TOP FIVE LAUNCHES
Five products to look out for this month
1 Bang & Olufsen Beolab 28 from £9750
Designed with versatility in mind, the Beolab 28 fits in any space due to its slim shape and small footprint, plus the ability to stand on the floor or hang on the wall. The Danish firm decribes the Beolab 28 as its ‘most advanced connected speaker yet’ and it has a full suite of streaming smarts, including Airplay 2 and Google Chromecast, courtesy of a replaceable connectivity module that offers an element of futureproofing. Clever audio processing tricks work to make the speaker sound optimal in various room placements, too. whf.cm/beolab28
2 Technics SL-100C £799
Technics has added a new entry-level model to its legendary SL turntable range. The SL-100C shares many of the same qualities as its slightly pricier, five-star SL-1500C sibling that sits above it in the range. The shared features include the same iron-coreless direct-drive motor, designed to avoid issues such as clogging and speed control, as well as a version of the company’s long-running S-shaped aluminium tonearm. However, the SL-100C loses the phono stage and is also fitted with a different cartridge, Audio-technica’s VM95C. whf.cm/sl100c
3 Bowers & Wilkins PI7 £349
Bowers & Wilkins isn’t always first to the party, but it likes to make an entrance. The PI7 are a pair of premium true wireless earbuds (launched with the slightly less premium PI5) that boast a six-microphone active noise-cancelling system, Bluetooth aptx Adaptive support and, uniquely, a charging case that features USB and 3.5mm ports, allowing you to connect it directly to an audio source for music playback. whf.cm/pi7
4 Audio Pro C10 MKII £360
The sequel to one of our favourite wireless speakers of the past few years brings advanced features and performance to the table. The C10 MKII expands its predecessor’s feature list, which included Airplay, Bluetooth, aux and RCA inputs, and access to music streaming services via wi-fi, by adding Airplay 2 and Google Cast streaming smarts. And to ensure there’s an improvement in the sound quality too, Audio Pro has also enhanced the electronics and revised the bass port design. whf.cm/c10mkii
5 Apple TV 4K (2021) from £169
Apple’s updated video streamer introduces a host of new features including high frame-rate HDR support with Dolby Vision at 60 frames per second (including over Airplay) and an all-new Siri Remote. Apple boldly claims the new A12 chip brings “a significant boost in graphics performance, video decoding, and audio processing”. But the most eye-catching addition is a new colour-balance feature that uses your iphone’s sensors to optimise the video output for your particular TV. whf.cm/appletv2021