August is here, and as well as sunshine it brings with it a fresh entry into our regular Pick of the Month column.
In it, we once again detail all the top hi-fi and home cinema hardware that impressed our reviewers enough to earn a five-star rating over the past month.
Despite most of us packing up and taking advantage of the good weather, our testers were hard at work reviewing everything from affordable turntables to audio powerhouse KEF’s first ever Dolby Atmos soundbar.
But of this long list of products we tested in July, only seven impressed enough to earn a wholehearted recommendation from the What Hi-Fi? reviews team.
Here is everything you need to know about them.
Chord Electronics Alto
The Alto is one of the more interesting bits of hi-fi to pass through our listening rooms in the last month.
First, because it’s the latest product from Chord Electronics, a company with a strong pedigree in the hi-fi space. Second, because it doesn’t neatly fit into any one traditional hi-fi category.
You could view it as an analogue headphone amplifier, thanks in no small part to the four – yes, four – outputs Chord’s loaded it with. But Chord has also designed it so you can use it as a simple high-end amp to drive stereo speakers.
Its hybrid purpose is the result of Chord’s original intention to launch it as a professional tool for studio engineers, who often need to swap between multiple headphones and speakers while working.
Oddities aside, after testing it with appropriate wired headphones and speakers, we’re pleased to report it’s a great option for the very specific type of hi-fi fan it targets. Hence our glowing conclusion:
“Overall, there is no denying that the Chord Alto is an impressively capable product. In its primary objective, that of a headphone amplifier, it is one of the finest we’ve heard. That it also impresses when driving speakers in a near-field context and as a preamp are bonuses that turn it into a rather remarkable and tempting option.”
Score 5/5
Read our in-depth Chord Electronics Alto review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Bose didn’t make a lot of noise about its second generation Ultra Earbuds. In fact, when asked, the company outright told our audio experts it had made next-to no changes to the buds' drivers or audio performance.
Instead the upgrades targeted its design, battery and various other quality of life improvements. This initially left our reviewers fairly concerned given the strength of competition this year – a list headlined by the five star Sony WF-1000XM5, Technics EAH-AZ100 and Bowers & Wilkins Pi8.
But thankfully, when we put them through their paces running our standard suite of comparative tests, these concerns were completely unfounded. Whether it was bopping pop, rumbling 12-bar blues or layered classical compositions, the buds delivered a punchy, full-bodied sound.
Add to this stellar active noise cancellation and they easily earned a five-star recommendation, with our reviewers reporting:
“Their outstanding noise-cancelling capabilities, excellent design and a punchy, entertaining sound make for a powerful combination – these Bose 2nd Gen earbuds are pleasing all-rounders.”
Score 5/5
Read our in-depth Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review
LG C5 (OLED48C5)
If you’re after a small-ish OLED TV that is big enough for reasonably immersive movie experiences in a small-ish living space, then we have a new recommendation: the LG C5 48-inch.
Though the set is very similar to the outgoing LG C4 48-inch, the new model offers modest improvements to peak brightness and colour accuracy.
This, plus its flawless gaming specifications (which include four, rather than the standard two, HDMI 2.1 inputs) make it a fantastic choice for buyers that are short on space.
Hence our verdict:
“If you’re yet to take the OLED plunge, then this is a solid option, especially if you’re short on space or cash-rich enough to justify one as a secondary, bedroom set.”
Our only word of caution is to make sure you budget for a soundbar to go with it, as the speakers' smaller sizes means they’re not great, even by in-built TV standards. We’d suggest the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) for its smaller dimensions and pricing.
Score: 5/5
Read our in-depth LG C5 (OLED48C5) review
ATC SCM20ASL
If you live by the mantra “honesty first” then you’ll likely be a big fan of the ATC SCM20ASL.
The chunky, active standmount speakers come loaded with a wealth of impressive hardware, with ATC's engineers tweaking nearly every part in a bid to make them as controlled and honest as possible.
The end result is a very utilitarian set of active speakers capable of accurately delivering every bit of information on the recording you’re playing.
While that may put off more casual listeners, or those that think a speaker’s job is to entertain, regardless of the track’s recording quality, for their target market they are a very impressive piece of hardware.
Even when paired with more modest hardware than we’d normally suggest for speakers their price, including a Lindemann Limetree Bridge II / Chord Hugo TT2 music streamer combination, the ATC SCM20ASL delivered audio full of clarity and control.
