There is always a sense of familiarity at the annual Bristol Hi-Fi Show, with brands and industry faces we have seen for years, sometimes decades, in a landscape where – even as new products and technologies usher in – some things never change.
It's no secret that the popularity of traditional separates hi-fi – while still going strong in our circles – has diminished in recent times. New players (Sonos, Apple and the like) have come onto the scene to challenge what a modern music system should look like. Especially for those looking at the affordable end of the market.
WiiM is one such new player. Its products have disrupted the hi-fi industry in the past handful of years with their compact, modern-looking, Apple-like designs. They are packed with features and cost considerably less than any of their rivals.
And these products sound good, too. The Pro Plus music streamer is a multiple What Hi-Fi? Award winner; the WiiM Ultra is a solid five-star product that holds a firm place in our best music streamers guide; and the Amp Pro and Amp Ultra streaming amplifiers are highly recommended for those trying to create a do-it-all music system in small spaces for sensible money.
Many hi-fi brands have taken notice of WiiM's meteoric rise in popularity and its game-changing offerings, with some even proposing that their new products – the budget Dali Kupid bookshelf speakers, for example – be used with WiiM's compact products.
No one, however, has directly taken on WiiM at its own game. Yes, streaming products are more abundant than before and they're getting less costly (Cambridge's MXN10 and Bluesound's Node Icon are great examples), but they are still a way off from WiiM's truly compact and affordable fare.
Until now. Surprisingly, it is another fairly young, budget-leaning brand that has decided to aim directly for WiiM and its range of products. Majority has been around a short while, and it too has built a reputation for undercutting its rivals by a considerable margin with its array of über-affordable products.
At the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026, just a few floors down from the WiiM demo room, Majority teased a brand new range of compact hi-fi streaming products that will be coming out later this year, comprising the Link Mini, the Link Pro and the Link Amp Pro. They will feature wi-fi 6, Bluetooth LE Audio, AirPlay 2, Spotify Lossless and Tidal Connect.
It's not hard to make direct comparisons with WiiM's range. The Link Mini is similar to the WiiM Mini (£89), designed to bring network powers to any old system; the Link Pro streamer presumably goes toe to toe with the WiiM Pro Plus (£219); the Link Pro Amp is a streaming amplifier in a similar vein to the WiiM Amp Pro (£399).
Granted, these are early development prototypes, and the full specifications and details aren't finalised yet, but we do know that Majority's Link Pro and Link Pro Amp will feature an HDMI ARC input and a display screen, and that the streaming amp claims to have 300W of amplification power.
What's of note already, though, is the prices set out for the trio. They look to be a good £30 to £150 less than the WiiMs: the Link Mini is £49.95; the Link Pro is £199.95; the Link Pro Amp is £249.95. That's quite punchy. WiiM has made a name for itself for undercutting its competitors; Majority even more so. Whether the final Majority Link streaming products – in terms of design, specification, app interface and performance – can rival the very slick WiiM range remains to be seen.
We often hear the refrain “where is all the affordable hi-fi?” – and it’s true that really affordable kit feels few and far between these days when costs are constantly rising. But this area of the market could be hotting up, as more emerging rivals take on the likes of WiiM.
It's interesting to note, though, that in a showcase full of hi-fi products – from brand new, tech-laden launches, exciting sequels and boundary-pushing engineering, from brands with stellar performance records – the products taking on the upstart WiiM are from yet another upstart budget brand.
How will it pan out? We can't wait to find out.
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