This week, one of the biggest pieces of news to break is that, after years of our team wishing upon an AV star, Sonos has released a new Beam Dolby Atmos soundbar.

Specifically, the firm lifted the lid on its spiffy new Sonos Beam Ultra at the IFA trade show in Berlin.

Unveiled alongside the new Sonos Ace Ultra wireless headphones, I want to kick off this opinion piece by making clear: I think the Ultra looks impressive and is, in nearly every way, the successor we’ve been waiting for.

In fact, as our reviewer on the ground at IFA, Robyn Quick, rattled off the details about the bar to the team back home, all of us (outside of senior staff writer, Harry McKerrell, who’s always miserable) had a smile growing on our faces.

Upgraded drivers, including the addition of proper up-firing height channels? Yep, it’s got them.

The ability to add Sonos Era 100 or Era 300 satellite wireless speakers as surrounds? Yes, the awesome feature has finally trickled down from the Arc Ultra into the more affordable Beam range.

And as a cherry on top, Robyn then penned a feature detailing how it sounds. The top line is, while it’s too early to give our final verdict, the Ultra left a very strong opening impression – so much so that a game of rock, paper, scissors ensued among the team to decide who would be the primary reviewer (it ended in a stalemate).

All in all, it was huzzahs abound at What Hi-Fi? towers.

But then, one more fact came rumbling in that replaced our smiles with a quizzical expression. Specifically, the Ultra is not a replacement or successor to the Sonos Beam (Gen 2); it’s actually a new step-up model in Sonos’ range.

Yes, we don’t know how the Beam Ultra will perform in our test rooms, but truthfully, given the Beam 2’s age, this was a curveball for us.

Why would the company do that when the Beam 2 is so old? Surely, it’s time to let the old girl retire? These were some of the mutterings that came out of our mouths as we processed the information.

But as I pondered the question, a final bit of information trickled through from the launch event that, at least for me, explained the move.

The Beam Ultra is a lot more expensive, set to retail for £699 (around $946 / AU$1320). The Beam (Gen 2) – outside of big sales events where it’s dropped as low as £349 – usually retails for £429 / $429 in most stores right now.

Cash-rich people may laugh at the idea of going for a soundbar that launched in 2021, when a newer model is out. But truthfully, £160 / $160 is a lot of money for most of us right now.

As a person who has listened to the Beam (Gen 2) alongside newer rivals, I can confirm it is still a very competent unit. That’s why it remains the recommended small option in our best Dolby Atmos soundbars guide.

I cited the cost of living crisis as a key reason I don’t think we’re in a golden age of home cinema during our public debate on the topic earlier this year, and I stand by that sentiment.

So given that it still sounds good, keeping it around and giving normal people an entry point to Sonos’ ecosystem that won’t completely break the bank not only makes sense, but for me is 100 per cent the right thing to do.

It’s also why, even if the Beam Ultra delivers the sonic goods in our review rooms later this year, I can easily envision the Beam (Gen 2) retaining its recommendation. There are very few good, sub-£500 soundbars around and even fewer with the Beam’s compact form factor. So it’s definitely not beyond the realm of possibility…

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These are the best soundbars we’ve tested

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Looking to get the inside scoop on all the latest hi-fi news and reviews, with some added insights from our editor-in-chief (me)?

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Editor’s Cut is part of a fresh push on What Hi-Fi? to make it easier for you, our lovely readers, to get to know and interact with our team of experts.

The newsletter will be sent every Saturday and will include a bespoke letter from our editor, plus his musings on the two biggest stories and reviews from the week.

On top of that, subscribers will be treated to a new What’s Next? summary detailing some of the big things coming the week after – including launch events we’re covering, products we’re testing and people we’re interviewing.

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Whether it’s a new section you want added, or a question about one of the items in What’s Next?, or something you want us to raise with a manufacturer we're talking to, we want to hear from you!

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What got you into hi-fi? It’s a question people embedded in the hobby get asked a lot.

After all, hi-fi is a time-consuming, sometimes lifelong, endeavour that will see fans design entire rooms from scratch and invest vast amounts of money in the pursuit of sonic perfection – if that even exists.

So from the outside, it can look like a lot of effort for something that, unless you "get it", doesn't seem that important.

There are many answers to this question, even among the What Hi-Fi? team, which includes numerous experts who have chosen to dedicate their professional and personal lives to the endeavour.

But one of the most consistent themes we hear when answering the question is that it all began with a specific piece of hardware.

Which is why, for this month’s Ask The Reader question, we want to know: what product got you into hi-fi?

Maybe, like our editor (me), it was a special turntable your parents had set up in the lounge and let you use to play their (rather glorious) selection of classic rock LPs?

Or was it a set of speakers you bought in college out of the back of a van at a car boot sale, not knowing the treasure you’d just stumbled upon?

Perhaps you’re a bit younger and discovered the magic of hi-fi after adding a streamer to a classic separates set-up you inherited?

Whatever the answer, we want to know!

You can post your answer in the comments section of this page, or in our forums. Just make sure to tell us what the product was and why it was so special.

Maybe it was the album it was playing? Maybe it was the company you kept, or the place you heard it that made it so special?

As always, at the end of the month we’ll publish a new piece collating your most interesting answers! So please make sure to keep your language PG-13 and stick to our community guidelines for a chance to be included.

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Last month we asked you, our ever-opiniated readers, to settle a long-standing argument amongst the reviews team. Specifically, are we living in a golden age of home cinema?

Four weeks on, the answers have come flooding in (many breaking our PG-13 language rule). But, to our surprise, unlike our team of testers, you are not only united in your belief we are not living in a golden age, you also (generally) agree on the reason why.

It’s all about physical media

The importance of physical media was a central point in all your arguments, which shouldn’t be a surprise given how vocal you (and we) are about the benefits of 4K Blu-ray over streaming.

This was initially expressed by reader “mrj6j”, who argued that, despite having a “proper” set-up that he’s spent years, even decades, honing, the age of streaming is a blemish he can’t ignore, which makes it impossible to call the current world a golden age.

“I have been into home cinema for a long time and agree we are at a point where it is more affordable, but mine has grown into a 4k projector in a dedicated room with a 7.2.4 Atmos set-up. And a 136-inch screen in total darkness. But this has taken a long time to grow into what it is today. But it is exceptional; it often sounds better than the cinema (I had it professionally calibrated), and I can enjoy it whenever,” wrote mrj6j.

“The problem is that the 4k discs are the best format, better than streaming without doubt. But do those with a home cinema set-up utilise this? They should, and more distributors should too.”

Reader Michael Peterson agreed, adding that even if you have a more modest set-up, as he does, the increased price and limited selection of 4K Blu-ray discs and players is an issue that stops the 2020s being a golden age for home cinema.

“I have an entry-level Samsung, my Sony receiver, Elac sub1010 and 8-inch speakers in a 2.1 set-up. I use my Xbox One S for Blu-ray and streaming. Good enough [for] me. 4K Blu-ray would be better if the prices of discs and players were more affordable and discs were more reliable,” he wrote.

But it wasn’t just about 4K Blu-ray; some readers, including Andrew Wood, argued: “Culturally [the golden age was], when you shuffled into town, to a shop, to hire or buy a video/DVD and then watched it on your wide-screen CRT TV with built-in 5.1.”

Our hot take

We agree; there is something undeniably special about physical media. At a technical level, we have long championed 4K Blu-ray. It offers a much higher bitrate, superior HDR and far less data compression than streaming, giving you a sharper, more detailed image in most instances. That’s why we use an ever-evolving library of 4K Blu-ray test discs when reviewing home cinema hardware. We even have a monthly Now Showing column where we detail the new movies we're using.

While none of us would go so far as to want to return to tapes and CRT TVs – read this feature chronicling our editor’s attempts to resurrect his VHS collection last year, and you’ll see why – we also agree there’s something emotionally special about physical media. Having it on a disc you own gives you a more personal, emotional attachment to the film, as rather than just clicking on something an algorithm’s decided you will like, you’ve chosen that film, specifically, at some point.

As Andrew Wood points out, there was also something truly magical about the Blockbuster years, when we had to physically go outside to rent a new movie. Many of the team are old enough to remember the experience, and have fond memories of the family trips (and arguments) we had going out to pick a new film to watch after the final school bell rang on Friday. That makes it hard not to agree that there is some substance to his argument that, "culturally", that was a golden age for film fans – even if the hardware was worse and it wasn’t as easy to find new films to watch.

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Happy Monday and welcome to the latest entry in our regular hi-fi and home cinema news digest, Rewind.

The heatwave may be over in our native Blighty, but that hasn’t stopped a wealth of hot new hardware from flooding our review rooms, including a particularly capable set of affordable standmounts from Dali.

Here are all the facts on the top stories from last week.

Dali’s affordable standmounts are great

Dali is now officially one five-star review away from being on a hot streak. Following our five-star review of the firm’s Sonik 5 floorstanders, lightning struck again last week, with the smaller, more affordable Sonik 1 also earning top marks from our testers.

Designed to work in even the smallest spaces, while retaining Dali’s “iconic” sound, the Sonik 1 is one of the most affordable options you will find in the Danish brand’s current range. As we said in our review:

“With an expressive, well-balanced sound, these standmount speakers are an excellent pick for anyone seeking serious sonic performance in a compact package at this price.”

