The What Hi-Fi? team loves hi-fi in all its shapes and sizes. But there’s always a special buzz when we get a Temptation-level (read: very expensive) product in. For those new to the site, these special products usually cost more than most of us pay as a deposit for a house and sit in an exclusive category of hi-fi that’s akin to a “super car”.
This year may only be halfway through, but we’ve already found it to be a fantastic year for any audiophile or general music fan, with several Temptation-level products earning five-star ratings from our expert reviewers – which is an impressive feat considering, even in the upper echelons of audio, we still test and review products using our hallowed performance-per-pound/dollar metric.
Here are some of our favourites.
1. Wilson Benesch Discovery 3Zero speakers
Kicking off the list we have the Wilson Benesch Discovery 3Zero, a pair of £18,995 / $32,000 / AU$41,000 standmount speakers we originally got a peek at during the Bristol Hi-Fi Show earlier this year.
Wilson Benesch is one of the few small specialist hi-fi companies we know of that makes most of its parts in-house. (Our technical editor recently visited its factory in Sheffield.)
When the Discovery finally arrived in our listening rooms, we had high hopes for them as they are part of the same family as the almost twice the price A.C.T. 3Zero floorstanders we gave top marks to last year.
Thankfully, when we paired them with appropriately high-end equipment, including our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, Technics SL-1000R record player and Burmester 088/911 MkIII pre/power, they delivered great results.
Whether it was the Flower Duet from Delibes, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata or Major Lazer’s Pon De Floor, the Discovery 3Zero delivered audio full of vivid dynamics and exceptional levels of transparency and insight. Hence our reviewers’ conclusion:
“If you are after a transparent and revealing pair of speakers then there are few alternatives as capable as these. They may be hugely expensive, but when partnered well and carefully set up they are capable of sounding magical.”
If that wasn’t enough to pique your interest, having seen them in the flesh we can confirm they are beautiful and an engineering marvel.
Read our full Wilson Benesch Discovery 3Zero speakers review
2. Luxman L-509Z integrated amplifier
Many hi-fi fans still ascribe to the basic principle that simplicity is king and it's better to do one thing well than 10 things merely okay, especially in the world of separates. This year Luxman went a long way to disprove that old adage with its £10,999 / $12,495 / AU$18,499 L-509Z integrated amplifier.
The L-509Z integrated amplifier is a Swiss Army knife product featuring a built-in switchable phono stage, tone, loudness and balance controls, the ability to switch between two pairs of speakers and a choice of headphone outputs.
If the wealth of features turn you off, or have you worried about audio quality, let us tell you in no uncertain terms: don’t be dissuaded. Using the L-509Z integrated amplifier in our listening rooms with a variety of reference hardware, the results were excellent. We tested it with the Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and Technics SL-1000R turntable as sources, and ATC SCM 50 and previously mentioned Wilson Benesch Discovery 3Zero speakers.
In each listening check, whether it was Arvo Pärt’s Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten, Major Lazer’s Pon De Floor or Michael Jackson’s Bad, the Luxman offered strikingly clean and detailed audio. This is largely due to incredible work by Luxman designing every part of the amp, which means every part ranging from the volume control to the power supply has been made with painstaking attention and care. Hence our reviewers’ conclusion:
“What we have here is a high-end integrated amplifier that ticks all the boxes. To our eyes, it looks appealing in a retro way and there is plenty to admire in its design and build. After that, there is the sound quality that is as good as any alternative we have heard. If you are lucky enough to buy at this level, the Luxman L-509Z deserves a high place on your shortlist.”
Read our Luxman L-509Z integrated amplifier review
3. Esoteric K-05XD CD player
We all love physical media. We know this because any article we write about vinyl, CD or, on the other side of the fence, Blu-ray and DVDs automatically leads to a flurry of conversation on our forums and social media pages.
But even for us die-hard CD fans, there’s no denying £11,650 / $12,000 / AU$15,000 is a lot to pay for a CD player in this day and age. But, for enthusiasts with deep pockets and a large SACD/CD collection, it’s hard not to recommend the Esoteric K-05XD, based on our experience with it.
Confused as to what SACD is? The short version is that it was a pioneering hi-res disc format that never quite went mainstream, even in its prime.
