Monday is once again upon us, and to help those of us suffering from a severe case of the back to work blues, here we have a fresh entry into our weekly Rewind column.
In it we once again detail all the big hi-fi and home cinema news to break over the past seven days. It was another busy one, with our audio experts delivering their final verdict on the latest headphones and earbuds from two big-name hi-fi brands, and fresh drama erupting at Sonos.
Here’s what you need to know.
Dali’s new wireless headphones are awesome
Last week our reviewers finished testing the Dali IO-8. While not the most expensive option in the company’s current portfolio (they sit below the Dali IO-12), with a retail price of £599 / $900 / AU$999 they are still in the upper echelons of the wireless headphone market.
Thankfully, after putting them through their paces head to head with key rivals including the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max at the top of our best wireless headphones guide, they performed excellently. Whether it was complex djent metal, swooning pop ballads, or layered classical arrangements, the IO-8 delivered a clean, crisp and detailed sound full of expressive dynamics. Hence our conclusion:
“Dali’s core business may be based around an extensive range of hi-fi speakers, but the IO-8 shows that the company has plenty to offer the premium wireless headphones sector. Sure, we have some small ergonomic quibbles, but when it comes to performance and build quality these headphones are top-class.”
Read our full Dali IO-8 review
B&W’s wireless earbuds impressed
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi6 are a pair of wireless earbuds with big shoes to fill, sitting just below the B&W Pi8 we awarded a perfect five-star rating to last year. For the football fans among us they are also one of the sets currently endorsed by David Beckham.
During testing we found plenty to like about the buds, with them offering a robust, powerful sound with enough detail to get our feet tapping on certain test tracks. However, strong competing from Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM5 and the new Technics EAH-AZ100 which beat them in a few key areas, including active noise-cancelling performance and precision, make them a good four-star, rather than perfect five-star, recommendation. As we say in our review:
“At this premium price, the quality of the competition is hard to ignore. That said, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 are an attractive, accomplished pair of wireless earbuds which, when let loose on the right tracks, can take you for a thrilling sonic ride.”
Read our full B&W Pi6 review
We offered TV buyers some important advice
Looking to pick up a new TV to kick off the New Year? Well we have some bad news: it’s a terrible time to be shopping for a new TV. Why? Because after our experts spent the past two weeks price checking all the sets we recommend we found that, beside some rare exceptions, next to all of them have been cheaper in the past. So if you want to get a new TV with a decent discount, you will be better off waiting a few weeks for the next batch of decent discounts to appear.
Read the full story: Stop! Now is a terrible time to buy a new TV
Fresh drama erupted at Sonos
Sonos had a rough time of it in 2024, with its new-app rollout being an undeniable disaster that tarnished its reputation as one of the best audio companies for “easy to use” multi-room and wireless home cinema audio. Last week the fallout from this continued as CEO Patrick Spence announced he would be stepping down.
Read the full story: Sonos boss resigns following disastrous app redesign
We published our Bristol Hi-Fi Show guide
The Bristol Hi-Fi Show is a staple entry in most audio fans' calendars, and to help you get the most out of this year’s expo, last week our experts published a show guide. In it you will find key information on when it’s happening, how to get tickets and what to expect from the hi-fi brands exhibiting at it.
Read the full story: Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025: dates, tickets and what to expect
MORE:
These are the best headphones we have tested
Our picks of the best wireless earbuds
We rate the best TVs money can buy
