Particularly if, fingers crossed, the summer's fine weather continues, there is little better time to buy a premium portable Bluetooth speaker.
Music, when you and your loved ones are at a secluded picnic, lazing in the park, or out in the garden for a barbecue, is a wonderful thing. To get the best from your tunes, it is worth splashing out a bit; and our round-up gives you plenty of options.
You can take things a step further, even, with some truly portable projectors. Mobile they may be, but the quality they are capable of providing might surprise you.
As for some indoor pleasures, don’t miss our round-up of the best hi-fi we saw at High End Munich.
Premium Bluetooth speakers
Like the best fictional spies, a portable, wireless Bluetooth speaker such as those we round-up here are happiest ‘out in the field’. Perhaps literally.
But whether it’s out in your garden, at the park, the beach, or just taken with you around the house or over to a mate’s – wherever you need your tunes, these jet-setting heroes are happy to oblige.
And, a bit like, say, James Bond, they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are the rugged type, happy to be all-action companions that can withstand a bump or two and are hardy enough for the great British weather not to dampen their ardour.
Others are suave, sophisticated operators that manage to look classy no matter where your adventures take them. One thing’s for sure, though – all of the Bluetooth speakers we’ve rounded up here have a licence to thrill.
Sound is the priority when judging any speaker’s credentials, of course, but skills such as the ability to daisy-chain more than one of its type together for a more expansive sound, or even charge other devices while you’re on the go, can be incredibly handy. Find out more in this month's What Hi-Fi?
Mobile movie marvels
These days, portable projectors are making a splash, as manufacturers hit on new and ever more inventive ways of allowing us to watch our movies… well, pretty much anywhere. Kitchen, bedroom, holiday home – or even in the garden; just turn it on and beam it up.
Most portable projectors are relatively affordable and manufacturers are taking inventive and experimental approaches to design. Don’t expect extensive spec from a portable projector, but you can still enjoy decent HD images, ease of operation and, in most cases, streaming smarts. For the best results you will need a screen too but, frankly, that’s not essential.
For this round-up of models up to £900, we have assembled five of the leading contenders. And, whatever your taste or intended use, we are confident you will find something to suit you here.
Meet the man known as the 'ears of Sony'
Industry legend Eric Kingdon, or the “ears of Sony” as he is often described, has a brimming memory bank that few others could boast, having been involved in developing, designing and tuning many of Sony’s Award-winning hi-fi and home cinema products over the past 40 years… and counting. In this month's What Hi-Fi?, Kingdon picks out the Sony products he is most proud of.
First with reviews
As always, our First Tests section is filled to the brim with in-depth, impartial and expert verdicts on the very latest hi-fi and AV gear.
First up we have Sony's WH-1000XM6 over-ear wireless cans. Their predecessors have been five-star, Award winning products with each iteration, so we were excited to see if the XM6 could continue that legacy. Read the findings of our expert reviewers in this month's mag!
If you're after a pair of diminutive desktop speakers, the Neat Iota II could be just what you're looking for. They may be slightly niche, but as we found, these little speakers have plenty of gumption.
But that's not all. Also on test this month is a super-affordable but decently-performing TV from Sharp, the GM6245K, Hisense's latest UST projector, the PX3, the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 soundbar package, and a pair of five-star cans from Austrian Audio in the form of the Hi-X20.
Then, in another packed First Tests section, we run the rule over LG's Xboom Buds (2025), the Nebula X1 portable projector and, finally, Revival's Audio Sprint 4 floorstanding speakers.
See what our review team thought of all these products in August's What Hi-Fi?
High price, high levels of performance
Our Temptations section of the magazine is where you'll find the highest of the high-end of hi-fi and AV products.
This month, for your delectation, we have Gryphon Audio's Diablo 333 integrated amplifier. It's pricey, but is it good? Let's just say, in recent months we’ve been fortunate enough to test some world-class integrated amplifiers – and Gryphon’s Diablo 333 can be counted among them.
Next up we have a rather special phono stage in the form of the Vertere Calon. In a set-up of similarly high-end kit, this five-star phono amp has scale and authority to spare.
Find out more in August's What Hi-Fi?
Finally, don't forget to check out our Buyer’s Guide, featuring a definitive and freshly updated list of all the best home entertainment kit you can buy – including winners of 2024's What Hi-Fi? Awards. If you’re looking to purchase anything from a pair of the best wireless headphones to a home cinema speaker system, this section will tell you where to spend your money wisely.
Whatever you do, don't miss the August 2025 issue of What Hi-Fi?. Grab a copy today, or simply download it onto your tablet or smartphone. Enjoy!
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