Like the best hi-fi and tech showcases in the calendar, IFA is a chance for the biggest names in audio and home cinema to exhibit their latest products and technologies, from cutting-edge TV panels to new turntables or wireless speakers.
be they the hottest market releases or simply the products that eager punters are desperate to see in the flesh. With the likes of TCL, Samsung, Hisense, Technics and Panasonic in attendance, it's hard to resist the allure of the now-100-year-old showcase.
This year's IFA, however, felt like one for the bargain hunters. That isn't to say that there weren't big-name brands or high-end launches on display to dazzle and impress us. Instead, many of the new products we witnessed came with real-world prices – from budget Bluetooth turntables, desktop speakers, numerous earbuds and a compact projector.
For those buyers or browsers searching for budget brilliance, IFA 2024 was the place to be.
Lenco's trio of turntables
Lenco likes a turntable launch at IFA and this year has been no different. The Swiss company unveiled a whole trio of budget turntables at IFA 2024, and while the decks differ somewhat in terms of design and feature set, they're all clustered pretty close to the lower end of the price landscape.
The cheapest of the three is the Lenco LBTA-165, setting you back just £199 / €219. The Bluetooth deck features automatic operation, comes fitted with its own Audio-Technica AT3600L moving magnet cartridge and has a built-in phono preamp for plugging directly into active speakers.
The Lenco LBT-215BK is up next, sitting in the middle of the three at a price of £299 / €329. The middle child goes further by offering a USB output so you can convert your analogue vinyl records into digital music files to a PC or Mac and then download them to a portable music player. The cartridge is better, too, rising to a Audio-Technica AT-VM95E moving magnet model.
It's still a budget deck, but the Lenco L-455BK is the costliest of the new triumvirate, featuring a brushed aluminium frame and an Ortofon 2M Red moving magnet cartridge. At £449 / €499, it's going up against five-star rivals such as the Dual CS 418 and Rekkord F110.
Xgimi Elfin Flip compact projector
Xgimi launched a revitalised lineup of projectors at this year’s IFA expo, with no fewer than six new projectors being announced. While the price 4K Aura 2 or Horizon S Max are the models that have grabbed our attention most, Xgimi’s cheaper new option is also well worth mentioning.
The adorable Elfin Flip is a compact portable projector that features a nifty rotating built-in stand that protects the lens when not in use or can be tilted to practically any position to project on a wall or ceiling. It can beam a 1080p HDR image anywhere you decide to take it, and the built-in Xgimi OS with Netflix support means you can take it on the go without needing an external media streamer.
It may not be the highest spec device we’ve seen this IFA — it’s brightness of 400 ISO lumens and fairly basic sounding dual 3W speakers should hint at that — but just look at it, isn’t it cute? Xgimi hasn’t skimped on picture adjustment tech either, with auto keystone, focus and alignment baked in for easy viewing.
And at just £399, it’s simple, easy fun.
Kanto Ren active speakers
We've known about the Kanto Ren for a while, with the Canadian audio brand announcing a new pair of versatile active desktop speakers earlier this year. This, however, has been one of the first major chances we've had to really get a good look, and listen, to the boldly coloured units.
Aside from a robust and assertive sound, the Kanto Ren are strong on connections, offering an HDMI ARC input for hooking up to a TV plus a USB-C input for playing files up to 24-bit/96kHz from a given source player. Better still, you get an optical input that supports up to 24-bit/96kHz hi-res files, as well as a single RCA input alongside a 3.5mm jack. And you know what? We quite like them in orange.
JLab Epic Sport ANC 3 wireless earbuds
If nothing else, you're getting a lot of battery life for your money with the JLab Epic Sport ANC 3. As you might have guessed, the new buds combine active noise cancelling and some seriously impressive battery life figures with a decidedly sporting design, using the over-ear hooks we've seen deployed with the more costly Beats Powerbeats Pro or some of JBL's older sport-focused headphone designs.
They feel quite nice to hold and touch, too, especially when you consider they won't set you back north of £50 / $50 / AU$80. Noise cancelling, Multipoint Bluetooth, 52 hours of battery life and 10mm dynamic drivers in each bud? That's a lot for your money.
Panasonic RB-M600B wireless headphones and RZ-B120W wireless earbuds
How about that, then? Panasonic has decided to launch a few pairs of headphones at this year's IFA, including a pair of wireless headphones and a set of pretty feature-heavy earbuds.
The Panasonic RB-M600B might end up going up against the Sony ULT Wear, promising to deliver buckets of boosted bass via the use of a dedicated bass button. Details are still a little thin on the ground, but we do know that they'll give you around 15 hours of battery life with noise cancelling switched on, although that active bass button might drag those numbers down a bit.
The counterpart earbuds, meanwhile, offer Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and will offer 6.5 hours of listening off a single charge, with the case offering 19.5 hours of extra juice. The buds' IPX4 waterproof certification, meanwhile, should mean they'll survive outdoor use and/ or as a gym pair. We don't have exact pricing, but previous models have been around the £100 / $120 mark, so we imagine they'll be in the same ballpark.
Majority Audio – various
Majority launched a lot of products at this year's IFA, so much so that it's a little tricky to give each one its own proper rundown. But we'll give it a go: the British brand's debutantes included, but were not limited to, its Elias Plus Dolby Atmos soundbar and subwoofer, the Darwin Bluetooth DAB+ Radio, the Fitzwilliam internet music system, the Moto Plus Bluetooth turntable-plus-speakers package, and four (count them) portable party speakers: the P100, the P200, the P400 and the P500. All are aimed at the budget end of the market.
EarFun OpenJump, TunePro and UBOOM X
EarFun is another budget brand that always reliably launches a collection of affordable products. This year at IFA saw the brand launch its first open-ear headphones (OpenJump), a new over-ear pair of ANC headphones (TunePro), and a beefy, JBL Xtreme 4-rivalling Bluetooth speaker (UBOOM X). The UBOOM X promises 30 hours of playback and the ability to link 50 units for a house party, while the TunePro boasts 120 hours of battery life. Prices range from $160 / £150 to $70 / £60, making them one of the most affordable launches we've seen at IFA this year.
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