Read our full Dali Sonik 1 review

Monitor Audio updated its Silver range of speakers

Monitor Audio last week unveiled its new Silver Series 8G range of speakers. Designed for stereo and surround sound arrangements, the range includes seven models.

If you want floorstanders, there are two options: the top-end Silver 500 8G and the step-down Silver 300 8G. Below them, you then get the Silver 100 8G and Silver 50 8G standmounters.

For home cinema systems, it then features the Silver Centre 8G central channel and Silver AMS 8G Dolby Atmos-enabled height speakers. Finally, the range also includes a wall-mountable model, the Silver On-Wall 8G.

Specifications and pricing differ among each model, but every 8G speaker features Monitor Audio’s proprietary Ceramic-Coated Aluminium / Magnesium (C-CAM) driver material, which the firm claims will let them “set a new benchmark for high-fidelity performance”.

We’ll hopefully be able to check this claim if and when we get the new speakers into our listening rooms.

Read the full story: Monitor Audio updates its popular Silver range of speakers to “set a new benchmark for high-fidelity performance at its price”

Technics launched a limited edition turntable

The Technics SL-1200 is an iconic turntable, especially in DJ circles, thanks to its durable direct drive design. So much so that even if you’re not into vinyl, you would probably recognise at least one version of it. Which is why it’s no surprise the Japanese brand has decided to celebrate the iconic record spinner turning 55 by launching a nifty new SL-1200 55th Anniversary Edition model.

Designed to “pay tribute to a turntable lineage that has helped define DJ culture”, the unit comes with a golden design and a wealth of premium parts. The only downside is that you’ll have to act fast to get one, as Technics is only making 12,000 units globally. Pricing is yet to be revealed…

Read the full story: Technics is celebrating 55 years of its legendary SL-1200 turntable with a limited-edition design

A word of warning about dodgy new vinyl

There are a lot of misconceptions about vinyl. One of the biggest we hear, especially from people new to the format, is that a vinyl record will automatically be better than what you get on streaming services.

Sadly, that’s not always the case. We've talked a lot about the importance of which specific pressing you get, especially with older albums. But recently we’ve seen a new wave of first-time pressings arrive that are, frankly, not good enough.

These include releases from Raye, Charli xcx, Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd and more that are full of glaring omissions, ranging from unfinished mixes being used instead of the final cut to entire songs missing.

You've been warned.

Read the full story: Beware: these vinyl albums are actually worse than their streaming versions

MORE:

These are the best turntables we’ve tested

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We talk about test discs a lot at What Hi-Fi?. Mainly because they’re such a core part of reviewing home cinema hardware.

As staff writer Robyn Quick noted in her latest opinion piece on the topic, they encompass a constantly evolving library of films that we use to gauge everything from a projector’s ability to retain dark detail to a surround sound system's handling of dynamics.

Each disc is handpicked, usually for a specific scene that is particularly challenging in at least one of the performance metrics we care about while testing.

The evolving nature of film means that most discs only have a short shelf life, as we always look for modern titles to use, so our reviews feel fresh and relevant to what people are actually watching. But now and then, a scene is so challenging the disc hangs around for a while.

For example, Pan is a horrible movie we continue to use because it’s mastered at an atypically high 4000 nits – making one specific scene a particularly great way to test any TV or projector’s peak brightness.

Then there's Blade Runner 2049. The booming synth soundtrack during scene two has challenged many a speaker system and soundbar, turning them into a distorted, spluttering mess over the four-ish years we’ve used it.

Forced to watch and listen to these scenes over and over and over again in our windowless viewing rooms, the films are etched into our psyche.

Why am I bringing this up now?

Because one such film, and by extension test disc, that I have used more times than I care to count, is turning 10 years old. And glutton for punishment that I am, I felt the need to revisit it and see if it’s still as accomplished as I remember.

The film in question is Don’t Breathe, which launched in theatres on 26th August, 2016.

Editor’s Note: There are some spoilers ahead.

Directed by Fede Álvarez, the film flips the home invasion dynamic, seeing delinquents break into a blind Gulf War veteran’s house, hoping to rob him, only to suddenly find themselves trapped and the ones being hunted.

The film is relatively famous in horror circles, as evidenced by its 87 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score. But recently it has largely been overshadowed by newer horror movies and lost to the mists of time.

That year, 2016, was an awkward one. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format only officially launched in February 2016 and, although Dolby Atmos existed, it wasn’t widespread on streaming or physical media by any stretch of the imagination.

So, unsurprisingly, Don't Breathe is not available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and, even on modern services, it is usually in 1080p and limited to 5.1 surround sound, not Dolby Atmos.

So, I went in with managed expectations after buying it in HD on Amazon Prime Video (the 4K Netflix stream is only available outside the UK right now).

But blow me down if I wasn’t impressed as the film played, and it reminded me why I watched it so much, many moons ago: its stellar audio.

Horror is a genre that naturally lends itself to sound. But with Don't Breathe, the sound team did something truly special, creating an encompassing, immersive sense of dread that uses every trick in the book to make you feel like you are in the house with the delinquents, being stalked by the blind killer – especially if you have a good enough home cinema speaker system to do it justice.

Just be warned, I mean it when I say “good” sound system, as even now the film’s intense mix, which uses massive shifts between dead silence and sudden loud noises with laser precision, requires a speaker with excellent dynamics and audio imaging. A decade on, it’s still beyond basic TV speakers. I know that because I checked using my LG C2.

And one scene in particular drilled this point home as I watched.

I’m talking about the “don’t make a sound” scene featured in the above clip. The intruders break cover, thinking they’re safe, only to be confronted by the veteran. The tension jumps to a Spinal Tap 11 as they freeze in place, doing everything they can to stay quiet and not alert him to their presence.

Yes, it doesn’t have height channels, due to the lack of Atmos, but the sonic image the film creates is truly terrifying. Incredible localisation and character-centric panning make you feel like he’s walking around you as the sound moves from left to right, following his movements.

The intense mix, which includes subtle tells (the quiet shuffle of a step, muted breaths and grunts from the killer as he goes about his business, unaware they’re there), is all delivered with a finesse and accuracy you don’t often experience; so much so that I urge any AV nerd to watch it a second time with their eyes closed.

On a good system, you won’t need the image on screen. The audio alone will put you there, in the intruder's shoes. You'll hear every movement as he walks past, then behind you. Your pulse will rise as you then hear the sound of his breath and feet, and the terrifying ruffle of plastic as he starts to wrap and drag a body on the floor across the room.

Then the payoff as it all goes quiet, the director and audio team creating an intentional vacuum, leaving you alone in uncomfortable silence just before a floorboard creaks directly underneath you, as one of the intruders takes a step backwards, catching his attention.

As each sound lands, it tells you exactly where he is and what he's doing.

Yes, other movies have done this – I recently penned a similar piece celebrating a particularly excellent example of a similar use of sound in Hokum – but Don’t Breathe is still worth celebrating, especially considering how long ago it was made.

For me, it shows, as we’ve said many times before, that technology is only one part of the film experience. Atmos and other tech like it can deliver improved experiences; ones that were not possible 10 years ago. But it's not a silver bullet: it still requires a good mix and clever execution to shine.

And films with good audio don't necessarily need an upmix or remaster to still be fun to watch. If it's well done, a 5.1 experience can still be truly breathtaking (see what I did there?).

Don’t Breathe is a great example of that, and one I’d strongly recommend to any horror or home cinema fan, even now.

Even on my home system, which features a four-star Hisense PX3 UST projector and JBL Bar 1300 soundbar system, it was a blast – so much so that I’m now trying to persuade the team to watch it in our viewing rooms, with the KEF R Meta 5.1 Speaker System and Denon AVC-A1H AVR we recently reviewed handling the audio, for our next team movie night.

Trust me, you won’t regret giving it a watch – unless you’re a scaredy-cat, like my partner, who told me fairly bluntly they “did not care for it” after seeing the infamous turkey baster scene (watch it and you’ll see why).

MORE:

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars we’ve reviewed

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What’s next for wireless headphones? It’s a tough question to answer for a couple of reasons.

First, predicting the future is always tricky. Even the best sages and farseers, ranging from Nostradamus to Mystic Meg, don’t have a perfect hit rate.

Second, new technologies with the potential to change fundamentally how tech works – including portable noise makers – are appearing on a near-daily basis.

This week, then, we forsake our usual tea-leaf/tarot-card reading strategy and instead ask five experts from major companies just what music fans can expect from the field of wireless headphones in the next five years.

Somewhat to our surprise, they all seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet with their responses.

AI is the next big thing in wireless headphones

For Christian Ern, global product manager at Sennehiser’s parent company, Sonova Consumer Hearing, the answer is simple: artificial intelligence.

“The use of AI-powered sound processing can also create a significant experience difference when used in the right way: for example, allowing listeners to customise their experience and adapt to their own taste or hearing profile,” says Ern.

Outside this, the firm believes there will be gradual improvements to things such as battery life, fit and active noise cancellation, but Ern reiterates it will mainly be the advanced processing power that AI offers that will define the next five years, warning that outside this:

“It's easy to fall into the trap of a feature race, where brands add more and more gimmicky features to show they have a lot – but it's not always relevant to the user.”