As we said in our review: “If you want to hear the recording in its unvarnished form, whether for good or bad, in our experience, few alternatives get closer to that ideal than the ATC SCM20ASL.”
Score: 5/5
Read our in-depth ATC SCM20ASL review
Ortofon MC X30
If you’re looking to buy a sensibly-priced moving coil cartridge with plenty of talent then look no further. Last month our reviewers found one, in the form of the five-star Ortofon MC X30.
The X30 is the first moving coil cartridge from Ortofon’s new MC X range, which includes three other options – one more premium and two cheaper. The main difference between each is the stylus profile, which gets more ambitious as you go up the range.
This means the X30 is designed for relatively premium record players and comes with a custom rigid design bespoke-made for precision and top-of-the-line audio performance. Does it deliver the sonic goods?
Based on our experience testing it with price appropriate units, including a system comprised of the X30, a Technics SL-1000R turntable, Cyrus’s Phono Signature phono stage, Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, the answer is a solid yes.
During all our checks the unit delivered expressive dynamics and a clean, crisp, detailed presentation. As we said in our Ortofon MC X30 review: “The Ortofon MC X30 is a bit of a no-brainer at this price, provided you already have a suitably talented MC phono stage in your system.”
Score: 5/5
Read our in-depth Ortofon MC X30 review
Samsung HW-Q990F
The Samsung HW-Q990F is the successor to last year’s Product of the Year winner in the What Hi-Fi? Awards best soundbar category.
This automatically gives it big shoes to fill. But the weight of expectation is especially heavy right now thanks to the recent influx of fresh rivals, including the Sonos Arc Ultra currently sitting at the top of our best Dolby Atmos soundbars guide.
But, having it put it through its paces in our dedicated listening rooms, we are pleased to confirm it’s an excellent soundbar system. At its heart it offers the same functionality as the outgoing Samsung HW-Q990D, featuring a central soundbar unit that pairs with a wireless subwoofer and twin satellite surrounds.
The clever work Samsung has done tweaking each unit's design, including their drivers, has led to palpable performance improvements, especially in the low end, leading our reviewers to report:
“The compact new cube subwoofer is easily the star of the show, offering a richer, more focused sound with greater tonal variation. Who knew shrinking down a core component of your system could deliver such huge performance gains?”
Score: 5/5
Read our in-depth Samsung HW-Q990F review
KEF XIO
The XIO is the first ever Dolby Atmos soundbar from KEF – a hi-fi company behind some of the best speakers and speaker systems we recommend right now.
KEF's technical know-how in the audio sphere is immediately apparent in the wealth of custom hardware and design elements housed within the XIO’s surprisingly thin frame.
Highlights include the use of a specially optimised version of KEF’s Uni-Q MX drivers for the height channels, which pair with bespoke P185 drivers focused on low-end performance and two conventional 50mm drivers designed to extend its soundstage.
The giant 12-driver arrangement isn’t just technically impressive. Putting it through its paces against key rivals, including the equally premium Sennheiser Ambeo Max, in our test rooms it delivered a five-star performance.
Whether it was action packed fight scenes in John Wick 2, intense conversations in Oppenheimer or our standard Blade Runner 2049 chapter two low-end stress test, the unit delivered a detailed, precise and exciting sound.
Hence our verdict: “The KEF XIO is a soundbar of rare all-round ability that delivers movies and music with spectacle and finesse.”
Score: 5/5
Read our in-depth KEF XIO review
TCL C8K (65C8K)
The TCL C8K is the latest flagship Mini LED set from TCL, replacing the outgoing and now significantly cheaper TCL C855K we reviewed last year.
Like its predecessors, the C8K has a singular purpose in mind: to prove TCL's ongoing argument that Mini LED can compete with OLED in the upper echelons of the TV market.
To do this, it comes with a wealth of technical upgrades. These include an increased number of dimming zones, new contrast-boosting CrystGlow WHVA tech, advanced AiPQ Pro processor chipset and a completely new sound system that’s been designed in “partnership” with Bang & Olufsen.
Putting it through its paces, the upgrades have paid off in spades, with the set offering palpable improvements on its predecessor, especially when it comes to uniformity, leading our reviewers to report:
“The C8K’s winning blend of extreme brightness, outstanding backlight control and aggressive pricing makes it one of TCL’s most exciting TVs yet.”
Score: 5/5
Read our in-depth TCL C8K (65C8K) review
MORE:
These are the best Mini LED TVs we’ve reviewed
We rate the best 40-inch TVs
Our picks of the best speakers
