Cassette tapes are back. And no, it’s not just a few nostalgic 50-year-olds who have dug out their old Maxell cassette tapes from the basement. In the first quarter of 2025, sales of cassette tapes rose by a whopping 205 per cent in the United Kingdom, according to figures from the industry organisation BPI. In …
Perhaps it was my prejudices that made me first look at the speakers with a shrug. Another pair of speakers to woo the audience with an unabashedly retro design. How about creating something original instead of copying the past, I thought. No offence. I vaguely remembered the original, which was well received by both the …
I’ve carried many speakers up stairs over the years, but this was something completely different. The first box from Arendal Sound was so heavy that I had to pause halfway up. When I realised there was only one speaker in the box and there was another one below, I could have laughed – if it …
The JBL Bar 1300 MK2 is a soundbar that many have been waiting for since its launch this summer: its predecessor delivered very powerful cinema sound at a reasonable price. Unboxing the new model, it’s clear that JBL has retained many of the design features. The soundbar is still huge: with the detachable rear speakers …
The JBL Bar 500 MK2 is the successor to the Bar 500 and features a new, large wireless subwoofer with a 10-inch unit. It’s one of the more expensive soundbars in this test, but if it delivers what we hope it will, it could be well worth it. Design and connections The soundbar is a …
When Norwegian Sigberg Audio launches its first pure floorstanding loudspeaker, it comes with exciting solutions. Saranna combines a cardioid midrange design, strategically placed bass units and a large coaxial unit at the front. The price tag places Saranna in the upper segment. But these are active speakers with built-in DSP and three EQ profiles. Compared …
Just two years ago, we concluded that the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi was the best portable speaker around. With both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, it’s as useful in the home as it is outside. It supports both AirPlay 2 and Chromecast over Wi-Fi, which means it plays high-resolution audio files at 24bit/96kHz over your home network. …
You might be forgiven for thinking that the M20.2 is a fine-tuned version of the M20. But in reality, it’s a brand new speaker from Scansonic HD. “It probably should have had a different model name, such as M200. It would have been more informative,” admits CEO Morten Kim Nielsen in an email. The Danish …
The Samsung HW-QS710F is one of the latest soundbars in Samsung’s 2025 series. There’s no hiding the fact that it’s intended as a soundbar to match Samsung The Frame and other slim TVs. With support for Dolby Atmos, wireless audio and an included subwoofer, it seems like a good alternative to Samsung’s larger home cinema …
Sometimes it pays to think outside the box. Literally. Because, as we all know, it’s common practice to cram power supplies and amplifiers into speakers when making an active version. If you do it from scratch, i.e. sit down with a drawing board and design an active speaker from scratch, it can work perfectly well. …
The hi-fi hobby is full of dogmas and unshakeable truths. One of them is that you need a lot of equipment to get good sound. System Audio challenges this mindset with its Silverback 40.2 DS, where the idea is so simple that it almost seems rude: two speakers, a hub and power. That’s all you …
JBL has the widest selection of portable and party speakers on the market. There is something for every taste and every need – but it is the PartyBox series that really gets the party started. PartyBox 520 is the latest and largest JBL model with battery operation and can play for up to 15 hours …
Samsung has long been a leader in soundbars, and with the Q995F, they are taking another step forward. With 11.1.4 channels, including new and improved rear speakers, the goal is clear: you will get full cinema sound without having to sacrifice half your living room to speakers. Industrial design The angular design of previous models …
With 11 speaker units behind the front grille, including two top speakers for Atmos and DTS:X effects, the Enchant 1100 promises surround sound without the need for additional speakers. But its real strength lies in its modular concept – you can start with the soundbar and add subwoofers and wireless rear speakers as and when …
The day started with a visit out of the ordinary. A supplier of power products had come to demonstrate what cleaner power can do for sound. Although I know it helps, I was sceptical about how much of a difference it could make. This time, however, it turned out to be much easier to distinguish …