Kazunori Otsu, director of headphone business at Technics, shares Ern’s opinion, telling us:

“One of the biggest changes over the next five years will likely be the expansion of AI-driven user experiences. Beyond improvements in noise control and call quality, AI will increasingly enable headphones to optimise audio performance according to the user’s environment and listening situation. We expect a growing range of intelligent features that make the listening experience better.”

Personal tuning isn’t a new concept. Numerous firms, including Nura, before it was bought by Denon, have experimented with the idea. Denon’s true wireless PerL Pro are still on sale and offer “personalised” audio profiles.

The difference here, according to Matt Dever, senior global product line manager at Harman Luxury Audio, is that future headphones will leverage AI processing to push performance even further across the board.

“Integrating AI decision-making into the processing chain will allow even faster results and improve things like adaptive ANC and Awareness functionality. Minimising the latency in those types of decisions will improve the overall user experience,” he says.

“With the increased processing power, the technology will customise the sound of the headphones and tune them automatically to your specific hearing attributes.”

But that’s not all

Despite the focus on AI, the experts argue that there are at least two other areas where wireless headphones will advance in the not-too-distant future.

First, Dever highlights sustainability as a key area that manufacturers will focus on improving over the next five years – “User-replaceable rechargeable batteries [for example],” he says.

“Today, when your rechargeable battery in the headphone has finally lost its chargeability, you must recycle the headphone even though the electronics and driver units may still be functional. Tomorrow, it will be a different story.”

The second is wireless connectivity. While all the experts are sceptical of scalable, lossless hi-res 24-bit/192kHz streaming becoming mainstream, they flag advancements in Bluetooth technology as another key upgrade that will define the next half-decade.

Category line director of headphones at Bowers & Wilkins, Steven Hoyle, flags Low Energy Audio (LE Audio) as a particular milestone he expects will help improve wireless headphones’ performance.

“LE Audio is coming! The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (the central group that owns the standards for Bluetooth, with input from stakeholders across various brands and technologies) is phasing out Bluetooth Classic and only focusing on advancing the Bluetooth standard with LE Audio,” he says.

“Once there are more devices supporting LE Audio, we expect that the functionality will be greatly expanded. The launch features for LE Audio focused heavily on broadcast and Auracast, but LE Audio does allow for higher data rates and therefore could support higher resolution audio. However, we are still at the mercy (in the short term) of compatible source devices.”

The ultimate goal won’t change

Despite the focus on what’s next, all of the experts agree that their core focus when creating wireless headphones will ultimately remain unchanged, regardless of what new tech appears: making them sound as good as possible.

This sentiment is summed up by Yusuke Wada, senior manager at Sony:

“Over the next five years, we believe devices and technologies will change significantly, and more environments will emerge that allow users to enjoy music more conveniently. While adapting to changes in how users enjoy music, Sony hopes to continue delivering the enduring value of bringing the emotion of music exactly as intended by the artist.”

Wada’s colleague Kenji Ide, acoustic Manager at Sony, adds, “Sony believes that delivering the music experience exactly as intended by the artist is of utmost importance, and we continue to pursue headphone sound quality to make that experience possible.”

Do you agree with audio pros’ comments? Are you excited about the prospect of easier-to-repair wireless cans? Or are you against the idea of AI-tuned wireless headphones? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Samsung has long championed its Fold series of phones to AV aficionados looking for an all-in-one entertainment device that can function as a flagship smartphone and small tablet, thanks to its clever bendy screen tech.

At first glance, that pitch continues with the Z Fold 8 Ultra, which offers a refined take on its Z Fold 7 predecessor – including a huge boost to both its screens' peak brightness levels and upscaling powers.

And were it not for one key issue, we would wholeheartedly be praising it as the best foldable for our discerning readers. But sadly, thanks to the appearance of a wildcard from Samsung, the Ultra is, ironically, not the ultimate option for Android AV enthusiasts; its cheaper sibling, the Samsung Z Fold 8, is.

Price

The Z Fold 8 Ultra is undeniably a premium product. The cheapest 256GB model we have in for review costs £1899 ( $2099 / AU$2999). The 512GB model will set you back £2069, while the top-of-the-line 1TB model sells for £2049. The extra increase for the 1TB model is also due to it having more RAM.

To put that in context, you could easily pick up enough entry-level Android phones and tablets to equip a family of three, or 2.4 Award-winning iPhone 17s, for the same price.

That also makes it over £100 / $100 more expensive than the older Z Fold 7 was at launch, £200 more expensive than the entertainment-focused Z Fold 8 and £620 more than Samsung’s flagship non-folding phone, the five-star Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Build

The price will be a hard pill to swallow for some, but there is no denying the Z Fold 8 Ultra feels premium and, dare we say, rugged (at least compared with past foldables we’ve tested).

The final point is a particular surprise for the team, one of whom had the joy of watching his first-generation Z Fold handset break in his hand when he first tested the folding mechanism many moons ago.

This is mainly thanks to Samsung’s Flex Titanium Technology display tech. The tech places a thin alloy mesh and flexible titanium plate under the AMOLED screens, which lets the firm reduce the phone’s size while improving its folding mechanism’s usability and durability.

Gone are the days when you would wince and pray to the tech gods whenever you opened it up. Now the Z Fold’s mechanism feels solid and suitably easy to use without requiring uncomfortable levels of force.

Uniformity is also improved, and unlike past Samsung Fold phones, the inner display’s crease is close to unnoticeable, resulting in a more immersive experience, especially when playing media.

The rigidity, smaller dimensions and generally polished design make the Ultra feel premium – though be warned, its IP45 rating means it's still not beach or pool-ready, and won’t survive most aquatic adventures.

The only other downside is that it retains the Fold’s atypical form factor, which, while having benefits for movie fans, is still firmly focused on 'power users' who want to have multiple apps open at the same time.

The 21:9 aspect ratio 6.5-inch outer display is thinner than most normal phones and has intuitively placed power and volume controls on its side, and also houses its fingerprint scanner.

But its 8-inch inner screen is still decidedly square-shaped, and the two side-facing speakers are pretty easy to block if you turn it on its side to make the most of the extra real estate. Doing so will also force the internal hole-punch-design selfie camera to block part of the screen, even when watching 21:9 content.

This makes the smaller Z Fold 8 feel fresher and more attuned to media consumption, thanks to its new passport-sized 10:16 aspect ratio outer screen and 7.6-inch 4:3 landscape interior display.

Features

Despite the power-user focus, the Fold 8 Ultra still houses several treats for movie and TV fans in particular.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset and 12GB of RAM ensure our review unit never stutters and is a speed demon with most processes – you’ll be able to game, edit spreadsheets and reels with zero issue. This is further aided by both screens’ variable refresh rate (VRR) 120Hz support.

For media, the phone doesn’t have the same Samsung ProScaler tech that wowed us on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Instead, it relies on Samsung’s mobile Digital Natural Image engine (mDNIe) hardware. Rather than upscaling content, as ProScaler does, mDNIe uses advanced image processing to help the Ultra deliver more subtle and lifelike colours. Samsung specifically claims it’s “four times more accurate” than the older Z Fold 7.

Outside of this, both the Fold 8 Ultra’s screens support Samsung’s HDR10+ standard. The internal screen also has a staggering 3000 nits peak brightness. That’s 400 nits more than the older Fold 7. Combined with the handset’s Vision Booster feature, which adjusts contrast and the screen’s settings based on ambient light conditions, we never struggle to see what is onscreen, even in direct outdoor sunlight.

Dolby Atmos support is also included, both for the inbuilt speakers and connected headphones – though you have to activate it in the Ultra’s settings.

Despite its 4.1mm slimness when unfolded, the phone’s battery is also reasonably sized. The 5000mAh cell is quoted as offering 27 hours of video playback from a single charge. That figure requires some sacrifices to the display’s brightness, but we still find ourselves only losing an average of four-to-seven per cent of the phone’s charge watching Netflix on our hour-long commute home each day, which is solid by mobile standards.

Samsung’s One UI software sits over its base Android 17 OS. The skin brings some useful features, but they’re mostly to do with AI and making the most of the second screen. These include the ability to have multiple apps open on the inner display, which can be a boon.

Whether it’s chatting on Slack with the spreadsheet you’re discussing open on the other side of the screen, or WhatsApping your friends with Google Maps open as you try to navigate your way to the pub you’re meeting at, there are plenty of moments it's useful – though we do occasionally find ourselves hankering for a stylus like the one seen on the S26 Ultra, especially when working with spreadsheets.

Outside of the split-screen functionality, Now Brief and Now Nudge are probably the most used features. The first feature pushes contextual information throughout your day, while Now Nudge, rather creepily, raids data from all the apps on your device and the cloud to offer contextual replies.

Finally, the Ultra comes with a competent camera set-up. On its back you’ll find a 200-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide (up from 12 megapixels on the Fold 7) and a 10-megapixel telephoto. It also features the same ProVisual Engine with advanced AP processing for Nightography video.

The Fold 8 has a downgraded set-up, featuring a basic 50MP main and secondary 50MP ultrawide lens. Both feature 10MP selfie cameras with a hole-punch design embedded in each screen.

