What Hi-Fi? January 2022

One of the considerable advantages of good old cathode ray tube televisions was that they were so big that it was a simple job to fit decent speakers into them. Then, once ‘flat panel’ TVs became the norm, it also became a staple of the What Hi-Fi? review to say that the sound of one of these otherwise miraculous pieces of tech left a whole lot to be desired. Enter the soundbar. As is the way with such things, the science moves on, and home cinema sound is now basking in the joys of multi-channel surround sound that – of course – a flat-panel telly struggles to deal with. Enter the Dolby Atmos soundbar (p54), remarkable pieces of technological wizardry that truly enhance your home cinema experience. The world of…

EXPERIENCE. HERITAGE. We’ve been helping the world discover the best in hi-fi and home entertainment for more than 40 years, and have more than 100 years of reviewing experience under our collective belts – so you can count on our expert opinion. DEDICATED TEST FACILITIES We test every product against its peers in our extensive, bespoke reviewing facilities in London, Reading and Bath. We conduct all our tests as a team – our opinions and conclusions are always the result of collaboration. HOW WE SCORE All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole – not an individual reviewer. Each product will be listened to and/or viewed by several members of the test team, who will then discuss the final verdict before it appears in the magazine…

By now, you surely must have heard of Sky Glass, such is the might of the Sky marketing machine. Primarily, it’s a new Sky TV platform that’s delivered entirely over the internet and is therefore free of a satellite dish. But it’s also, for the time-being at least, a TV, as the only way to get the Sky Glass service is to buy a Sky Glass TV that has it built-in. No extra boxes or extra remotes – just a neat TV with one zapper, no dangling cables and no need for a dish. You shouldn’t need a soundbar either, as a Dolby Atmos speaker system is also integrated into the chassis. On top of that, Sky insists that the Sky Glass TV delivers its content as it should be…

In a world where upgrading to a newer smartphone every 12 months is de rigueur for the self-respecting and tech-savvy consumer, a six-year wait for a product can feel like a lifetime. But that’s how long it has taken Bowers & Wilkins to launch a brand-new iteration of its iconic, airship-like Zeppelin wireless speaker. These days, B&W is exclusively prioritising wireless streaming over physical connectivity. To this end, the Zeppelin is compatible with AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth (a comparatively new codec that offers hi-res support and which B&W also supports in its latest headphones), with Bowers & Wilkins partnering Music App support also serving as a gateway to music streaming services including Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz, Soundcloud and TuneIn. Alexa voice control is now on board for…

Any new iteration of Bose’s enduringly popular QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones brings with it certain preconceptions – and not just in terms of class-leading ANC performance. This is, after all, a line that has largely impressed across the board for the best part of two decades. So how does the latest pair, the long-awaited QuietComfort 45, stack up for durability, usability and sound quality? The QC45 are, visually at least, virtually indistinguishable from their predecessor, the QC35 II. A USB-C charging port replaces the now archaic micro USB, and the earcups now have vents, in a bid to add depth and fullness to the sound without increasing their size. Button location (four on the right ear cup for power, volume and playback; one on the left for switching between two noise-cancelling…

The Dali Katch G2 arrived at our testing facility with a fulsome fanfare. The original Katch sounded so good for its size and price that we gave it a What Hi-Fi? Award in the wireless speaker category in 2016 (the year of its release) and 2017. Now its successor, the long-awaited G2 – short for ‘Generation 2’ – has just bagged the same prize. And no wonder we have been wowed once again. The all-new Dali Katch G2 brings a raft of improvements to the familiar slender, oval design. The upgrades include even more stamina, wider Bluetooth support and tweaks to the audio design. So, is there a (wait for it) Katch? And how does the G2 stack up in an increasingly crowded market? Heart of class At £329, the…