November’s shaping up to be a busy one with the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 black-tie ceremony set to kick off on Thursday and the yearly Black Friday sales bonanza set to follow a mere week later.
Which is why you may justifiably be struggling to stay on top of all the latest hi-fi and home cinema news. Step in, the What Hi-Fi? team with its latest Rewind column, where we detail all the latest news you need to know about
A new streamer enters the arena
If you look at our best music streamer guide you’ll see Cambridge Audio has a strong footprint there. Its five-star Cambridge Audio CXN100 and latest Award-winning EXN100 are two of our top recommendations to hi-fi fans.
But last week Shanling stepped up to take it on with its new SM1.3, which not only has competitive specifications when compared to its Cambridge rivals, it’s also roughly the same price! We’ll be keen to see how the three compare in the real world when, and if, we get the SM1.3 into our listening rooms later this year.
Read the full story: This music streamer could rival Cambridge Audio thanks to its "cutting-edge" technology and impressive feature set
LG C4 prices continue to make no sense
LG’s C4 OLED has been one of 2024’s stand out stars for two reasons. First because it's great, with our comparative tests showing the 42-inch LG C4, 48-inch LG C4 and 65-inch LG C4 to all be fantastic five-star products that will delight movie fans. Second, because it’s been getting a torrent of atypically early, and significant discounts. The latter reached new heights last week when we saw the 65- and 77-inch LG C4 drop to their lowest prices ever thanks to a series of fantastic early Black Friday OLED TV deals.
Read the full story: Utter madness: the early Black Friday deal on the 77-inch LG C4 OLED TV is now even better
Pro-Ject unveiled an entry level stereo amp
Getting into hi-fi can be expensive, which is why we were pleased to see Pro-Ject unveil a new, entry level Stereo Box E amp last week. Set to retail for £249 / $349 / €299 the new stereo amp packs a surprising amount into its tiny metal chassis, with it being able to provide 42 watts of power at 8 ohms (21 watts per channel). This plus its wealth of physical connections, which include an RCA input, 3.5mm input, phono MM, coaxial and dual optical inputs, not to mention aptX HD-ready Bluetooth wireless connectivity, make it an appealing looking unit.
Read the full story: Pro-Ject's feature-packed affordable stereo amp wants to be your gateway into hi-fi
Roberts’ latest radio oozes retro charm
Regular readers who’ve kept tabs on our best DAB radio buying guide know Roberts has a strong track record in the space. Which is why we were happy to see it add a new Ramble Classic model to its range last week. The new unit is noticeably larger than the Roberts Revival Petite 2 we reviewed and gave five stars to in May. But Roberts claims it has taken advantage of the added space, listing the Ramble Classic as its most advanced and premium radio. Specifically it claims that by adding a full-range speaker alongside a ported bass design, the unit will deliver a "powerful, high-quality sound" that is a cut above that of any rivals.
Read the full story: Roberts' versatile new radio blends retro looks with handy modern tech
MORE:
These are the best 65-inch TVs we've tested
We rate the best stereo amps
Our picks of the best OLED TVs