Given our AV focus, we won’t delve into too much detail here, but the cameras are good, though not the best you’ll find at this end of the market. The Ultra can take captivating shots and is more than good enough for shooting video for social media – as evidenced by a number of Reels we've posted on our channels using it.

Stabilisation is solid, and low-light photography looks good and is generally noise-free. But Samsung’s processing is still a smidgeon aggressive for those who value realism. Unless you go full manual, it still can oversharpen slightly, especially compared with a modern iPhone or Pixel, and colours occasionally look a tad overbaked.

Picture

The big question is, how does the Ultra perform as a home cinema in your hand? And here the answer is interesting. Our reviewers tested both of this year’s Fold phones and, despite the phones having the same nit count and upscaling powers, ended up using them fairly differently.

Side by side, playing Crime 101 in HDR10+ on Amazon Prime Video on the unfolded screens, it is immediately clear both are cut from the same cloth. Colours are nicely rich, despite the low-light scene’s tricky nature, and there’s a pleasing level of dark detail throughout the cityscape.

But interestingly, the basic Z Fold 8 goes a smidgeon brighter in certain parts, with the night-time sky initially offering a tad more contrast than the Ultra.

We make next to no adjustments to the screen settings, outside of turning off the ambient light and colour temperature controls, to ensure uniformity, as Samsung has refreshingly set the screen to its natural, not vivid mode, out of the box.

Moving to Ready Or Not 2 on Disney+, the phone’s AMOLED screen does a stellar job, delivering dark details that are lost on cheaper handsets, but it's the Fold 8 Ultra’s ability to retain colour volume, even in low light, that steals the show.

Avoiding spoilers, the viscera during a heated scene, mixing intense sections of light and dark elements, retains a pleasing level of realness, without ever being oversaturated. Skin tones as characters creep through the shadows retain a realistic warmth, never looking jaundiced or flat as they often can on phone screens.

Masters Of The Universe, on Prime Video, continues the strong performance, with the intentionally bright, almost cartoony, colours of Eternia popping, but never veering too far toward becoming oversaturated.

If anything, the screen feels like it could go harder, especially when pushing the numerous explosions billowing around He-Man. Here, interestingly, the base Fold 8 appears to be willing to push the brightest part of the picture a little harder than the Ultra. But, as always, we’ll take finesse over bombastic artificiality any day of the week.

The upscaling is also solid. Switching to Batman Begins, the phone admirably sharpens the Caped Crusader, giving the film a wonderfully three-dimensional but never artificial feel. Movements in particular retain their weight, as we feel every one of Batman’s precise but heavy blows. It’s only when he switches to the Batmobile and begins racing across Gotham that we detect a hint of oversmoothing.

With episodes of One Tree Hill on Netflix, the upscaling can’t completely remove the fuzzy grain from the ageing millennial melodrama, and some black crush does creep into certain scenes. But the show looks leagues sharper, more three-dimensional and ultimately immersive than that which we find on most rivals.

Were it not for one big elephant in the room, we would wholeheartedly say that, for the most part, it feels like we’re watching a shrunk-down Samsung OLED. That elephant in the room is the aspect ratio. The tablet screen only offers a smidgeon more real estate than its smaller sibling. And taking advantage of it means putting up with giant black bars on the upper and lower edges, with the hole-punch camera intruding on what you’re watching.

Before, this was easier to put up with. But with the standard Fold 8 being cheaper and having a more entertainment-focused aspect ratio, for people who just want to watch media, it makes the more expensive Ultra a harder sell.

In fact, the lack of extra real estate garnered from unfolding the handset means that at times, especially when commuting (unless, say, we are reading a comic or book on Kindle), we regularly just use the front screen, with its much more movie-friendly 21:9 aspect ratio.

Sound

Audio performance is an area where Samsung phones have proven to be good, but not best in class for a while – hence the four-star (and below) 'Sound' ratings on every handset we’ve reviewed since the Galaxy S23.

And this is largely because, outside Atmos and Spatial Audio, the firm doesn’t seem too bothered about improving its phones' musicality. This is a key reason Apple iPhones have dominated our Awards recently.

Does the Fold 8 Ultra reverse this trend?

Testing the audio with a pair of wired headphones using a USB-C to 3.5mm converter, the handset leaves a positive opening impression playing Philip Glass’s Floe on Apple Music.

There is a pleasing separation to every instrument as the demanding, rhythmically driven, harmonic progression strides forward. And the sound never feels out of control – an impressive feat considering how easy it is for the low-end, heavy bass synthesiser to overpower the more subtle string and flute sections.

As we move to 16 Horse Power’s Sinnerman, the phone’s focus on control continues. The handset accurately articulates the mid-heavy nature of the piece, retaining the track's intentionally swampy, raw, gritty Gothic Americana tone without pushing its own sonic signature on it.

But switching gears to the more energetic Good To Your Earhole (the all-analogue remaster, of course) by Funkadelic, the performance is a bit too tame. The attacking funk guitar doesn’t land with the intended scooped tone or have the rhythmic drive and precision we want. Our reviewers' feet remain firmly on the floor, rather than tapping along as they normally would, as a result.

Shifting to Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, the phone once again plays it a little too safe; the crash of John Bonham’s drums entering the composition doesn’t have the weight and impact it should, showing the phone’s middling handling of dynamics and, dare we say, a lack of fun in the sound.

There’s nothing disastrously wrong with the audio. We just wish the Fold 8 Ultra was a bit braver, a bit more confident and ultimately a bit more exciting to listen to.

Switching to the handset’s speakers, the Fold 8 Ultra offers a nicely wide soundstage by phone standards.

The cars in F1: The Movie feel like they’re zig-zagging left to right with a precision and speed lacking on many phones. But the speakers are underpowered, lacking the low-end heft required to do the rumbling engines justice.

Musically, the sound is also too thin for enjoyable listening. Nine Inch Nails’ The Day The World Went Away sounds hollow and lacks its intended lumbering menace – though this is the case on nearly all the phone speakers we review.

The combination of factors makes the Z Fold 8 Ultra a reliable, albeit unremarkable, phone for audio.

Verdict

The Galaxy Fold 8 Ultra is a competent phone that’s ideal for its target market: power users and ’80s-style business folk who need to edit spreadsheets on the go. It’s also a competent mobile entertainment device for people who like to watch films and TV while out and about.

But thanks to its productivity-focused form factor, the benefits to AV fans of the second, foldable screen aren’t as pronounced as they are on its cheaper sibling, the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Its safe but unremarkable audio also puts it behind modern iPhones for anyone on the hunt for a phone that can double as a portable music player. This all adds up to make it a good, but not perfect option for AV fans.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Samsung Z Fold 8

Also consider the iPhone 17

Read our Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review

These are the best smartphones for music and movies

Struggled to stay on top of all the latest hi-fi and home cinema news during last week’s heatwave?

Don’t sweat it, as our experts have penned a fresh entry in our weekly hi-fi and home cinema news digest, Rewind, summing up all the salient points of which serious music and movie fans should be apprised.

Goldmund unveiled its “most advanced amplifier yet”

Last week, high-end hi-fi specialist Goldmund unveiled its new Telos 9800 stereo amplifier, openly describing it as the most advanced it has ever made.

We haven’t had a chance to listen to it, so we can’t verify those claims. But there’s no denying it has some impressive hardware.

The unit delivers 1560 watts of power into 8 ohms and is built around an entirely new amplification platform that physically separates the power supply and amplification stages – a first for Goldmund.

This apparently lets the two operate under more optimal conditions, thus preserving the powerhouse amp’s mechanical and electrical integrity.

The unit is set to retail for £370,000 / €430,000 / $500,000, so we’re hoping the company’s bold performance claims ring true. There’s no room for anything less at this end of the market, after all.

Read the full story: Goldmund's "most advanced amplifier ever" is packed with cutting-edge tech and costs more than a Ferrari

Are listening bars forgetting their purpose?

Regular readers will know that our intrepid staff writer, Robyn Quick, has been covering the invasion of Japanese-style Kissa bars into our native London for the past few months – and for the most part, has been incredibly positive about the experience.

After all, what’s not to like about a bar dedicated to listening to music on a decent sound system, with like-minded aficionados? But after continuing her quest to find the ultimate Kissa bar in which to enjoy listening to music, she noticed a disturbing trend last week – people seem to have forgotten it's the music, not their latest gossip, we’re interested in hearing when visiting a Kissa bar.

Read the full story: This listening bar experience made me question whether the trend has gone too far

We reviewed Philips' new boombox

Wired headphones, CDs, tape players and, of course, vinyl; lots of retro audio tech is in vogue with young people right now. Which is why we weren’t at all surprised when Philips decided to give the iconic boombox a Gen-Z-focused revival.

The new Philips Roller is a Bluetooth speaker designed to look like the firm’s iconic portable boombox of yesteryear. And while our testers found there are more sonically sophisticated alternatives on the market, it was hard not to fall in love with its quirky retro design when they reviewed it last week.

Read our full Philips The Roller review

It looks like new Sonos headphones are on the horizon

It’s no secret that Sonos’ first headphones, the Ace, didn’t wow our reviewers. While there was a lot going for the Sonos Ace, ultimately middling audio quality was their undoing, leading to a mediocre three-star rating.

