THIS MONTH

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First Tests

First Tests 11 pages of new reviews p6 Including Rega’s Fono Mini A2D phono stage, and KEF’s KHT3005 HD2 package p6 A new amplifier and CD pair from Cambridge Audio p12

CYP’s latest DAC gets put through its paces p21 Headphones for the healthy from Philips

Tests

Supertest One make home cinema p30 One-make systems offer convenience as well as a unified look. We’ve done the work for you, and paired up four Blu-ray/receiver combos

Micro systems p42

Micro systems now pack features such as streamers and iPod docks. We look at three well-equipped big-namers for under £500

Stereo speakers p50

It’s truly a clash of the titans as three pairs of premium standmounters do battle. They’re all around the £2000 level – and formidable with it

Affordable 3D TVs p56

No, we’ve not got a touch of the sun, such things do exist. Five of them actually. And they’re here

Desktop speakers p66

It is possible to get amazing sound from desktop speakers, and for reasonable money too

Temptations Five pages of high-end kit p72 Quite possibly the best DAC you’re likely to see for a good while, and a stunning 65in screen from Panasonic. What more could you want?

One-make systems p30

Affordable 3D TVs p56

Desktop speakers p66

4 www.whathifi.com p20

Monitor Audio strikes Gold First Test – CD/amp p8 Notes hit with punch and precision, and a weight that rivals struggle to match

Temptations – TV p76 Its pictures appear uncannily sharp, and show no apparent traces of instability or noise

A-Z of kit tested Televisions LG 42LW550T£650 p58 Panasonic TX-P42ST30 £550 p59 Panasonic TX-65VX300 £8000 p76 Samsung UE40D6530 £650 p60 Sony KDL-40HX723 £650 p61 Toshiba 40TL868 £480 p62 Toshiba 46YL863 £1300 p14

Home cinema Blu-ray players Harmon Kardon BDT30 £350 p32 Onkyo BD-SP809 £500 p34 Pioneer BDP-LX55 £350 p36 Yamaha BD-S671 £250 p38

Stereo speakers Audiovector Ki3 Standard £1200 p12 B&W MM1 £400 p67 B&W PM1 £1995 p52 Dynaudio Focus 160 £1800 p52 Epoz Aktimate Micro £260 p68 Focal XS Book £300 p69 Monitor Audio Gold GX200 £2300 p20 PMC Twenty 22 £1825 p53 Tannoy Definition DC8 £2500 p53

All-in-one systems Micro systems Pioneer X-HM70 £350 p43 Pure Sirocco 550 £290 p44 Sony CMT-MX750 £340 p36

Home cinema amplifiers Harmon Kardon AVR365 £800 p32 Onkyo TX-NR1009 £1300 p34 Pioneer VSX-LX55 £1000 p36 Pioneer SC-LX75 £1500 p10 Yamaha RX-A1010 £1000 p38

Style speaker packages Ferguson Hill FH009 £800 p18 KEF KHT3005 HD2 £900 p10

Subwoofers Sunfire SubRosa £2350 p16 Tannoy TS2.10 £429 p21

Portable MP3 players Cowon i10 £100 p18

Accessories Analogue interconnects Van den Hul The River £200 p21

Digital interconnects Fisual Havana USB £18 p21

HDMI cables Sandstrom Gold £89 p21

Hi-Fi Amplifiers Cambridge Audio Azur 651A £450 p6

CD players Cambridge Audio Azur 651C £450 p6

DACs Audio Research DAC8 £4698 p72 CYP AU-D160 £135 p12

Headphones Philips The Bend £50 p21 Phonak Audeo PFE232 £300 p13

Phono amplifiers Rega Fono MIni A2D £85 p13

Remote controls One For All Smart Motion £30 p13

iPod docks JBL On Beat Extreme £500 p16

Our ratings explained

We always test products as a team, and always compare them with their peers – which is why our ratings are the most authoritative in the industry

Stunning all-rounder Well worth considering Decent Disappointing Awful

★★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★

If it’s one of our winners, you know it’s top quality

CONTENTS

Playlist – album p79 It’s exactly the sort of recording you’d expect from a 77-year-old poet and Buddhist monk

Features

SYSTEM BUILDER

We do the work for you p48 Having trouble mixing and matching kit to get your perfect sound or vision solution? Our system builder gives you some set-up ideas, and helps you get the best results for your money. This month: the Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus

Every month

Insider: CES special p22

We took in the bright lights of Las Vegas at the largest consumer electronics show in the world – get the lowdown here. Plus, a preview of 2012’s Bristol Sound and Vision show

Subscriptions p26

Every new subscriber will receive a Chord HDMI cable – and save money on each issue!

Best Buys p29

What to buy and what to partner it with. We’ve assembled our favourite products into some fantastic complete systems

Playlist p78

The latest music and video releases reviewed, including veteran songwriter Leonard Cohen’s Old Ideas, and the superb big screen outing of Le Carré’s Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy

Sound Advice p80

Our team of experts dive onto the forums and into the postbag to answer your queries

Buyer’s Guide

The ultimate AV bible p85 Over 1200 products tested and rated

For a full list of specifications and other useful info visit whathifi.com www.whathifi.com 5