, after thoroughly putting it through its paces in our dedicated viewing rooms, we found it is a fantastic performer.
The second generation micro lens array (MLA) panel used delivers a wonderfully bright, but accurate picture. Its new CPU also delivers a wealth of upgrades, chief of which is incredibly fluid and realistic motion handling that gives even Sony, the current best in the business in this department, a run for its money. Audio remains a little thin, but that’s true of most TVs. If you’re willing to invest in a soundbar or surround-sound package, which you really should, then the G4 is a fantastic option well worth considering.
Read our full LG G4 review
Chord’s purist integrated amp is pretty awesome
If you’re in the market for a no-frills, purist integrated amp and have cash to spare, we’d recommend checking out the Chord Ultima Integrated. Though it doesn’t have all the modern features you see on recent rivals, such as the Luxman L-509Z, testing it last week we found the high-end amp delivers excellent results when partnered well.
Thanks to its overt focus on doing one thing well, the amp delivered astonishing levels of precision and clarity during our checks, earning it a perfect five-star rating and recommendation from our reviewers.
Read our full Chord Ultima Integrated amp review
Triangle’s new wireless speaker system could give KEF a run for its money
The KEF LSXII has long held a spot in our best wireless speakers and best hi-fi systems guides, offering great audio and a compelling feature set. But this week a new potential rival to its dominance entered the field, in the shape of Triangle’s new Capella wireless active speaker system. The standmount speakers target the exact same market and come with some impressive hardware.
Highlights include a two-way design incorporating Triangle's signature horn-loaded tweeter, which is paired with a 25mm magnesium alloy dome alongside a 16.5cm cellulose pulp membrane midrange. Powered by 200W (100W per speaker) of class D bi-amplification and a wealth of streaming options, this makes the Capella a fairly alluring piece of hi-fi that we can’t wait to get into our test rooms.
Read the full story: Triangle's gorgeous wireless speaker system could be a strong KEF alternative
Tidal pulled the plug on MQA (and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio)
We’ve known that when it comes to hi-res music, streaming service Tidal has been gradually shifting away from MQA in favour of FLAC for a while now. The move was first announced last year after MQA went into administration, before subsequently being bought by Lenbrook. Last week Tidal sounded the official death knell for both MQA and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio in an email to subscribers confirming both would be fully shutdown on the 24th of July. That isn’t the end of either though, as Sony is continuing to support its format and MQA announced a new partnership with HDTracks less than a fortnight ago.
Read the full story: Tidal scraps MQA and spatial audio format – here's what that means for subscribers
Our managing editor revealed some top tips when buying music streamers
Music streamers are a vogue item at the moment with companies offering a multitude of options ranging from affordable units to add Bluetooth connectivity to your old CD player, to top-of-the line separates worth multiple thousands of bucks. This is awesome, especially for those like us that love separates, but it can make getting the right streaming for your specific needs and budget a little tricky. Helpful soul that she is, our managing editor, Becky Roberts, penned a tips and tricks guide to help you avoid 10 common mistakes people make when picking a music streamer.
Read the full story: Buying a music streamer? Avoid these 10 easy mistakes
MORE:
These are the best music streamers we’ve reviewed
We rate the best OLED TVs money can buy
Our picks of the best stereo amps