Which is why we were surprised to see reports break, suggesting the firm is on the verge of releasing another pair of wearable noise-makers last week. The reports stemmed from an FCC filing first spotted by Lowpass. The filing includes diagrams of the alleged new unit, which most believe is the Ace Ultra people have been speculating about for the past year.

All of this is unofficial at the moment, but if true, the IFA tech tradeshow, where the firm has unveiled hardware in the past, is just around the corner. Watch this space…

Read the full story: Sonos will launch new wireless headphones next month, official filing suggests

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August is here, and while many of us may be focused on the imminent Bank Holiday weekend or the family summer vacation we’ve been planning all year, that hasn’t stopped the hi-fi and home cinema news from flooding in.

So we’ve once again penned a fresh entry to our weekly hi-fi and home cinema news digest, Rewind, breaking down all the key announcements every discerning film or music fan should be aware of.

A new player from Astell & Kern

Astell & Kern is the first brand most of us think of when talking about premium portable music players, which is why when it launched its spiffy new PD5 last week, we stood up and took notice.

The PD5 is the successor to the Astell & Kern SR35, which launched back in 2023 and won back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Awards all the way up to last year.

The new player features a similar design, but thoroughly reworked internals. These include eight Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs, a new EnviroTune feature designed to let the player optimise its settings to ambient conditions and a more efficient circuit that adds eight hours of extra battery life, bringing it up to 28 hours of listening from a single charge.

Read the full story: The Astell & Kern PD5 digital audio player follows the Award-winning SR35 with a 28-hour battery life and eight DAC

We asked engineers to break down the difference between hi-fi speakers and studio monitors

One of the big questions we always get from hi-fi newbies is, what’s the difference between normal and studio monitor speakers? And when we explain, they usually then follow up with, “So shouldn’t I get the ones the pros use?”

Last week, we decided to get answers to both questions directly from the horse’s (engineer’s) mouth. Ever-curious staff writer Ioan Hazell chatted to industry heavyweights from big-name brands, getting their hot takes on the strengths and weaknesses of hi-fi speakers and studio monitors.

Read the full story: “What are the real differences between studio monitors and hi-fi speakers? We asked the professionals”

Marantz launched new AV receivers

It was another busy week for hi-fi and home cinema powerhouse Marantz. Fresh off the back of our experts publishing their Marantz CD 70 and Model 70 reviews, the firm unveiled not one but four new AV receivers last week.

Specifically, the brand lifted the lid on its new Cinema 50 Series 2, Cinema 60 Series 2, Cinema 60 DAB Series 2 and Cinema 70s Series 2 AVRs.

The 50 Series 2 is the brand’s new flagship (apparently the naming follows golf scoring conventions, so lower is better), but every model is built around a 32-bit, eight-channel DAC which, according to Marantz, will let them deliver “ground-breaking advancements in sound quality”.

Read the full story: Marantz adds four new AV receivers to its home cinema line-up with "ground-breaking" feature sets

Dolby Vision 2 is launching

Dolby Vision 2 is a big bit of new tech, with audio-visual giant Dolby promising the new standard will deliver palpable picture quality improvements. But, to date, we’ve not seen much content mastered in it, or reviewed any TVs actively supporting it.

That’s now set to change with Hisense and Dolby confirming the first TVs to get the standard. Specifically, we now know the format will make its debut on the Hisense UX, UR9, UR8 and U7 TVs.

Read the full story: Hisense TV owners, listen up! You're about to get a major Dolby Vision upgrade

You can now get your AI-made music pressed onto vinyl

Everyone loves AI music. Said no one… well, until last week, when music generator platform Suno announced a new service that will let its users press their AI-prompted tracks onto 12-inch records. And the AI treats don’t end there; if you’re not a dab hand with a pencil, the platform will even use its robot smarts to create the artwork for you.

Read the full story: Now not even vinyl records are free from AI slop

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Heatwaves, the World Cup, a new Prime Minister (and Larry the cat’s subsequent reaction to his new housemate): a lot happened in July this year.

And while many of our eyes may have, justifiably, been focused elsewhere, that didn’t stop our reviewers from continuing their Sisyphean task testing a never-ending stream of new hi-fi and home cinema hardware in our dedicated viewing and listening rooms.

And while the heat may have made it slightly more challenging (and sticky) than normal, the effort was worth it as they found a staggering 10 hot-ticket items worthy of our hallowed five-star rating.

Here’s what you need to know about them.

Vertere Phono-1 LX

The Phono-1 LX is a new premium phono stage from Vertere, a firm with a proven track record in the space. It also is a successor to the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Phono-1 MkII.

Initially, our reviewers were a little concerned about the lack of changes made for the new model, with it featuring the basic circuit design and the firm being oddly reserved with its performance claims.

But our scepticism vanished the moment we plugged it into our reference system. Matched with price-appropriate hardware, the LX delivered a brilliant performance with improved dynamics, punch and bass authority over its still impressive predecessor.

As we said in our review: “The Phono-1 LX sets new standards for the price, delivering a class-leading combination of insight, dynamic punch and finesse.”

Five stars

Read our full Vertere Phono-1 LX review

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Regular readers will know that if you want your phone to work as a portable music player or mobile movie station, you’re usually better off going with an iPhone – such as the Award-winning iPhone 17.

But last month, Samsung delivered a handset that gave the Apple handset a good run for its money, especially for movie and TV watching, with its latest Galaxy S26 Ultra handset.

During testing, we discovered the firm clearly has taken learnings from its stellar five-star OLEDs and applied them to the Ultra’s display, which delivered the best picture quality we’ve experienced on a handset.

Hence, our glowing verdict: “Samsung has clearly made some under-the-hood improvements with the S26 Ultra’s picture processing capabilities, which makes it an even better handset for watching movies and TV shows.”

Five stars

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review

Dali Sonik 5

The Sonik 5 are the successors to the Dali Oberon 5. That automatically means they have some pretty big shoes to fill.

As a standalone pair of stereo speakers and the beating heart of a 5.1 surround sound package too, the Oberon 5 were multi-Award winners and a constant recommendation until they went to the audio farm earlier this year.

Having put them through their paces in our listening rooms, we’re pleased to confirm the Sonik 5 live up to the Oberon 5’s legacy. Featuring a similar driver configuration to their predecessors, the Sonik offer a refined version of the Oberon’s sound; one that’s full of expressive dynamics and generally fun to listen to.

Add to this their compact size and unfussy nature when it comes to partnering and they become an easy recommendation. As we said in our review: “With a pleasingly compact size and excellent sound, we think the Dali Sonik 5 will make a superb addition to any home set-up, especially if you’re working with small spaces.”

Five stars

Read our full Dali Sonik 5 review

Acoustic Energy AE Active

The AE Active continue Acoustic Energy’s hot streak, being the third set of stereo speakers in a row from the brand to earn a five-star rating, following our glowing reviews of the AE300 Mk2 and AE309 Mk2.

The AE Active are interesting as, despite being active speakers, in the sense they have built-in amplification, unlike rivals they’re otherwise fully analogue – you won’t find a DAC, streaming options, Bluetooth or digital inputs on them.

While this makes them a bit niche, if you’re one of their target market, a person who has separates to cover the above, they’re very competent performers, capable of delivering a powerful, dynamic and detailed sound.

As we said in our review: “The Acoustic Energy AE Active are a niche product in today’s audio landscape, but they are a tremendously talented and capable pair of active speakers. They are a viable alternative to a traditional separates pairing at this price, and could well be the last chain in your hi-fi system you’ll have to update. Highly recommended.”

Five stars

Read our full Acoustic Energy AE Active review

LG G6 (OLED65G6)

If you’re getting a sense of deja vu, don’t worry; there is a good reason for it. We actually reviewed the LG G6 earlier this year and gave it a four-star rating after experiencing several dark-detail performance issues. But last month, after LG promised us the issues were due to a software bug that has now been fixed, we re-reviewed it.

And thankfully, the flagship OLED TV’s performance has been much improved, with it delivering a punchy but never over-baked picture during all our checks. Hence its new five-star rating and our verdict: “The LG G6 offers minor but welcome improvements to the firm’s iconic line of premium OLED TVs.”

Five stars

Read our full LG G6 (OLED65G6) review

Hisense XR10

The XR10 is Hisense's latest flagship projector. Like the firm’s other offerings, it’s not a traditional long-throw projector, instead sitting in the fast-growing “home-cinema-in-a-box” category.

Featuring the firm’s proprietary triple laser lighting system, liquid cooling, a built-in Devialet sound system and Hisense’s Vidaa operating system, it has everything you need to power a big-screen movie night, neatly contained in one box.

It costs a lot, especially by 'casual' home cinema standards, but during testing it proved to be one of the most accomplished performers in its class. Well built and capable of the best picture quality we’ve experienced in its category, while its sound isn’t anywhere close to a replacement for a proper 5.1 system, the XR10 is an easy five-star recommendation.

As we said in our review: “The XR10 looks great and performs even better, setting new standards in the fast-changing projector world.”

Five stars

Read our full Hisense XR10 review

Denon AVC-A1H

The AVC-A1H is the latest flagship AV receiver from home cinema heavyweight Denon. Expensive? Yes. But for the money, this tank of a unit comes packed with tall the hardware you’ll need to power a proper home cinema, with it supporting speaker configurations up to 9.4.6.

