SOUND & VISION
Eyes and ears are precious: make sure you give them treats
1 ROKU STREAMING STICK +
For a first step on the smart streaming ladder, you could do a lot worse than going Roku. This is highly affordable, manages a solid 4K HDR picture and, critically, is unbiased. While Roku now offers its own programming, the voice search on its remote will direct you to the smart TV app that makes the most sense without leaning towards its own platform. £50, roku.com
2 FIRE TV CUBE
You’re not short of options when it comes to Fire TV devices – if you don’t need 4K, the Fire TV Stick Lite is just £30 – but this doubleduty combination of Alexa speaker and TV streamer is currently the best of the bunch. Its hexa-core processor gives it a good lick of speed, there’s more internal storage, and you can hook up Ethernet if your Wi-Fi’s a bit iffy. £110, amazon.co.uk
3 SENNHEISER MOMENTUM TRUE WIRELESS 2
Although they’re dear, Sennheiser’s secondgen true wireless ear buds are a treat for the ears. Smaller than before but with stronger noise cancelling and almost twice the battery, these feature a spacious soundstage packed with character. And if you don’t like it, you can EQ the heck out of it via Sennheiser’s app. £279, sennheiser.com
4 LG CINEBEAM HU80KSW
LG’s vertical projector might seem pricey, because it is, but it’s no slouch in the getting-things-on-walls department. It builds in decent speakers, uses lasers to shine out an impressive 4K HDR image, and it’s totally portable, so it’s perfect if you’re looking to host a bit of socially distanced outdoor cinema. £1,999, lg.com
5 PHILIPS OLED+935
You’d be forgiven for being so dazzled by Philips’ extras – the Ambilight back illumination, the Bowers & Wilkins Atmos soundbar with upfiring speakers, et al – that you might overlook its screen. Don’t: this is LG’s latest OLED panel technology paired with Philips’ excellent P5 processor, and it goes as low as 48 inches. From £1,800, philips.co.uk
6 ENACFIRE E60
The headphone space has gone a little mad, with good, cheap true wireless buds now more widespread than ever. Case in point, Enacfire’s stocking-filler priced E60s. They cram in aptX decoding, IPX8 waterproofing, a wireless charging case, and an eight-hour battery, and they don’t skimp on the sound quality either. From £28, amazon.co.uk
7 CHROMECAST WITH GOOGLE TV
This year Google has changed what the Chromecast is, bringing it much more into the same space as the Amazon and Roku’s streamers. That means you get a remote with voice search, a Google TV interface rather than the phone-only control of its predecessors, and all the 4K HDR content you can eat. £60, store.google.com
8 NAIM MU-SO FOR BENTLEY SPECIAL EDITION
Naim’s hardware screams luxury all over. It’s well-built, sounds amazing, and looks incredible. The company’s partnership with Bentley, shown off both inside post-2008 vehicles and now in this wood-finished revision of the ace second generation Mu-so, cements its reputation perfectly. £1,799, naimaudio.com
9 YAMAHA MUSICCAST 500 VINYL
While it works best with Yamaha’s own MusicCast wireless speakers, which can harness the company’s streaming protocol to pull off some multi-room magic, this is a fantastic turntable option, stiff and accurate with a high quality belt drive. It’s great even if you’re only using its Bluetooth radio. £599, uk.yamaha.com
10 RUARK R3
A compact package that highlights Ruark’s attention to audio detail, perfect both for those who need central streaming sound, those who love to tune in to the radio, and those who are still clinging on to their CD collection for dear life. The R3 does just about everything you could want it to, and fills a room without breaking a sweat. £629, ruarkaudio.com