Even if you’re not one of the few people with SACD collections, the CD player is full of atypical hardware. Highlights include a VRDS Atlas transport mechanism and the use of a digital-to-analogue conversion circuit capable of playing 32-bit/384kHz PCM hi-res files as well as DSD512 music streams. Paired with our reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers the player delivered great results
Whether it was Disc 1 of George Michael’s Ladies & Gentlemen or our SACD of Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring, the Esoteric K-05XD delivered brilliant audio with exceptional levels of clarity and detail. Our reviewers’ short but sweet conclusion says it all:
“Esoteric’s K-05XD is without doubt one of the world’s finest SACD/CD disc spinners.”
Read our full Esoteric K-05XD CD player review
4. Fyne Vintage V speakers
The V are the smallest option in Fyne Audio’s charming-looking Vintage line of speakers, sitting below the larger Vintage Ten, and Vintage Twelve and Fifteen.
Despite their tiny size, the speakers are packed with impressive hardware and have a beautiful, classic design reminiscent of early Tannoy speakers – which is no surprise given Fyne’s history and links to the iconic Scottish audio brand.
Starting with the aesthetics. Each speaker is hand-made of birch ply, finished in an oiled walnut veneer and has a burr walnut inlay. Further to this, the Five have an anodised gold trim and leather grille tab that makes them look like something out of The Great Gatsby.
At an engineering level, they’re also interesting. Inside they feature a 12.5cm mid/bass driver with the tweeter placed in the middle of the unit – Fyne calls this an Isoflare arrangement.
But most importantly, based on our time reviewing them, they sound excellent when paired with a good source – in our case Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, the Technics SL-1000R/Kiseki Purpleheart MC record player and a Macbook Pro loaded with Audirvana music-playing software and connected to a Chord Hugo TT DAC.
In this set-up, the Fyne Vintage V audio showed incredibly precise stereo imaging, impressive resolution and leading levels of clarity. Which is why we heaped praise on them in our review, concluding:
“The Vintage Five are easy speakers to underestimate. The retro appearance suggests that they are for those who yearn for the past, and their dinky size makes them harder to take seriously, especially at what looks to be a high price. But consider the exceptional build, quality of engineering and, when used in an appropriate system, terrific sound, and it is hard not to be won over. We certainly are.”
Read our full Fyne Vintage V review
5. Naim NSS 333 streamer
The NSS 333 is part of Naim’s wider 300 Series, which was first unveiled in May 2023. Built on Naim’s established NP800 platform, it has excellent file and streaming support. Specifically, it can play up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM files and DSD128 and plays nicely with all the staple services you’d expect, including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple Music and Qobuz.
Under the hood Naim’s also worked magic, customising its circuitry to create a compelling unit that can deliver astounding results when paired well. Running with our reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, whether it was Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring or Outkast’s ATLiens set, the streamer delivered an engaging and emotionally charged performance.
Quite simply, concluded our reviewers, “the Naim NSS 333 is one of the most musically satisfying music streamers we have heard”.
Read our full Naim NSS 333 streamer review
6. Chord Ultima Integrated amplifier
The Chord Ultima Integrated amplifier is the antithesis of the Luxman L-509Z integrated amplifier featured further up this list.
It takes the more traditional no-frills, purist approach favoured by many h-fi enthusiasts. Rather than trying to offer a portfolio of features, it focuses on doing one thing and one thing alone to a gold standard.
Featuring four line-level inputs and nothing else, every bit of R&D investment has been put into creating an integrated amp with unparalleled signal purity that can deliver exceptional sonic results. Key steps include buffering and filtering all the inputs, and taking borderline neurotic levels of care to configure the signal path in a bid to reduce radio frequency interference degradation.
Trust us, it may look simple from a features perspective, but lots of work and thought has been put into this integrated amp. And having reviewed it paired with a wealth of reference hardware, including Naim's ND555/555 PS DR streamer and ATC SCM50 speakers, we can confirm the work has paid off.
Across a variety of genres, the Chord Ultima Integrated delivered audio with astonishing agility, precision and clarity. As our reviewers said in our full review: “It is a refreshingly straightforward product to use, and when partnered with a similarly talented system is capable of weaving a wonderfully spellbinding sound.”
Read our full Chord Ultima Integrated amplifier review
READ MORE:
These are the best speakers we’ve reviewed
Our picks of the best music streamers
We detail the best record players money can buy