But most importantly, it’s the best-sounding AVR we’ve experienced in quite some time. As we said in our review: “Denon’s flagship AVR ticks every box we can think of – feature-packed and offering up exceptional cinematic sound, it’s a mighty fine AVR if your budget allows.”

Five stars

Read our full Denon AVC-A1H review

KEF R Meta 5.1 Speaker System

“Huge, refined and exceptionally cohesive, KEF's R Meta package delivers an effortlessly immersive home cinema experience.”

We don’t give praise like that often, so it should be a clear indication of how impressed our reviewers are with the new KEF R Meta 5.1 surround sound package, which we reviewed in July.

The package uses a pair of R7 Meta floorstanders as the right and left channels, two (five-star) R3 Meta standmounters as surrounds, an R6 centre speaker, and the KEF’s unusually compact KC92 subwoofer for the low end.

Matched with the Denon AVR further up this list, and then our normal reference AVR, the Marantz Cinema 30, the speakers wowed the team, delivering a huge, spacious soundstage and wonderfully refined sound.

Hence our verdict: “The R Meta 5.1 package is beautifully engineered, immaculately built and packed with clever technology, but it's the effortless cohesion with which those individual elements come together that makes it so special.”

Five stars

Read our full KEF R Meta 5.1 Speaker System review

Marantz CD 70

CDs are back in vogue, according to most reports. Which is why you may be one of a multitude of people considering picking up a CD player. If you are, we have good news. We have a new recommended entry-level model: the Marantz CD 70.

Sure, to more casual music fans calling a £499 disc spinner “entry level” may sound a little weird. But for hi-fi fans it's the best player we’ve tested that affordable in quite some time.

The unit replaces the Marantz CD6007, which won six What Hi-Fi? Awards in its lifetime. The player has been completely redesigned, featuring new components, an updated power supply and spiffy new chassis. Testing the unit, we found the changes have paid off, with the CD 70 delivering a wonderfully clear and insightful sound, with a solid, tight bass and focused stereo image.

As we said in our CD 70 review: “The entry-level hi-fi market isn’t what it used to be, but it’s great to see Marantz deliver another excellent attainable CD player. The CD 70 is undoubtedly the new go-to recommendation at this level.”

Five stars

Read our full Marantz CD 70 review

KEF LS Luxe

KEF is one of the first names that comes to mind when you talk about speaker systems.

And with so many five-star, Award-winning products in its history, the association’s more than fair. It’s also why we were excited to get its LS Luxe active speakers into our test room, which aim to deliver an even more premium option for hi-fi fans looking to eschew separates.

Built in partnership with Welsh designer Ross Lovegrove, they may have a Marmite aesthetic, but sonically we’re pleased to report they live up to the brand’s strong legacy in the space.

Across every track we threw at the LS Luxe, the speakers delivered a wonderfully mature, balanced performance, with oodles of detail and nuance, making them a delight to listen to. Hence their five-star rating and our verdict:

“The KEF LS Luxe is a great all-round performer. Thanks to its mature, deeply satisfying sound, impressive feature suite and high-quality construction, this wireless active stereo system is crying out for a place on your shortlist.”

Five stars

Read our full KEF LS Luxe review

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Remember when Qualcomm (one of the biggest mobile, wearable and headphone chipmakers in the world) promised we would see a wave of next-generation wireless headphones with significantly improved hi-res audio quality appear “soon”? Well, that was just over a year ago.

That’s a fairly long time in this fast-paced industry. Which is why, once the one-year mark passed, it was time for me to pull out my black book and do a ring-round of all the movers and shakers in headphone engineering to see what’s going on.

Sadly, now that I have, it looks as though we are still some way off a key milestone for wireless audio quality: scalable, lossless hi-res 24-bit/192kHz streaming.

The promise of fully scalable, lossless hi-res 24-bit/192kHz

The promise of fully scalable, lossless, hi-res, 24-bit/192kHz streaming has been viewed as the Shangri-La of wireless audio quality for more than half a decade.

Why is it such a big deal? Well, if the stars align and the audio can be delivered wirelessly without chunks missing, the standard could lead to palpable audio upgrades. As Neil Young said, when he railed against “lossy” formats, we could finally hear “the full sound the band created”.

Who wouldn’t want that?

Well, rather a lot of people, according to Christian Ern, global product manager at Sennheiser’s parent company, Sonova Consumer Hearing.

“The broad majority is quite satisfied with the quality and convenience that regular Bluetooth offers,” Ern tells What Hi-Fi? “For example with advanced codecs like AAC or aptX, which are also widely available on transmitting devices.”

Steven Hoyle, category line director, headphones, at Bowers & Wilkins, follows suit, telling us that, while the company has hard data showing that people using its wares do listen at higher quality, it isn’t convinced there is much demand for more, yet.

“Within the Bowers & Wilkins headphone range we already support playback of audio up to 24-bit/96kHz via USB. We know that some owners are actively using this connection instead [of Bluetooth] in order to access higher levels of performance; but that does compromise the ease of use and convenience that you have with a wireless connection,” he says.

“We’ll continue to evaluate the need for 24-bit/192kHz support, but we’ll always view through that lens of ‘what makes sense for the consumer’, within which ease of use and convenience are also critically important factors.”

The words “ease of use” and “convenience” quickly became a theme. Kazunori Otsu, director of Technics’ headphone business, tells us that while audio quality is paramount, it needs to be easy to access too.

And at the moment, getting a consistent, decent experience delivering fully scalable, lossless 24-bit/192kHz wireless audio quality is anything but simple, according to all three experts.

It’s all a bit difficult

As stated by B&W’s Hoyle, even if the headphones were made, it wouldn’t be “easy” for listeners to take advantage of the functionality.

“The biggest challenge is how we make access to better audio simple and straightforward. Having support for higher resolution formats is part of the puzzle, but it is not the only answer,” he says.

“There are plenty of examples where users may think that they cannot tell the difference in the quality between high resolution and ‘standard’ audio, but this is often because of limitations elsewhere in the chain. This is why we try to focus on a whole system view to ensure that any improvements in the source should translate easily to all users.”

There is an ecosystem of factors needed to support lossless 24-bit/192kHz wireless audio. At a broad strokes level, to deliver the promised quality, you need a source transmitting 24-bit/192kHz, a wireless transmission and protocol robust enough to handle it without losing parts along the way and an endpoint (headphones, for the purposes of this article) that can understand and articulate the data it’s receiving. That’s a lot of moving parts, even for an engineer.

The big drawback at the moment is that most networks, codecs and devices aren’t up to the challenge. Bluetooth, the most common protocol used to stream music, can’t support the quality, and even the top-end aptX HD and LDAC codecs for it are fairly lossy – meaning parts are lost during the digital compression and unpacking process. And wi-fi, which is the most stable and fastest option for most people, isn’t as ubiquitous as Bluetooth, and there are issues with how most devices behave when switching between the two.

Qualcomm wants to fix the transmission part with its Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology. This, it claims, will scale automatically and intelligently depending on network conditions. So in theory it could (eventually) deliver 24-bit/192kHz audio wirelessly when its data connection is good enough, but discreetly switch to lower quality, in a way that doesn’t lead to dropouts or artefacts, when it’s too slow.

Lenbrook’s Airia transmission codec, which itself was an evolution of the SCL6 codec that MQA was working on before the firm was bought by its current Canadian owner, has a similar goal.

That’s all before we get into my, and former What Hi-Fi? editor, Jez Ford’s, explorations of how Ultrawide Band could help wireless headphones, and audio in general, reliably reach the standard. Cliff Notes: this is an alternative protocol some firms believe could deliver the quality with lower power demands, removing Bluetooth from the equation entirely.

It’s this plurality of moving parts that is a big issue for companies, including Sennheiser, says Ern:

“There are many improvements available or on the horizon to improve wireless audio quality. The main obstacle is compatibility. New technologies usually require transmitter and receiver to use the same form of transmission and codec, but most devices only support the usual standards.

“Therefore, using such new standards often requires not only the right headphone, but also the respective transmitter (phone, tablet, computer).”

Technics’ Otsu expresses a similar frustration, noting there isn’t even full interoperability among Bluetooth and mobile devices right now:

“One of the main challenges today is the limited interoperability of high-quality wireless audio technologies across different platforms. For example, while technologies such as LDAC can deliver higher-quality audio, support varies depending on the operating system, device, and chipset.

“As a result, even when advanced audio technologies are available, not all users can easily access or benefit from them. Improving compatibility and accessibility across platforms will be an important step toward bringing high-quality wireless audio experiences to a broader audience.”

What do people want?

All the experts we spoke to also agreed that “mainstream” music listeners don’t necessarily put technical things, including codecs and bitrates, on the same level of importance as audiophiles and hi-fi enthusiasts – which is why they are focusing elsewhere, for now.

Technics’ Otsu sums this up, telling us: “Across the broader market, we believe consumers are increasingly prioritising everyday usability factors such as comfort, ANC performance, connectivity, and battery life.”

B&W’s Hoyle adds that even these are only part of a wider set of priorities, which flip in rank depending on the person, telling us: “I believe that each user has a clear idea of how they are planning to use their headphone and this informs their priority feature list and their purchasing criteria.”

For Sennheiser’s Ern, this is particularly problematic, as the technical implications of raising audio quality would lead to higher prices due to the need for more expensive chipsets and lower devices’ battery lives, due to their higher power consumption.

So does that mean we won’t see the upgrades promised by Airia and XPAN as soon as we had hoped? Not necessarily…

Hi-fi will still find a way

Despite the mainstream headphone makers’ reticence, there was one segment of the market that still thought the effort of making the jump to 24-bit/192kHz, lossless, wireless audio was worth it: luxury and high-end.

Matt Dever, senior global product line manager, Harman Luxury Audio (Mark Levinson’s parent company), tells us that in audio circles there will always be enthusiasts willing to chase audio quality above all else.

“For Mark Levinson, it is very important to achieve that pinnacle of 24-bit/192kHz performance in an active wireless headphone. And we know that the technology giants will help get us there in the not too distant future. There is a market for that level of performance, as well; it will continue to drive the aspirational side of the consumer to better performing products,” says Dever.

He adds that the firm is already looking at XPAN and Airia, as well as a multitude of other technologies to help improve its premium wireless headphones.

“From the Mark Levinson and the luxury/audiophile perspective, our end users crave the best-quality audio experience possible. So, incorporating technologies that bring the highest level of audio quality, be it through the connectivity elements of wi-fi, XPAN, Bluetooth [and the like], or through employing audio codecs like Airia, LDAC and LHDC. These types of elements are paramount in the development of a Mark Levinson headphone,” he says.

“And it doesn’t have to be just one of these technologies; many of these can be employed together to create an even more exceptional listening experience. For example, many of the audio codecs mentioned above scale up to higher levels of performance with greater connectivity bandwidth. The Mark Levinson team is always studying and testing the latest technologies to determine the best path forward to keep us at the forefront of delivering the finest sounding headphones.”

Despite that, he does concede that the firm is hitting many of the same roadblocks as Technics, B&W and Sennheiser, telling us:

“Mark Levinson is not a fan of any of the lossy compression codecs. But with the limitations of bandwidth available, there must be compromises made, at least for today. But the industry goal should be lossless wireless audio reproduction at 24bit/192kHz.”

So, while we may not see “mainstream” next-generation headphones as soon as we had hoped, the high-end is already taking steps towards delivering the audio Shangri-La promised by Qualcomm just over a year ago.

What do you think?

Do you agree with the experts that most people aren’t that bothered about lossless 24bit/192kHz wireless audio and that it makes sense only in the high-end market? Or, do you think it’s up to brands to do a better job of educating users about the jump ahead of delivering it? Let us know in the comments below!

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The What Hi-Fi? team has a long history of productive but occasionally heated discussion.

In fact, thanks to our collaborative reviewing process, not a day goes by where the team doesn’t have some form of debate about a piece of hi-fi or home cinema hardware.

And we are open to the fact that sometimes certain members disagree and can’t reconcile their differences. That’s fine; it’s part of the process and why third, fourth and sometimes fifth members of the team are called in for particularly divisive topics/reviews for additional looks and listens.

We rarely end up in a complete stalemate, where both sides are 50:50 split down the middle because of the tag-in culture. But that’s exactly where we ended up during Home Cinema Week in July, when we debated whether we are in a golden age of home cinema.

During our Home Cinema Week debate, some team members argued that hardware advances mean it has never been better for home cinema fans, who have a wealth of cutting-edge hardware to choose from.

TV and AV editor Tom Parsons also highlighted the rise of UST projectors and 100-inch TVs as key examples of how things are better than ever for home cinema fans, arguing they make it much simpler to get a big-screen experience than it used to be.

Others, such as editor-in-chief Alastair Stevenson, argued the cost of living crisis makes the entire point moot – if no one can afford the products, how can it be a golden age?

And then there are things such as the debate about streaming vs physical media. Yes, Netflix and the ilk have made it easier to consume media, but – as pointed out by staff writer Daniel Furn – even if you pay for the top tier of a streaming service, 4K Blu-ray still holds many advantages.

With physical media becoming increasingly niche, however – at least relative to streaming – can any home cinema enthusiast really say it’s a golden age when most aren’t watching films in the best quality possible?

We are in a deadlock, then, unable to decide which side is right. Which is why, for this month’s Ask The Reader question, we’re turning the debate over to you, our lovely readers.

Let us know which side you’re on and why, and at the end of the month, we’ll bring you a follow-up feature using your responses, settling the argument once and for all.

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Last week was another busy one for the What Hi-Fi? team, with a wealth of hot new hardware landing in our review rooms and a few key announcements breaking.

These included a deep-dive look from our regular contributor, Becky Roberts, at how hi-fi might change over the next 50 years and our reviewers publishing their final thoughts on not one, but two, important products from powerhouse Marantz.

Here’s what you need to know.

We ask audio engineers to rank their favourite test tracks

If you’re into hi-fi, there’s a better than strong chance you are at least fond of music. That’s why we constantly update you with the tracks we turn to when testing hi-fi in our dedicated listening rooms. It's nice to have well-recorded music to listen to, after all.

But last week we decided to shift gears when staff writer Ioan Hazell talked to some of the biggest names in sound engineering to find out what the people making today’s records view as the gold standard. And the results were not what we expected!

Read the full story: We asked eight sound engineers for their top studio test tracks – here’s what they picked and why

We review the Marantz Model 70…

Last week, we finished reviewing the Marantz Model 70, the new stereo amplifier that replaces the long-running, five-star PM6007 in the brand’s range. While we found plenty to like about the new unit, which offers greater insight, muscle and clarity than its predecessor, plus a wealth of modernisations to its feature-set, its increased price puts it up against some even more accomplished rivals. As we say in our review:

“The Marantz Model 70 amplifier has plenty of appeal. It is well specified, decently made and works with a wide range of music. Had it been priced closer to the PM6007, we would undoubtedly be proclaiming it a class leader. However, the move up in price level puts it up against tougher competition and, in that context, it earns a more cautious recommendation.”

Read our full Marantz Model 70 review

…and the CD 70

As well as the new amp, our reviewers also finished testing the Marantz CD 70. While some might baulk at us describing a £499 CD spinner as “entry level”, in the current climate, this is by far one of the best options you will find without spending a lot more. Highlights include a clear, insightful sound, with solid stereo imaging and a nice tight low end. Hence its five-star rating and our verdict:

“The entry-level hi-fi market isn’t what it used to be, but it’s great to see Marantz deliver another excellent attainable CD player. The CD 70 is undoubtedly the new go-to recommendation at this level.”

Read our full Marantz CD70 review

We take a trip to the year 2076

As a part of our ongoing 50th birthday celebration, last week regular contributor and former What Hi-Fi? managing editor, Becky Roberts, decided to switch gears and take a future-gazing look forward, asking: what will hi-fi look like in 50 years?

Speaking to tech sages, industry legends and her local tea-leaf reader, Becky teased out an interesting mix of answers, ranging from China controlling production, to the impact AI might have on music, and by extension, hi-fi.

Read the full story: What will hi-fi look like in 2076? We asked some of the most influential experts in the industry

We test KEF's new premium wireless speaker system

It was a big week in the world of hi-fi with not only our Marantz reviews going live but also our in-depth review of KEF’s latest premium wireless system, the LS Luxe.

Designed by Ross Lovegrove, the man behind KEF’s ultra-high-end Muon speakers, LS Luxe is positioned above the brand’s LS50 Wireless II system and includes a 12th-generation 6.5-inch Uni-Q driver array.

And our team was suitably impressed. In our LS Luxe review, we describe it as “a great all-round performer” and say, “Thanks to its mature, deeply satisfying sound, impressive feature suite and high-quality construction, this wireless active stereo system is crying out for a place on your shortlist.” High praise indeed.

Read our full KEF LS Luxe review

There was bad news for some Disney+ subscribers

Some Premium subscribers to the service have lost the ability to watch in HDR and 4K “Following a recent court ruling affecting the technology we use to deliver 4K UHD and HDR, we have temporarily removed support for 4K UHD and HDR on Disney+,” The Walt Disney Company Nordic & Baltic told Flatpanelshd.

It appears the move is the result of a recent court case, but nobody seems to know when access will be restored, or whether those affected will receive any compensation. Thankfully, it appears that the UK has been spared, for now at least.

Read the full story: Disney+ has removed these premium features from its Premium tier

TCL launches an 11.1.4 soundbar system

Bigger is better, right? That’s the approach TCL seems to be taking with its new flagship Q95K Dolby Atmos soundbar system, which was spotted in China last week.

There is no word yet on whether it will launch in the UK and US, but the unit is certainly interesting. The system combines a central soundbar with twin wireless speakers and a subwoofer, to offer buyers an 11.1.4 experience.

But what really caught our eye is its meaty 1420W of peak power, which reportedly drives a staggering 22 speaker units in the bar alone. If that wasn’t enough to grab your interest, it has also been tuned by Bang & Olufsen.

We have asked TCL for clarification on its launch plans outside of China, where it’s available now, costing 7999 yuan (around £889 / $1200 / AU$1700). Hopefully we will hear back soon and have a chance to hear how it performs in the real world.

Read the full story: TCL's new flagship soundbar features spatial audio and B&O tuning

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The best Dolby Atmos soundbars ranked by our experts

A good, cheap OLED TV has been top of many cinephiles' wish list for over a decade. This makes the S85H a big-ticket item despite it sitting at the bottom of Samsung’s new OLED TV range.

It’s looking set to be one of the cheapest options for serious movie fans who want a new OLED that sits in the same family as the S99H, a set we recently declared to be the finest Samsung OLED we’d ever tested. Big shoes to fill, then.

Price

The Samsung S85H is available in sizes from 48 to 83 inches. The cheapest 48-inch size launched carrying a £1199 ($1199) price tag, while the giant 83-inch model retails for £3699 ($4499).

We have the middle-child 55-inch model in our review rooms, which launched at £1499 ($1499 / AU$2499).

Initially, that meant it cost slightly less than its closest rival, the LG B6, which cost £1599 (AU$2500) when it first came out.

However, rapid price drops mean it’s now more expensive than its LG rival. The 55-inch B6 is now available for as little as £899 in some places.

However, the S85H puts is still cheaper than most of this year’s mid-tier OLEDs, including its big brother, the 55-inch S90H, which now floats around the £1699 mark.

Design

You won’t find any flourishes like the fancy metal bezel sported by the flagship S99H; instead the S85H has a rather utilitarian look, with a basic, plastic design that is nevertheless mostly solid.

The TV has feet, rather than a pedestal stand design and includes two placement options, central and wide, which puts them on the furthest right and left edges. This is a nice touch that lets you adjust the position to fit on your cabinet and place a soundbar underneath it as required.

Our only minor quibble with the design is that, as well as feeling distinctly plasticy, the feet wobble. Not so much that we’re worried it will break, but enough that you’ll want to place it with care.

The SolarCell remote seen on Samsung’s previous step-down and entry-level OLEDs also makes a return. It is pleasingly compact and intuitive, and features solar and USB-C charging, something that isn’t guaranteed at this price. The only real negative is the ongoing lack of a backlight, which makes using it in the dark a bit tricky.

Features

The set's specifications sheet is nearly identical to the outgoing S85F, with only three big upgrades to mention.

It has been upgraded to Wi-Fi 6E, which will improve connectivity if you have a compatible router using the standard. It also has a new AI football mode, which Samsung claims will “make you feel like you’re in the stadium” using the set’s processing smarts.

Finally, there is a smattering of what Samsung claims to be "performance improvements" – the biggest, apparently, is to its peak and operating brightness. Samsung hasn’t given a definite nit count, however, so we can't be sure how big the alleged brightness upgrades are.

Samsung also hasn’t specified what panel is being used, but the fact that the S85H is powered by the same NQ4 AI Gen2 processor as its predecessor suggests it may be using one of the new OLED SE panels LG Display unveiled at CES in January, which aim to boost brightness while simultaneously bringing prices down.

We had hoped the Q85H would get the newer Gen3 silicon, which brings more accurate tone mapping and better upscaling, among other things, but that remains reserved for the more expensive S99H and S90H models.

The same is true for Samsung’s vibrancy-boosting Quantum Dot tech, which once again is reserved for its flagship offering. A shame, yes, but unsurprising given the S85H’s price. You also, once again, won’t find the firm’s Glare Free screen coating included, which will be an annoyance if you use the TV in a room with lots of ambient light.

Despite the lack of big changes, the S85’s specifications remain very competitive at this price.

The set offers four full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs, capable of carrying a 4K/120Hz signal for next-generation gamers. ALLM and VRR are also on board, so gamers are fully covered.

The only big omission is the set’s lack of support for Dolby Vision Gaming, or any version of Dolby’s HDR standard, for that matter. The S85H continues Samsung’s HDR grudge match, with it only supporting the HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG standards.

The set also doesn’t support FlexConnect, a bit of audio tech that the LG B6 does. This is a clever technology designed to let you create surround sound systems using compatible speakers on the fly. It includes the power to use the TV’s speakers as the central channel. Samsung, instead, pushes its own Q-Symphony solution, which aims to make the TV’s sound system work with compatible soundbars to improve audio quality and create a wider soundstage.

The latest-gen version of Tizen featured on the S85H is easy to navigate and includes a content bar at the top that splits your apps into categories, curated and arranged to automatically match your usage habits. All the major apps and services are present and running correctly, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV and more.

Picture

In its out-of-the-box Eco mode, the S85H comes off a little strong. Playing our F1: The Movie 4K Blu-ray, the picture is a little sharp, oversmoothed and colours, particularly reds, are overcooked.

Switching to Filmmaker mode, things rapidly improve. Now, the cars’ movements become precise and rapid, losing the artificial floaty feel of its default setting.

Colours are also much more reined in, but reds still look a little overcooked, which leads to a series of quick tweaks before we finally settle on Filmmaker Mode, with the Warm 1 colour profile and Active Dynamic Tone Mapping on for the best results.

The TV’s colours are still a little bombastic compared to the more subdued B6, but the picture’s solidity and three-dimensionality ensure our eyes still favour the Samsung during the heated F1 race.

Switching to Pan, our standard peak brightness stress test due to its atypical 4000 nits mastering, it’s immediately clear that the S85H burns brighter than previous entry-level OLEDs we’ve tested and its main rival, the LG B6. The setting sun offers a wider range of reds and oranges that show up as pure white on its rival.

The only slight issue is that, once again, colours are pushed a touch too hard, with blues looking a smidge too vibrant and the picture a little too warm in general.

(Editor’s note – for our sanity, if a filmmaker is reading this, please master your next film in 4000 nits and shoot an incredibly bright scene we can use for testing. If our reviewers are forced to hear Pan’s butchered version of Smells Like Teen Spirit for much longer, there may be a mutiny.)

Switching to our 4K Blu-ray Sinners test disc, minor black crush creeps in. Although the scene oozes menace and has a wonderful sense of dread, thanks to the perfect blacks, parts of the gangsters’ faces lose definition and fade into the black background.

The S85H also has a tendency to try too hard. In a bid to show how bright it can go, the set artificially raises the brightest sections of the picture, but doesn’t always have the finesse to do it naturally.

Highlights on characters’ skin come up as pure white, losing some detail and adding a distracting artificiality, making it look like they’re in the spotlight on a Broadway stage, rather than drinking and dancing in a dingy Prohibition-era speakeasy.

The aggressive push then flattens faces completely by overbrightening them, losing shadow detail and some of the picture’s otherwise impressive three-dimensionality. The flaw isn’t uniform either, rearing its head at specific moments, which is distracting and breaks our immersion in its otherwise solid performance.

Switching gears to our 4K Blu-ray of Civil War and tagging in step-up OLEDs, including its big brother/sister the S90H, the S85H puts up an admirable fight, but there are obvious benefits if you can afford to go up a price tier.

The S90F delivers a series of modest improvements that add up to make a big difference. On the S85H, greens in a military camp’s grass fields look a little too vibrant, taking on an almost cartoony look. Skin tones lose their warmth and colour volume, coming across as slightly jaundiced during low-light scenes compared to the more lifelike, immersive S90F.

The flames in a burning forest flicker a little brighter on the step-up model, offering more detail, with a wider range of reds and oranges dancing in the brightest parts of the flames. Overall, we get a little more nuance, a sprinkle more finesse, and a generally more natural picture with the S90F.

The S85H does a decent, but not front-of-the-pack, job of upscaling our SDR True Grit Blu-ray. The picture retains the grainy, spaghetti western feel, but the picture is dimmer and a bit flatter than those we've seen on rival sets. Though it retains the intentional grain, some sharpness and detail are lost. The stitches in the characters’ woollen clothes look a bit softer than we’d like, too.

Sound

“Where’s the bass?” is the immediate question we ask, testing the S85H’s 2.0 channel, 20W, Dolby Atmos system with our F1: The Movie test disc.

Engine noise, the sound of the crowd, the boom of cars crashing and skidding across the track; all of it lacks the bite and impact needed to do justice to the scene. The entire sound feels weak, even by TV speaker standards, sounding more like a Scalextric race than a deafening, international F1 event.

And this issue is the sound system’s undoing. Moving to a night-time battle scene in Civil War, explosions are occasionally entirely lost as vocals and the higher-frequency sound of gunfire, bizarrely, overpowers them.

This is a particular shame as, while the speakers never come close to matching a moderately capable soundbar, such as the entry-level Sonos Beam (Gen 2), they do get some things right.

During the musical medley in Sinners, Sammie’s blues vocals don’t have the power or vibrato required to do them justice, but they’re suitably separated from the guitar part.

As the scene develops, adding more and more layers and modern music genres to the song, that decent separation continues, with each part remaining distinct, albeit underpowered. And the set does a reasonable job of offering a sense of direction as the camera swoops through the barn.

The S85H’s speakers are ultimately fine for watching the news or a casual series, but not quite good enough for even basic movie watching. You will need to invest in a soundbar or speaker system for that.

Verdict

If you want an OLED TV but can’t afford to step up into the mid-tier, it’s one of the top options currently available, the Samsung S85H is a very competent option at the price.

Its punchy, immersive and nicely three-dimensional picture is a cut above most of its entry-level rivals. There are undoubtedly palpable gains to be had in paying more for a mid-range OLED, however – ones we think are worth paying for.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 5

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